Pictured: Soviet leaders photographed at the Kremlin, 1960s. Three Marshals of the Soviet Union appear in this photo, all on the front row: second from left, V. I. Chuikov; third from left, G. K. Zhukov; and fifth from the left, S. M. Budyonny.
The Big Five Traits Personality Theory explores factors that serve as “building blocks” to personality—openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism (think OCEAN as an acronym). A person can be rated high, moderate, or low on each trait to help pinpoint the overall personality type. This informs a person’s leadership style as well—and knowing the theory helps one to understand other team members too. In reflection upon Marshal Chuikov’s personality traits and how these align with the Big Five Traits model, here is my assessment based on the past 14 years of leadership studies. The first three traits are explored in this blog post, and the final two will be explained in a follow-up entry.
Openness – High
Conscientiousness – High
Extraversion – Very High
Agreeableness – High to Moderate
Neuroticism – Moderate
Openness – High
Chuikov was known as a Commander who did not abide by templates. In his book The Battle for Stalingrad, he shared how understanding the theories of warfare was important—but being tied to one way of doing battle could be detrimental. He was creative and innovative, ushering in a new type of urban warfare by reducing “no man’s land”—the space between the front lines of the opposing sides—and by using “storm groups” in bombed-out buildings. This type of warfare was dubbed “hugging the enemy,” which terrified the Germans. They were more accustomed to open area warfare, and the entrapped soldiers at Stalingrad found themselves in a hand-to-hand battle of attrition with the Red Army.
As a professional musician, I liken the attribute of high openness to utilizing improvisation on an instrument or in composition. Improvisation requires a musician to have a grasp of music theory, but not be held captive by the theory. If a composer or musician “breaks” the rules of music theory, there is sound reasoning for doing so—it isn’t accidental.
Conscientiousness – High
Conscientiousness refers to a person’s ability to be prepared, to execute a plan well, and his attentiveness to details. Throughout his lengthy career, Marshal Chuikov served in various leadership roles that required extensive planning and collaboration with other military leaders and departments. A prime example was his leadership over the Soviet Union’s civil defense, which required comprehensive planning and implementation to cover citizens from infants to the elderly. Chuikov served in this position from 1962 to 1972 and made numerous trips throughout the Soviet Union to review the country's defense during that time.
Extraversion – Very High
It is easy to see why Vasily Ivanovich is still admired and well-loved—he was approachable and exuded warmth to others. He possessed a natural charisma and inspired others by his active leadership. Chuikov knew how to connect with people at all levels—from the lowly foot soldier to heads of state. He enjoyed talking with youth groups as well and spent much time in community service. Instead of resting on his laurels, he led a very actively engaged public life. Extroverts are energized by spending time with other people, which is a helpful trait for high-profile leaders like Marshal Chuikov.