6.4.1 Trait Theories. Trait theories of leadership identify the specific personality traits that distinguish leaders from non-leaders. They are based on the premise that leaders are 'born, not made' (i.e., that leadership is largely innate, rather than being developed through learning). Trait leadership is defined as integrated patterns of personal characteristics that reflect a range of individual differences and foster consistent leader effectiveness across a variety of group and organizational situations (Zaccaro, Kemp, & Bader, 2004; Zaccaro 2007). The theory of trait leadership is developed from early leadership research which focused primarily on finding a group of