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Posted: 2017-07-27 03:55:04

A Queensland-led study that analysed the tweets of industry and world leaders to understand their online personality profiles found US President Donald Trump is an "emotionally unstable innovator".

Using machine learning and other computer science, a Queensland University of Technology-led team analysed more than 200,000 words used on the Twitter accounts of more than 100 entrepreneurs and CEOs, including Elon Musk, Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey and Mr Trump to analyse their characteristic language styles, contents and patterns.

The team used Forbes 400 and Fortune 500 to pinpoint targets for the research, which showed CEOs were more conscientious, more power driven and less insecure than the entrepreneurs analysed who showed higher levels of openness to new experiences and independence.

Australian Centre for Entrepreneurship Research Associate Professor Martin Obschonka said the paper then discussed whether those traits in political leaders like President Trump were beneficial.

"It seems that we could identify a personality pattern in Trump that makes him so distinct from the superstar entrepreneurs and CEOs in that he really seems to resemble a type of an emotionally unstable innovator," he said.

"We can say Trump's online personality, the way he presents himself via social media to a votership, to an audience, to others that he is really entrepreneurial.

"There is increasing interest and focus on innovation, on start-ups on entrepreneurship as a renewal process so it might be quite good to have entrepreneurial thinkers and personalities in political leadership.

"On the other hand, research shows entrepreneurs also have a specific personality that can be seen as a potentially negative side...there is research that shows they are often rule breakers.

"Entrepreneurs often show cognitive biases, they show over-optimism...in the real world and when you deal with highly difficult problematic issues, a more careful diplomacy might be better.

Professor Obschonka said while the analysis should not be confused with a proper clinical assessments of these powerful individuals, online personalities were becoming "more and more important in political campaigns and the general world".

"We have our real personality in the real world but we also live in the digital world that has become increasingly important," he said.

"Probably no other politician or business person in the world is currently so strongly associated with Twitter tweets like Trump. 

"His online personality really matters in his approach to political leadership as he makes world policy via his tweets almost every day."

*Correction: The original headline has been changed from motivator to innovator.

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