What This Study Found
Your agreeable nature is authentic, not fake. Researchers tested whether people just pretend to be agreeable to look good, and found that agreeableness isn't easily faked or distorted by social desirability bias. When you describe yourself as collaborative and considerate, you're likely being genuine—not just telling people what they (or you) want to hear.
Agreeableness may be the most important personality dimension. The researchers suggest that agreeableness could be "the largest single dimension" of personality (but leave it a little unclear what they mean by this exactly) and is fundamentally about maintaining positive relationships with others. This means your natural inclination to build connections and minimize conflict isn't a soft skill—it's a core professional competency.
Your self-reports match your actual behavior. People who score high on agreeableness measures consistently behave in agreeable ways in real situations, not just on personality tests. Your collaborative approach is a stable strength, and that you're not just trying to please people from one situation to the next.
Why This Matters for Kind Leaders
Stop questioning the authenticity of your leadership style. You might worry that your collaborative approach comes across as inauthentic or strategic, but this research suggests that you are probably just agreeable if you think you're agreeable. When you build consensus in meetings or take time to understand different perspectives before making decisions, colleagues recognize this as you being yourself, not performance.
Reframe relationship-building as strategic advantage. Since agreeableness is fundamentally about maintaining positive relationships and may be the most consequential personality dimension, your natural way to build relationships could be more powerful than traditional office politics. When you remember colleagues' project challenges, offer help during difficult times, or facilitate cross-team collaboration, you're building the kind of sustainable influence that can not be easily manufactured.
Trust your instincts about conflict resolution. Your tendency to minimize interpersonal conflict isn't just avoidance—it's (at least sometimes) and indication of your leadership skills. When you help resolve tension between team members or find win-win solutions during budget negotiations, you're demonstrating exactly the kind of interpersonal competence that organizations want in senior roles.
Access the Full Paper
Graziano, W. G., & Tobin, R. M. (2002). Agreeableness: Dimension of personality or social desirability artifact? Journal of Personality, 70(5), 695–728. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-6494.05021
💡 Can't access the paper? Here's how to get it legally (often free), and here's why it costs $40 in the first place.