"Are you a born leader?": a study on how personality traits influence leadership tendencies among private university students in group projects

Hiong, Kie Yi and Chun, Qiao Lin (2026) "Are you a born leader?": a study on how personality traits influence leadership tendencies among private university students in group projects. Final Year Project, UTAR.

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Abstract

This study investigates the influence of Big Five personality traits on leadership tendencies among private university students in Malaysia, focusing on group projects. Leadership is important in teamwork and understanding how personality traits relate to leadership can help improve group performance and student development. A quantitative research design is used, with a structured questionnaire distributed to students in private universities in Klang Valley. Non-probability purposive sampling is applied to select students who are actively involved in coursework group projects. The study examines five personality traits, extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and openness to experience, and explores their relationship with leadership tendencies, including people-oriented and task-oriented leadership. Data are analysed using statistical software to identify correlations and relationships between traits and leadership. Preliminary findings suggest that extraversion and conscientiousness are strong predictors of effective leadership, while high neuroticism may negatively affect leadership performance. The results provide useful insights on how personality traits shape leadership behaviour in group settings, which can help educators and programme planners enhance leadership development among students. This research contributes to understanding student leadership in private universities and offers practical recommendations to support leadership skills in collaborative projects.

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