This survey article is about leadership and personality, as it appears to be a renewed interest in thistopic. Even when traditional research is re-examined and new research performed the most basic conclusionremains the same. Studies of how personality traits relate to leadership give inconsistent answers. Traditionaland contemporary research shows that personality cannot explain leadership. Traits of leaders cannot explainorganizational effectiveness. Leadership appears to have a minor impact on organizational effectiveness. Thepersonality approach is less relevant to management. Management and leadership in formal organizationsare not about possessing special traits. It is about acting.