This study examines associations between the level of managerial experience in leading people and selected personality and motivational characteristics relevant to military leadership.A quantitative cross-sectional design compared three groups of members of the Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic: cadets without practical leadership experience (XX-I, n = 40), commanders with short-term managerial experience (XX-II, n = 40), and senior officers with long-term managerial experience (XX-III, n = 38).Personality characteristics were assessed using the Bochum Personality Inventory (BIP).Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, betweengroup comparisons (analysis of variance with post-hoc tests), and correlational analyses between experience level and BIP dimensions.The results revealed small to moderate differences between groups, particularly in the domains of social competencies and work style.Sociability, decisiveness, and conscientiousness showed the most consistent positive associations with higher levels of managerial experience, whereas emotional stability and resistance to stress did not display a systematic linear pattern across career stages.Overall, the findings suggest that certain personality characteristics relevant to military leadership are associated with career progression and may differentiate across stages of professional development.From a practical perspective, the results may inform more targeted selection and development of commanders, with greater emphasis on socio-interactional competencies and the professionalization of work-related behaviors.
Šrobárová et al. (Mon,) studied this question.