skills approach to leadership

leadership skills

ability to use one’s knowledge and competencies to accomplish a set of goals or objectives. leader-centered perspective. emphasis on skills and abilities that can be learned and developed.

three skill approach (katz 1955)

katz believed that leader skills could be boiled down to 3 distinct categories

what are the 3 distinct categories?

technical, human, and conceptual

technical skills

having knowledge about and being proficient in a specific type of work or activity. specialized competencies, analytical abilities, etc. lots of hands-on ability with a product or process. most important at LOWER levels of management.

human skills

having knowledge about and being able to work with people. being aware of one’s OWN perspective and others’ perspectives at the same time. assist and work together to achieve a common goal. creating an atmosphere of trust and empowerment for members. important to ALL levels of the organization.

conceptual skills

ability to do the mental work of shaping the meaning of organizational policy or issues (what the company stands for and where it is going). works easily with ABSTRACTION AND HYPOTHETICAL NOTIONS. central to creating and articulating a vision and strategic plan for an organization. most important at TOP management levels.

capability model

examines relationship between a leaders knowledge and skills + the leaders performance. suggests many will have the potential for leadership.

research studies (1990’s goal)

to identify the leadership factors that create exemplary job performance in an organization. emphasizes the capabilities that make effective leadership possible rather than what leaders do.

individual attributes

generate cognitive ability, motivation, personality, etc.

competencies

problem solving, social judgement, knowledge

leadership outcomes

effective problem solving and performance

Which 2 parts of the capability model consist of career experiences?

individual attributes and competencies

t/f: all 3 parts of the model consist of environmental influences.

true

internal environmental influences

outdated technology, skill lvl or employees, etc.

external environmental influences

economics, political, social issues, natural disasters

katz (1955)

suggests importance of particular leadership skills varies depending on where leaders reside in management hierarchy.

mumford, campion, and morgeson (2007)

suggests higher levels of all skills needed at higher levels of hierarchy

mumford, zaccaro, harding (2000)

suggests that leadership outcomes are a direct result of leaders skilled competency in problem solving, social judgement, and knowledge.

strengths

first approach to conceptualize and create a structure of the process of leadership around skills. makes leadership available to everyone, and skills are learned. variety of components.

critisisms

appears to extend beyond the boundaries of leadership, making it more general and less precise. weak in predictive value, does not explain how skills lead to effective performance in leadership. kind of trait-like.