EXAMINING EMERGENCE OF LEADERSHIP IN YOUTH: COGNITIVE ABILITIES AND SELF-ESTEEM

A large number of international researches indicate that the level of cognitive skills and self-esteem have a great importance in the implementation of quality leadership. Cognitive abilities and self-esteem are the two psychological attributes useful in predicting trends of emerging quality leadership. The aim of the research was to examine the correlation between cognitive skills and self-esteem. The general hypothesis of this paper is that cognitive skills and self-esteem are very important correlates which determines the quality of leadership. The sample consists of 370 Albanian students from Kosovo/Macedonia (Mage = 19.57, SD = 2.91). In order to collect the data applied were questionnaires: Cognitive Reflection Test (CRT), Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale (RSES) and Youth Leadership Test (YLT). Results showed that 79.7 % evaluated themselves as well-rounded leader; 30.1 % scored as low in self-esteem and 70.3 % scored on low group of cognitive abilities. Group with higher cognitive abilities showed no-significant higher YLT scores, but significantly higher scores on self-esteem (X2 =6.215, p=.045). YLT scores were significantly predicted only by self-esteem (β=.257, p<.00). Findings have suggested that self-esteem (but not cognitive abilities) might partially explain leadership personal characteristics. Despite the low statistical power of findings it is important, in future research, to investigate there relationships