Ukraine

The Personality Profile of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy

Володимир Олександрович Зеленський

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Abstract

This poster presents the preliminary results of an indirect assessment of the personality and leadership style of Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, from the conceptual perspective of personologist Theodore Millon.

Psychodiagnostically relevant data about Zelenskyy were collected from biographical sources and media reports and synthesized into a personality profile using the Millon Inventory of Diagnostic Criteria (MIDC), which yields 34 normal and maladaptive personality classifications congruent with DSM-III-R, DSM-IV, and DSM-5.

The personality profile yielded by the MIDC was analyzed on the basis of interpretive guidelines provided in the MIDC and Millon Index of Personality Styles manuals. Zelenskyy’s primary personality patterns were found to be Ambitious/confident, Outgoing/congenial, Dauntless/adventurous, and Accommodating/cooperative, complemented by secondary Conscientious/respectful and Dominant/asserting features.

Ambitious leaders are characteristically self-confident, competitive, daring, bold, charming, and skilled at winning others over to their causes and purposes. Outgoing leaders are dramatic attention-getters who thrive on being the center of social events, go out of their way to be popular with others, and have confidence in their social skills and ability to charm and influence others. Dauntless leaders tend to flout tradition, dislike following routine, sometimes act impulsively and irresponsibly, and are inclined to elaborate on or shade the truth and skirt the law. Accommodating leaders tend to be considerate, cordial, and cooperative and are willing to reconcile differences and to concede when necessary. Conscientious leaders are dutiful and diligent, have a strong work ethic and careful attention to detail, strive to uphold rules and regulations, and are loyal to their causes. Dominant leaders enjoy the power to direct others and often make effective leaders.

Ongoing data collection efforts will attempt to derive a more finely grained personality profile. Provisionally, the prominence of the Ambitious and Outgoing patterns is indicative of political charisma and, in concert with the Dauntless pattern in Zelenskyy’s overall personality configuration, suggests a courageous charismatic leadership style.

Elise Vomacka presents her poster, “The Personality Profile of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy,” at the Summer Research Celebration, College of St. Benedict, St. Joseph, MN, August 4, 2022. (Click on photo for full-size image)

PowerPoint presentation: The Personality Profile of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy


Updated profile presented at ISPP — July 10, 2023


Elise Vomacka presents her research on “The Personality Profile and Leadership Style of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy” at the annual scientific meeting of the International Society of Political Psychology, Montréal, Québec, July 10, 2023. Access the PowerPoint presentation at Digital Commons.

Abstract

This report presents the results of an indirect assessment of the personality of Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, from the conceptual perspective of personologist Theodore Millon.

Psychodiagnostically relevant data about Zelenskyy were collected from biographical sources and media reports and synthesized into a personality profile using the Millon Inventory of Diagnostic Criteria (MIDC), which yields 34 normal and maladaptive personality classifications congruent with DSM-III-R,DSM-IV, andDSM-5.

The personality profile yielded by the MIDC was analyzed on the basis of interpretive guidelines provided in the MIDC and Millon Index of Personality Styles manuals. Zelenskyy’s primary personality patterns were found to be Outgoing/congenial and Ambitious/confident, with secondary Dauntless/adventurous, Accommodating/cooperative, and Conscientious/respectful patterns, complemented by subsidiary Dominant/asserting features.

Outgoing leaders are dramatic attention-getters who thrive on being the center of social events, go out of their way to be popular with others, and have confidence in their social skills and ability to charm and influence others. Ambitious leaders are characteristically self-confident, competitive, daring, bold, charming, and skilled at winning others over to their causes and purposes. Dauntless leaders tend to flout tradition, dislike following routine, and sometimes act impulsively. Accommodating leaders tend to be considerate, cordial, and cooperative and are willing to reconcile differences and to concede when necessary. Conscientious individuals are dutiful and diligent, with a strong work ethic and careful attention to detail, and an ability to prevail in difficult circumstances. Dominant leaders enjoy the power to direct others and often make effective leaders.

The prominence of the Ambitious and Outgoing patterns is indicative of political charisma and, in concert with the Dauntless pattern in Zelenskyy’s overall personality configuration, suggests a courageous charismatic leadership style.


The Personality Profile and Leadership Style of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. PowerPoint presentation by Elise Vomacka and Aubrey Immelman at the 46th Annual Scientific Meeting of the International Society of Political Psychology, Montréal, Québec, July 9–11, 2023. Abstract and download link at Digital Commons: https://digitalcommons.csbsju.edu/psychology_pubs/143/

The full-text paper will be released in February 2024 at link above.

Related presentation

Military Conflict in Ukraine: Personality Profiles of the Principals – Vladimir Putin, Alexander Lukashenko, and Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Panel presentation by Aubrey Immelman, Christ’l De Landtsheer, Elise Vomacka, and Abby Goff at the 46th Annual Scientific Meeting of the International Society of Political Psychology, Montréal, Québec, July 9–11, 2023. Abstract and download link at Digital Commons: https://digitalcommons.csbsju.edu/psychology_pubs/145/