It is pretty safe to say that most people consider Wayne Gretzky to be a leader, but why? Because it just seems natural to think of him as one? Is it because he was the greatest of his time and led his Oilers to three Stanley Cups in five years while shattering almost every point and goal scoring record in the NHL? Yes, those are good reasons, but what makes him a great leader?
There is something about the type of people that seem to always emerge as leaders in society today that makes them different. Studies show that when the personality of leaders are analyzed around the big five personality traits, that the most important trait was extraversion. (Langton, 259) This however does not guarantee that a leader will succeed; they are just more likely to emerge as one. EI or emotional intelligence on the other hand has more to do with the future success of a given leader. The five components of EI, which are self-awareness, self-management, self-motivation, empathy, and social skills, can be a better sign of a good leader. Based on researcher’s findings, personality traits can help to predict the emergence of a leader, but cannot predict whether or not that leader will be successful in getting their group to achieve its goals. (Langton, 259)
In 2002 when Gretzky took the pressure off of his team he demonstrated the Fiedler Contingency Model very well. The situation allowed him to take control of the situation, and he did. Gretzky used his position power to take pressure off his hockey team and let them do their job, which was to win the gold medal. On the leadership grid Gretzky was right where he should have been, 9 out of 9. He had a great concern for his players, while at the same time keeping the ultimate goal of his team in mind.
Gretzky also demonstrated a great deal of charismatic leadership in the 2002 Olympics games. By standing up for his team when nobody else would, he empowered them to keep pushing toward their goal, which was eventually accomplished. He did not settle for the status quo. Gretzky could be compared to Steve Jobs in this situation. With Apple doing poorly in 2006 they brought Jobs back because they knew his success in the past, and it worked again. His charismatic leadership style turned the company around and changed the face of Apple.
Over the years it has been easy to see that Wayne Gretzky has been a great leader. By looking at just a few of the reasons for his success, and the success of others, it is clearly seen that leadership does not happen by chance. Leadership can be predicted when certain traits are found in people, although it does no guarantee their success as a leader.