More often than not in a job interview two things are considered: experience and personality. In the grand scheme of theory, what else do they really want when hiring a leader? I have been on both sides of the fire, having been in charge of hiring as well as being interviewed in the hot seat. And most times, I got the job because they said they liked my attitude. That is a trait, but it is really also a skill that I have acquired over the years I have spent in healthcare. Healthcare has taught me how to take care of those in need, but it has also taught me how to approach people in the right way. It is a trait of mine to be an optimist, to have a good work ethic, and to hold myself to a high standard, but it is a skill of mine to be able to portray that to others. But that is only one of the skills needed to be a leader.
If we look at the skills theory, using the original method of Katz’s (1955) three-skill model, we can see that there are three basic skills proposed that effective leaders need to have: human, technical, and conceptual. (PSU WC, 2019, Lesson 6) I really like this theory because it breaks down the skills needed in a simple format. The other method discussed in our lesson is that of Mumford and colleagues’ (2000) and is a more inclusive but complicated model. (PSU WC, 2019, Lesson 6) This model still uses three components: individual attributes, competencies, and leadership outcomes, but these are then broken into more detail. (PSU WC, 2019, Lesson 6) One main idea that I’d like to discuss from this more descriptive model is the emphasis on “effective problem solving” and “social judgement skills”. (PSU WC, 2019, Lesson 6)
When I think of leadership, I think of charisma. Leaders should be well prepared, great at communicating, smart and creative. To me, this is the “human” skillset that Northouse is referencing in the text Leadership: Theory and Practice. (Northouse, 2016) According to our lesson commentary, this skill is commonly referred to as people skills, and more importantly is not only the ability to connect and work with people, but to be able to “recognize why people are stressed” and work to find solutions. (PSU WC, 2019, Lesson 6) So not only does someone need to be charismatic and be able to get along with others, but they need to be open to finding a need within a group and then work to fix it. One of my favorite skills that are broken down in Mumford and Colleagues (200) skills method model is that of “social judgement skills”. (PSU WC, 2019, Lesson 6) This is quite a skill to have, because the ability to be able to know what someone needs, understand how they feel, and then help them reach a solution is like holding gold in your hands in the office. (PSU WC, 2019, Lesson 6) And because no one is born knowing these skills, they can be taught to good leaders to make them great. Knowing what others really need without them having to spell it out with a skywriter is not only a skill that can be honed with practice and education but one that not many people really have. But once a leader can figure out what their group, or someone in the group, really needs they can drill down to the problem that can be solved. This also plays in to one of the other three basic skills that Northouse discusses, the “conceptual” skill that is about the ability to formulate and communicate clear ideas. (Northouse, 2016) Being able to take ideas from their formulation into words and onto paper, or into action, is key to being effective.
The skills method from Mumford and Colleagues (2000) emphasizes effective problem solving as a key component in effective leadership. (PSU WC, 2019, Lesson 6) Being able to be an effective resource when great workers are stuck is a skill that leaders should possess; in reality, this is why great workers need bosses. If, as a leader, you have comprised a team of followers that is simply stellar, they will need you if for nothing else than your ability to formulate solutions to the problems that they cannot fix on their own. Using great conceptual skills and creativity, this is where great leaders can shine.
The next basic skill, “technical” is one that my director excels at. Our lesson commentary describes the basic technical skill as a knowledge and ability to use the tools and processes of the organization” and that makes sense. (PSU WC, 2019, Lesson 6) Everyone wants their leader to at least be able to help them when they struggle with on the job issues like computer problems, policies within the organization, or signing their training sheets on all of the right lines. Have you ever had a leader that is a smooth talker but has no idea how to do even the most entry level of positions at your company? It’s horrible. Technical skills, to me, show that a leader has risen through the ranks in the organization (or skipped some because they are so talented) and that it was warranted based on their knowledge and ability to perform well.
My boss started as one of two billers in a department of three. She mastered that job and then when the department grew, she was the clear choice for a supervisor because she was so full on the job knowledge. Over the course of 15 years she then followed the growth of the department to find herself as the Director of the Central Billing Office; she earned her job. She has so much technical skill and knowledge that should could find her way through any problem this office came across or created. And I think, in terms of training, this is the hardest skill to teach someone because it requires cramming a lot of knowledge into someone’s head, and there’s no way to teach the confidence that comes along with doing a job so well for years.
The other two basic skills discussed, human and conceptual, in my opinion are easier to learn. By taking classes, attending motivational seminars, and improving/changing the way a leader approaches a situation, their people skills and ability to “think outside the box” can be improved. That’s not to say that some people aren’t simply better at it than others; that’s where the trait approach and the skills approach coincide. A natural swagger is a trait, but it can be learned even by the shyest of leaders. My boss is a touch awkward socially and lacks the conceptual mastery that I wish she had, but she has the technical skills that others simply do not and can learn the rest. This course and these lessons are helping me to analyze leadership but also to appreciate the leaders that I have in new ways.
Resources:
Pennsylvania State University World Campus. (2019). PSYCH 485 Lesson 6:Skills Approach Defined. Retrieved from:https://psu.instructure.com/courses/1972967/modules/items/25704862
Pennsylvania State University World Campus. (2019). PSYCH 485 Lesson 6:Skill Approach Models – Skills Model (Mumford, Zaccaro, Harding, Jacobs, & Fleishman, 2000; Yammarino, 2000) Retrieved from: For citation:https://psu.instructure.com/courses/1972967/modules/items/25704864
Northouse, Peter G. (2016) Leadership: Theory and Practice. Sage Publications. 7th Edition.