Can elections redefine what makes an ideal leader?

The study, undertaken by Olga Epitropaki, Professor of Management at Durham University Business School, alongside Theodore Masters-Waage (University of Houston), Nicolas Bastardoz (KU Leuven), and Jayanth Narayanan (Northeastern University), examines how the 2020 US Presidential Election reshaped ideas of what makes an “ideal” leader. 

Survey reveals shifts in leadership traits 

While elections are known for their societal impact through policy changes, little research has focused on how they influence perceptions of “ideal” leadership. 

“Individuals hold their own ideas of what makes an ‘ideal’ leader, which we call leadership prototypes,” explains Professor Epitropaki. “These prototypes shape how we interact with leaders and can even affect how we see ourselves as leaders. Understanding how and why leadership ideals shift is important as they influence not only how people engage with their leaders in work contexts, but also how leaders themselves behave.” 

The 2020 US election provided an ideal test bed due to the polarised styles of both candidates. Researchers surveyed 200 Republicans, 200 Democrats and 200 Independents eight times between October 2020 and Inauguration Day in January 2021 to explore which traits they valued in leaders. Participants were asked to place value on seven categories of such traits deemed as essential for leaders to possess; charisma, sensitivity, dedication, intelligence and dynamism, as well as less favourable traits like tyranny and masculinity.  

The researchers then used this evidence to examine whether the change in political leadership - from Donald Trump to Joe Biden - led to a significant and stable shift in how people viewed “ideal” leadership. As most supporters of either candidate would reasonably argue their chosen leader held and valued traits such as sensitivity, dedication or intelligence, the study focused particularly on the presence of tyranny and masculinity. Trump, the researchers say, is typically viewed as more tyrannical and masculine than Biden by all. For some, such traits were deemed valuable. 

Biden-like traits gain prominence post-election 

The results revealed that, over the three-months covering the lead-up to and aftermath of the US election, there was a notable and persistent shift. The presence of tyranny and masculinity in what was deemed an “ideal” leader diminished. The shift was to favour a more “Biden-like” and less “Trump-like” leadership prototype.  

These findings, the researchers say, indicate that the average US concept of what an “ideal” leader is can be shaped by the political environment they’re surrounded by. Importantly, these concepts can undergo dynamic change due to the result of national elections. 

Perceptions of election validity play key role 

Interestingly, the study also found that participants’ perception of the 2020 election’s validity played a key role in determining what a leader should be in the eyes of many.  

“The widely covered election of Joe Biden in 2020 led the US public’s average prototype for the ideal leader to become less tyrannical and less masculine. However, this shift was only among those who accepted the election results as valid. These findings underscore that elected leaders not only mirror public perceptions of ideal leadership but also shape those perceptions themselves” Professor Epitropaki says. 

More information 

• The full study How Elections Shape Perceptions of Ideal Leadership is available online 
• Professor Epitropaki is a member of our Centre for Leadership and Followership
• Find out more about Professor Epitropaki and her research interests
• Learn more about our research