In looking at what is considered a skill versus what is a trait, the first difference that we come across is in their definition. Below is how dictionary.com defines these two terms.
trait noun
- a distinguishing characteristic or quality, especially of one’s personal nature: bad traits of character(“trait”).
skill noun
- the ability, coming from one’s knowledge, practice, aptitude, etc., to do something well: Carpentry was one of his many skills.
- competent excellence in performance; expertness; dexterity: The dancers performed with skill.
- a craft, trade, or job requiring manual dexterity or special training in which a person has competence and experience: the skill of cabinetmaking (“skill”).
So, in reading this it looks like one is a quality of ones personal nature while the other is an ability or knowledge gained from practice and aptitude. This falls right in line with what Katz states in our textbooks on page 44, in that “Skills are what leaders can accomplish, whereas traits are who leaders are (i.e. their innate characteristics) (Northhouse 2013).
This is important to the skills approach, as it is something that everyone can essentially achieve. Does it mean that everyone will be like Steve Jobs? Probably not, but what it does relay is that anyone can learn a leadership skill for certain jobs if they want. You do not have to have those traits that people just inherently have to be a leader.
At mu old job where I used to work, I lost out on a position to a co-worker, and a friend. We had always had the same ideas under our old supervisor, and what I liked from her leadership was the she kept me in the loop on things. She would pull me aside to ask about how to broach the group on certain subjects, looking for my input because she knew that I had a great relationship with the team, and she is tapping into her Human skills here because she knew the trials and tribulations of the job, as once used to do it (Northhouse 2013).
When she was told to go out for the position after I was passed over, she and I had a conversation. She is not the type to push back, as she even referred to herself as a pushover. She told me she knew they wanted her in the role because of this; she does not like confrontation and would do what upper management asked of her. She is not a leader, as she often still told me. She is shrewd however, and so what she does is she gathers good examples and prepares herself with ammunition before any meetings so that she can cite real examples of how the topics being discussed would not be effective for the group. What she lacks in natural leadership skills she makes up for natural intuition.
References
trait. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged. Retrieved February 05, 2014, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/trait
skill. (n.d.). Dictionary.com Unabridged. Retrieved February 05, 2014, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/skill
Northouse, Peter G. (2012-02-02). Leadership: Theory and Practice (p. 124- 125).
Colleen Schafer says
First I find it very horrible that you were passed over for the position due to not being a “pushover”. I am sorry that your company saw your leadership skills as a threat instead of an asset.
When looking at the Three-skilled Approach there is technical, human, and conceptual. I think your example is of the supervisory management category and they require high technical and human. Conceptual is a minimum requirement (Northouse, 2013). From the description of your scenario she has the human skills and partial technical ability. I say partial because of her having to consult other on different aspects. While she might be able to do the job and have the knowledge required I would wonder why she would have to consult on these areas. I don’t feel that her lack of leadership ability has anything to do with the technical aspect of a job. She doesn’t seem to be in a position that would require conceptual skills.
I would almost be inclined to see what would happen if she was too rely on herself to approach the issues. Would she be able to come up with the information herself or even resolutions? Unsure, I would like to think so, but her self doubt might prevent her from ever finding out if she can even be a leader. Did the upper management see this as an opportunity to use her? Possible, by selecting someone who is seen as a “pushover” can come off as if they don’t want someone who will question anything they want done.
Reference:
Northouse, P.G. (2013). Leadership: Theory and Practice. Los Angeles: Sage Publications.