Assertiveness (Extraversion facet)
A facet of Big Five Extraversion measuring social dominance, willingness to lead, and tendency to speak up in groups. High scorers naturally take charge; low scorers prefer following.
Assertiveness is the leadership facet of Extraversion. It captures the willingness to take charge, voice opinions, and direct others — distinct from aggressiveness (low Agreeableness) and confidence (low Neuroticism).
High Assertiveness predicts emergence as a leader in unstructured groups (Judge et al., 2002 meta-analysis: r=0.31 between Assertiveness and leadership emergence). It is one of the strongest single-facet predictors of organisational rank.
Low Assertiveness combined with high Conscientiousness creates excellent individual contributors who avoid management; high Assertiveness combined with low Agreeableness produces directive leaders who can struggle with team cohesion.
Source: Costa & McCrae (1992). NEO-PI-R; Judge, Bono, Ilies & Gerhardt (2002). Personality and leadership: a qualitative and quantitative review. Journal of Applied Psychology.
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