In the current study, a person-centered approach was taken to the examination of the relation between leader effectiveness and personality preferences. Type Theory and Adaption-Innovation Theory precepts were examined in tandem using cluster analytic techniques in order to discover whether past variable-centered findings relating these two theories would generalize to a person-centered examination. Eight patterns were hypothesized to emerge from the cluster analysis based on past correlational research, and three of these patterns were present in the seven-cluster solution.

Leader effectiveness was measured in terms of multisource ratings on Benchmarks™. Hypotheses were proposed based on past variable-centered research examining the relations between Jungian personality types and self, superior, peer, and subordinate ratings of leader effectiveness. Some support was found for the variable-centered predictions, but the pattern-focused approach provided insight into the dynamics of the five personality preferences examined as well as suggested that indicators other than what would be predicted based on variable-centered studies may contribute to perceptions of leader effectiveness. Overall, the results of this study show that, taken together, variable and person-centered approaches to research may help strengthen the sometimes fragile relationship between personality and leader effectiveness.