Staying Power: A Leadership Trait and Survival Analysis of Modern Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom

In exploring the tenure duration of British Prime Ministers, this study finds that leadership traits play a significant role in extending political longevity. Using Leadership Trait Analysis, this work examines parliamentary remarks to assess traits such as task focus, conceptual complexity, and need for power while controlling for systemic factors such as economic conditions and inter-state conflict. Findings from a Cox proportional hazards model show that task focused leadership is a significant predictor of longer tenure. Structured, goal-oriented decision-making may help leaders handle challenges that could otherwise shorten their tenure. These findings contribute to an understanding of how both psychological and systemic factors shape leadership duration.