Maybe It’s My Fault (great motivational video)

In my wealth of reading I must admit there is no easy answer as to what exactly are the skills and/or traits of a leader. As an Organizational Leadership major and veteran it would be assumed that I should have a fairly solid handle on it. Not so. 15 internet searches daily, Half a dozen articles, courses, workshops, and seminars… lists of words, lots of assumptions but no closer to a definitive as then we started. Is this one of those situations where “you know it when you see it”? If you see it, you can model it… you can be it.

This past weeks journey into Theory and Practice states the following of the skills approach “There are several strengths and conceptualizing leadership from a skills perspective. 1st, it is a leader centered model that stresses the importance of the leaders abilities, and in places learned skills at the center of effective leadership performance. 2nd, the skills approach described leadership in such a way that it makes available to everyone. Skills are competencies that we all can learn to develop and improve. 3rd, the skills approach provides a sophisticated method explain how effective leadership performance can be achieved. Based on the model, researchers can develop complex class and studying the leadership process. Last, this approach provides a structure for leadership education and development programs that include creative problem-solving, conflict resolution, listening, and teamwork” (Northouse, 2013, p. 71).

I presented the images above to illustrate a point. Based on zero knowledge of both images I can assume the gentleman on the left has great skill; he’s dancing (balance, rhythm, stamina, etc.), seems to be in good physical shape, very masculine and is playing a musical instrument. No doubt well practiced, gifted, etc. The gentleman on the right, six NBA Championship rings… but does that mean either one has leadership skills. Simply being personally gifted, working hard, and being rewarded does not a leader make.

The outcome and track record speak louder than any list of skills or traits; it’s what you do with it. It’s about actual performance.
Oddly enough,  according to Northouse (2013) “the skills model claims not to be a trait approach; nevertheless, individual traits such as cognitive abilities, motivation, and personality clearly play a  large role in the model.” (p. 72).

I read a very common article that claims leaders must have:

“Trait And Skills A Leader Must Have
There are things that set leaders apart from other people. Some people are born with these characteristics. Others develop them as they improve as leaders. These are not magic bullets. They are things you can do and be if you want to be a leader.
Traits Of A Leader
There are as many traits of a leader as there are lists of what makes a leader. Here are the fundamental traits of a leader from my perspective:
• Has integrity. People have to believe that you are pursuing your dream because it’s the right thing to do, not just because you are ego driven.
• Is a people person. Understands the differences that make people unique and is able to use those individual skills to achieve the goal.
• Is positive. A leader encourages and rewards people and makes you want to do it and do it right. A leader is not a negative person and doesn’t waste time and effort tellng everyone what they’re doing wrong.
Leadership Skills
Beyond the personal traits of a leader, there are specific skills someone must master if they want to be a leader.
• Effective communication – it’s more than just being able to speak and write. A leader’s communication must move people to work toward the goal the leader has chosen.
• Motivation – a leader has to be able to motivate everyone to contribute. Each of us has different “buttons”. A leader knows how to push the right buttons on everyone to make them really want to do their best to achieve the leader’s goal.
• Planning – the leader has a plan to achieve the goal. He/she doesn’t get too bogged down in the details, that’s what managers are for, but rather uses a high level plan to keep everyone moving together toward the goal.” (Reh, J.F., What Is A Leader)

Basketball, Hall of Famer, Pat Williams coined the following”“Seven Sides of Leadership”—Vision, Communication, People Skills, Character, Competence, Boldness, Serving Heart—”. What my point is, there are so many ideologies out there all of them are worth looking into.

I read a revelatory statement from Bob House (the originator of the Path-Goal Theory of Leadership Model) “all theories, no matter how good they are at explaining a set of phenomena, are ultimately incorrect and consequently will undergo modification over time.” (Howell & Costley, 2006, p. 50)

What happens when the person has all the skills and no desire to do?

A few semesters ago my ideology was both solidified and swayed, just a bit… Northouse’s definition of Leadership “… a process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal.” (p. 5) streamlined  my perception and reinforced the action features in leadership. It is doing and that is why the traits and skills and psychodynamics are all there as possibilities. It remains about what you do with, to, and for other people, to make things happen.

Enjoy the video…

 

References:

Howell, J., & Costley, D. (2006). Understanding behaviors for effective leadership (2d ed.). Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson Prentice Hall.

Northouse, P.G. (2013). Leadership: Theory and Practice. Los Angeles: Sage Publications.

Pennsylvania State University. (2015). Psych 485: Leadership in a Work Setting. Retrieved from https://courses.worldcampus.psu.edu/sp15/psych485/001/