After having read Chapter 3, Skills Approach, I took to the internet to find a video, that would be a good example of this information. In my search, I found a Ted Talk by Roselinde Torres that is titled, “What it takes to be a great leader.” In this video, Torres takes an objective view on what it takes to be a leader. She states that being a leader today, takes a different set of abilities than being a leader years ago and that there are three main questions that need be asked.
The first question she asks for all potential leaders is, “where are you looking to anticipate change?” I believe that this demonstrates the “Conceptual” leadership skill that is discussed in our book (Northouse, 45). This skill is described as the ability to work with ideas and concepts. What is change but an idea or concept? The idea that there is something that could be done differently than what has happened already. The idea that there needs to be a change in order for the company to prosper. These are all examples of the conceptual skill.
The next question Torres asks is, “What is the diversity measure of your network?” This includes a personal and professional network of people that we are comfortable with. She states that this is about the capacity to develop relationships with people that are different from us. This is an example of Northouse’s second, Human Skill. This is also referred to as “people skills” (Northouse, 44-45). Torres notes that this is important because it brings in ideas that are different from our own, which is important in any leadership position. This directly correlates with the statement from the text that, “Leaders with human skills adapt their own ideas to those of others” (Northouse, 45).
Torres’ third question is, “Are you courageous enough to abandon the past?” Abandoning a practice that has made you successful in the past is hard for any leader because it is what is comfortable and familiar. But “great leaders dare to be different” (Torres, 2013). This also goes along with Northouse’s idea of Conceptual Skill. Our text talks about conceptual skills being central to creating a vision for the company. It also states that, “it would take conceptual skills for a CEO in a struggling manufacturing company to articulate a vision for a new line of products that would steer the company into profitability” (Northouse, 45).
I believe that Torres’ TedTalk had a high correlation with our text. Even to the point of her not asking any questions that related to Technological Skills. I find this interesting because the figure on page 46 of our text shows that “Top Management” needs Conceptual and Human Skills far more than Technological Skills. In fact, Conceptual Skill is most important for Top Management, which could relate to Torres having two questions based on that skill and only one based on Human Skill.
References:
Northouse, P. G. (2015). Introduction to leadership. concepts and practice. Los Angeles: Sage.
Torres, R. (2013, October). What it takes to be a great leader. Retrieved June 29, 2016, from https://www.ted.com/talks/roselinde_torres_what_it_takes_to_be_a_great_leader#t-439817
aud39 says
I really appreciate that you associated the text with a leadership consultant’s Ted Talks. This provides a real life scenario in which skills can be applied to leadership. In this case, Torres focuses on consulting with upper management and as Northouse (2016) identifies, requires less technical skills and more personal and strategic skills.
I particularly enjoyed Torres’ way of performing the Ted Talks, by asking questions. It is easier to get someone to adapt to a new concept, not by telling them what to do, but by asking them to think critically about their problem and let them come to the conclusion themselves. in this case, what change do you want to see and do you have the ability and drive to make it happen.
Great Ted Talks and great article.
Northouse, P. (2016). Leadership: Theory and Practice (7th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA SAGE Publications. Kindle Edition.