Strategic Leadership: An Empirical Study of Factors Influencing Leaders’ Strategic Thinking

Researchers suggest individual differences play a significant role in leaders’ strategic thinking; however, empirical investigation of this topic is sparse. This study drew from the current leadership literature and assessed whether personality traits and information processing styles influence leaders’ strategic thinking. A self-report survey was used to collect data from a random sample of 48 U.S. executives and managers across professions and industries. Multiple regression analysis was used to measure extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, emotional stability, openness to experiences, rational engagement, and experiential ability. The results indicate extraversion and agreeableness, in particular, statistically significantly influence leaders’ strategic thinking. This study has practical implications for leadership development and provides a pragmatic framework to identify leaders capable of filling strategic positions across organizations. Finally, further research is recommended to replicate this study and investigate the ways contextual factors may shape this model.