Leadership Criteria under Maximum Performance Conditions

Since the seminal work investigating the relationship between typical and maximum performance by Sackett, Zedeck, and Fogli in 1988, there has been a marked increase in research in this area. Although much research has furthered the relationship between typical and maximum performance, none have attempted to identify which leadership effectiveness criteria are considered most important to an individual's maximum performance, or assessment of one's potential. Thus, this empirical study seeks to identify the leadership effectiveness criteria under maximum performance conditions as it relates to entry and middle level managers. Using an exploratory factor analysis, the results suggest an interesting comparison of leadership criteria between entry and middle management engaged in maximum performance. For entry level managers, personality, effort, and attitude emerged as the most important factors for entry level managers suggesting that leadership of self is the pathway to being an effective leader. However, for middle level managers, trust, accommodation, and adaptability were considered essential leadership effectiveness criteria indicating leadership of team is an appropriate framework at this level.