When we review different leader’s responsibilities, we can see that depending on the level of the leader, different qualities are necessary. In the past leaders were examined to see if they can be developed. Katz (1955) was accredited to this notion of the development approach of leaders (PSU WC, 2017). In this older view of being able to develop a leader with skills, he explored three main skills to better understand the personal skills that leaders needed. The three skills are known as technical, human and conceptual. Katz (1955) explored how working with the right tools and techniques are considered technical skills and are used in lower level leaders. Human skills are necessary for working with people and to be able to reach a goal. Conceptual skills are for leaders that know exactly how to convey what a company’s vision is. An example of a leader who was able to execute the company vision was Steve Jobs. Steve started his personal computer revolution out of his own garage with a vision to succeed (Carlton, 1997). He carried that notion on throughout his professional career. When we look at developing a leader rather than a leader with inborn skills, we can see that Steve Jobs was a leader who had “skills and abilities that can be learned and developed” (Northouse, 2016).
Depending on the type of work, different kinds of skills are needed. For instance, a trainer of a smaller group of about 12 new employees uses their hands on knowledge to teach the companies objectives and duties. This “hands on” method is known as technical skills (Northouse, 2016). This trainer is educating the new employees and uses the company knowledge and procedures to show what the company expectations are for the job related task. Steve Jobs was focused on what he wanted to achieve and was able to spread that focus upon other employees. He was able to share his skills and teach others how to use the same style skills to complete the objective.
By being able to teach others a set of skills and guiding them along the way, productivity to execute the goal becomes attainable. Just because a person has the right skills does not mean they are effective leaders. According to Llopis (2017), some leaders are not qualified to lead. In Steve Jobs case, he was qualified to lead because he knew how to share his knowledge and skills to others around him. He was able to motivate people to be inspired to work effectively.
In closing, Steve Jobs was an influential leader who linked his skills to create leadership outcomes. Some of the great things that Jobs did impacted people to see that skills can be learned and developed. He contributed significantly in the technical industry and was a person with visionary ability.
Steve Jobs. Photo retrieved from www.talentdevelop.com
References
Carlton, J. (1997). Apple: The Inside Story of Intrigue, Egomania, and Business Blunders. Random House Inc. New York, NY, USA.
Llopis, G. (2017). 5 Reasons Most Leaders are Not Qualified to Lead. Forbes. Retrieved February 4, 2017 from http://www.forbes.com/sites/glennllopis/2017/02/04/5-reasons-most-leaders-are-not-qualified-to-lead/#17caa7b55875
Northouse, G. P. (2016). Leadership: Theory and practice. (7th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.
Pennsylvania State University WC (2017). Lesson 4: Skills Approach. Retrieved February 1, 2017 from https://psu.instructure.com/courses