The Characteristics of a Competitive Personality

Ambition is a personality characteristic measured with the Hogan Personality Inventory (HPI). The HPI assesses the bright side of personality, or the everyday strengths that influence how we present ourselves at our best. Ambition refers to our energy and drive. It measures the degree to which someone seems socially self-confident, leaderlike, competitive, and energetic.

Similar to competition itself, the HPI Ambition scale is intrinsically neither good nor bad. Someone with a low score on the Ambition scale might prefer to belong on a team or lead from behind—effective in many circumstances. Someone with a high score on the Ambition scale might become overfocused on their own advancement or achieving results—ineffective in many circumstances.

Many people, even psychologists, prefer to minimize the fact of ambition. In cultures that value humility or group consensus, admitting you want to get ahead of others might seem tactless, arrogant, or embarrassing. At Hogan, we recognize that getting ahead is an integral part of human nature and can even help predict workplace performance. In roles where getting ahead is a key skill, someone with a competitive personality will tend to do a better job.³

Workplace competition is universal. The workplaces themselves aren’t the cause of why we compete at work, though. People are the common factor in all work environments everywhere. Something fundamental exists in human nature that motivates us to compete.

Competition in the workplace can produce outcomes that are positive, negative, or a complex mixture. The desire to get ahead of others can carry us to unparalleled heights of innovation, productivity, and success. Yet it can destroy the reputations of individuals, teams, and organizations. And it can do both simultaneously.

Robert Hogan, PhD, founder and president of Hogan Assessments, says that people have always competed for power, defined as status and the control of resources. Today, much of that competition takes place not in nomadic groups seeking subsistence but in the professional context of businesses and organizations. “The fundamental dynamic of organizational life is the individual search for power,” Dr. Hogan said. Understanding why we compete at work can help us direct our innate drive to succeed.

Read on to discover why we compete, the types of workplace competition, and what makes a competitive personality.

AI tools based on large language models, such as ChatGPT, are incredibly powerful and have a wide range of useful applications. They can produce rough drafts, summarize key information, and create efficiencies in the workplace. However, I offer here a word of caution about getting assessment advice from ChatGPT or other AI tools.

When organizations select a leader, they are making a multiyear investment in development. As leaders prepare to move to higher managerial levels, they need to develop skills to equip them for success in their changing role. The skills of leadership aren’t technical skills such as Scrum, SEO, or SQL. Rather, they are socioemotional skills such as setting vision, building relationships, driving change, and making decisions. These skills evolve with leadership advancement. Experienced talent professionals recognize the importance of leadership development strategies at every managerial level.

“Humble leaders create engagement,” said Robert Hogan, PhD, founder and president of Hogan Assessments.

Humility is a complex characteristic to translate into behavior. Sometimes the word humility is even used as a generalization for meekness or deference. Instead of humility, most people are likely to think of charisma as an essential trait in engaging leaders. Although charismatic people may often sit in leadership roles, humble people are more effective at the task of leading.¹

A new year brings a new set of challenges and expectations. The world of HR is ever-changing and the demands of the previous year may not continue to be relevant to the current landscape, with new challenges and expectations requiring attention and strategy.

Dr. Ryne Sherman, Chief Science Officer at Hogan Assessments, has identified three key trends they anticipate will make the greatest waves in the HR sector over the next 12 months.

Siguranța psihologică este confortul de a ști că nu vei fi ridiculizat sau pedepsit pentru exprimarea gândurilor, ideilor sau preocupărilor tale. Într-un mediu psihologic sigur, oamenii se simt liberi să fie ei înșiși, să își asume riscuri și să-și exprime opinii fără teama de consecințe negative. Este ca și cum ai crea un spațiu în care fiecare poate să își aducă autenticitatea la masă fără frica de judecată. Acest lucru favorizează comunicarea deschisă, creativitatea și colaborarea. Imaginează-ți o cameră confortabilă în care poți să îți împărtășești liber cele mai sălbatice idei fără teama că cineva își va revolta ochii. Acesta este principiul siguranței psihologice în acțiune.

The entrepreneurial economy may feel like a new frontier, but it may have a dark side.

Peter Harms, PhD, professor of management at the University of Alabama’s Culverhouse College of Business, spoke about two trends: (1) the shift toward an entrepreneurial economy and (2) the increase in mental health disorders. Peter discussed some of his recent research about how the entrepreneurial economy may have a dark side for mental health, particularly for younger generations.

În cadrul evenimentului ”Women Changemakers in 2024 – Enhance the Power of Women Collaboration”, organizat de EBW Club & ELITE Consulting & Communication, Mădălina Bălan, Managing Partner Hart Consulting, a vorbit despre motivele pentru care femeile sunt mai slab reprezentate la nivel de leadership decât bărbații. Argumentele s-au bazat pe Hogan Personality Inventory (HPI), un instrument de evaluare a personalității utilizat de companii Top 500 Fortune pentru a evalua trăsăturile de personalitate relevante pentru performanța în medii profesionale, pe diferite roluri si mai ales pe roluri manageriale. 

Many global executives understand how crucial it is to have a skills-based hiring strategy grounded in data to thrive in this digital world. However, most organizations don’t have the right data required to make well-informed skills-based talent decisions.

Continue reading to learn why skills-based hiring is so important and what steps organizations can take to implement a more robust talent strategy.