Maybe She’s Born with It . . .

You could ask a hundred people to define “leadership,” and you would most likely end up with a hundred different responses as a result.  Many of these responses would define leadership from the point of view that successful leaders tend to have a certain set of qualities or characteristics that others might not have.  Other responses might approach defining leadership from the point of view that leaders behave a certain way.  One important difference between these two types of responses is that one translates to leadership being exclusive to those born with it, while the other translates to leadership being attainable by anyone (Northouse, 2013).

So the question is this: can leadership be taught?  By first identifying traits that are commonly perceived as being characteristic of leadership, we can connect those traits to the behaviors we would expect to see as demonstrating leadership.  From that point, we can analyze the skills required for performing those behaviors, and can further establish training and development geared toward maximizing the identified skills.

Some believe that individuals who become leaders are able to do so because they have a certain set of qualities they were born with – this is known as the trait perspective of leadership (Northouse, 2013).  Some traits generally associated with leadership are intelligence, determination, or charisma (Northouse, 2013).  On the other hand, some believe that leadership occurs as behaviors and interactions between leaders and followers – this is known as the process perspective of leadership, which views leadership as being available to anyone (Northouse, 2013).

A leadership theory that bridges the gap between the trait and process perspectives is the skills approach, which focuses on the technical, human, and conceptual skills and abilities that support leadership and can be learned or developed (Northouse, 2013).

As an example, we will take a look at charisma, which is commonly viewed as a characteristic or quality of leadership, through the eyes of the skills approach.  Antonakis et al. (2012) define charisma as “the ability to communicate a clear, visionary, and inspirational message that captivates and motivates an audience,” and suggest that it is not an innate trait, but instead a set of learnable skills.  These verbal skills have been labeled “charismatic leadership tactics” or “CLTs,” and are useful in establishing credibility, inspiring passion, and persuading followers (Antonakis et al., 2012):

• Connect, compare, and contrast by using metaphors, similes, analogies, anecdotes, and contrasts
• Engage and distill by posing rhetorical questions and presenting three-part lists
• Show integrity, authority, and passion by expressing moral conviction, reflecting group sentiments, setting high goals, and conveying confidence

Antonakis et al. (2012) found that a training program that demonstrated real-life examples of these concepts and allowed managers to practice them in groups, on their own, and on film, the leadership ratings of participating managers nearly doubled.

What does this mean?  Essentially, once leadership “traits” have been identified, we can look at how they are demonstrated by leaders – what actions, behaviors, or skills represent the desired trait?  The best approach must then be determined for developing those behaviors and skills.  This process is not unlike designing training in an organization through needs assessment: the organization will perform a job analysis to determine what the position does, and will then identify the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to perform well in the position before selecting the best method for developing the knowledge, skills, and abilities in employees.

By focusing on the skills, abilities, and behaviors of leadership rather than on the traits they support or demonstrate, those without innate or natural leadership qualities can be taught to lead.  Using a skills approach toward leadership, much like the process perspective, allows for anyone who wishes to become a leader to do so.

 

References:

Antonakis, J., Fenley, M., & Liechti, S. (2012, June). Learning Charisma. Harvard Business Review, 90(6), pp. 127-130.

Northouse, P. G. (2013). Leadership: Theory and Practice (6th ed.). Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications, Inc.