It is undeniable that different skills are needed to handle various situations within the workplace. However, which skills are essential to which leaders and at what levels or leadership and management have been up for debate for decades. While many theories have been developed, most have commonalities that center around human relations/social skills as well as technical and general knowledge. While these skills appear to be stand-alone skills, problem-solving skills are at the center of any perceived or actual knowledge or social and technical skills displayed by leaders in the workplace. After examining some skill-based leadership models, problem-solving skills appear to be paramount over other skills that leaders or managers may have, regardless of what level of leadership or management they are at.
Researchers have been studying leadership skills for a number of years. Beginning in the early 1990’s, a multitude of studies have been published stating that a leader’s effectiveness depends on the leader’s ability to solve complex organizational problems (Northouse 2016). This research has resulted in the development of a comprehensive skill-based model of leadership that was advanced by Mumford, Zaccaro, Harding, Jacobs, & Fleishman (2000) as well as Yammarino (2000). This information is directed towards leaders in all leadership positions as well as owners of companies looking to hire top, middle and supervisory leaders.
Robert Katz was one of the first to research skills, and he published an article titled “Skills of an Effective Administrator” in 1995. Katz’s approach was an attempt to transcend the trait problem by addressing leadership as a set of developable skills (Northouse 2016). Leadership skills are defined as the ability to use one’s knowledge to accomplish a set of goals. Katz (1995) conceived a Three-Skill Approach that effective administration depends on. The approach involves technical, human, and conceptual skills. According to Katz (1995), Technical skill is knowledge about a specific type of work or activity, which might include knowing software languages and programming. Human skill is the ability to work with people. Conceptual skill involves the ability to work with ideas and concepts and to be able to create a strategic plan for an organization.
There are three types of management levels based on these skills – top, middle and supervisory management. According to Katz (1995), a top-level manager does not need to be an expert on technical matters, although he or she should possess some technical knowledge. This is probably because a top-level manager must at least be able to direct problem-solving, and he or she cannot solve problems without having at least some technical knowledge. Katz (1995) also contends that supervisory level managers do not need to be great at conceptual skills. However, according to Katz (1995), middle management should know it all, which would make middle managers the most valuable to the company. Though problem-solving skills are not mentioned directly, de-emphasis on conceptual skills at the supervisory level and an emphasis on knowing everything at the middle-manager level indicates that both supervisory and middle-level managers may need problem-solving skills.
Unlike Katz (1995), Mumford et al. (2000) address problem-solving skills explicitly as a main competency of any leader. Shortly after Katz (1995) developed his model, Mumford et al. (2000) designed a skill model which was made up of three key components. These components include competencies, individual attributes, and general cognitive ability. According to Mumford et al. (2000), competencies are at the heart of this model and every leader should possess problem-solving skills, social judgement skills, and knowledge. Problem-solving skills are a leaders’ creative ability to solve new and usual organizational problems. Social judgement skills are the people skills needed in perspective taking, social perceptiveness, behavioral flexibility, and social performance. Perspective taking is understanding the attitudes that others have towards a particular problem or solution, Social perceptiveness is insight awareness into how others in the organization functions, Behavioral flexibility is being able to change and adapt to one’s behavior and Social performance is when leaders need to be able to communicate their own vision to others. Knowledge and expertise make it possible for people to think about complex system issues and identify possible strategies for appropriate change (Northouse,2016).
The next part to the skill model developed by Mumford et al. (2000) is Individual Attributes which has four parts to it; general cognitive ability, crystallized cognitive ability, motivation, and personality. Although these are more similar to traits they still help one in a leadership position with complex problem-solving which is a very difficult process, and as one moves up, it becomes more difficult. These attributes help leaders as they apply their leadership skills. General cognitive ability is being perceptual, being able to process and withhold information and have creative thinking skills. It is known to be linked to biology not experiences (Northouse,2016). Crystallized cognitive ability is intellectual ability that is learned or acquired over time, basically all the knowledge you learned through experience. Motivation is where leaders must be willing to tackle complex problems and influence others to do the same. Last, Personality has an impact on the development of our leadership skills. certain traits can help, such as confidence, sociability and being able to adapt to different situations.
The last component of the Mumford et al. (2000) skill model is Leadership Outcomes. It is the effective problem-solving and the overall performance of a leaders’ outcome. These are strongly influenced by the leader’s skills and knowledge of their job. Good problem-solving involves certain solutions that are logical, effective, and unique and go beyond giving information (Zaccaro et al.,2000). Performance is a degree which a leader has successfully performed the assigned duties through their experiences and environmental influences, such as technologies or economic, and political views.
All of the skills within the skill approach theory are very important for high level and middle level leaders. However, effective problem-solving is the foundation to the skills approach, and to any leader in a leadership position. Without problem-solving skills and knowledge, it is hard to imagine someone being able to be effective as a leader. Being able to solve problems involving the task-at-hand, hardware or technical systems, or personnel matters within the workplace, is crucial to being an effective leader or manager at any level.
Northouse, P. (2016). Leadership Theory and Practice. Los Angeles: Sage Publications Inc.
I found the categorization that you mention from Katz(1995) to be an interesting one. As you noted, Katz claims that top level management need not necessarily know a great deal of technical skill, as top level management should mostly focus on conceptual skills. It is interesting then, to consider how our values as a country contend that success, that is, in the way of earning a high title in top level management, is a stepping stone process, that is, Americans sometimes believe that the path to success is simply building on knowledge you already have and working hard to climb to the top. For example, a text online that I found entitled “The Supervisor’s Role in Management”, one piece of advice for supervisors looking to move up in the chain of management is to move on from taking orders to giving task-based orders. That to me means that low level supervisors, who Katz describes as technically skilled workers, can move up in management by delegating these tasks skills. It is curious then, that the highest level of management is not expected to have mastery of technical skills. Where does that knowledge go if top level managers were once at the lowest rank of leadership? It seems more practical to consider that the path to top level management is not a set of stepping stones, as even top level management can be in a position of leadership without the amount of technical mastery that you note is present in mid-level managers and supervisory level workers.
Northouse, P. (2016). Leadership Theory and Practice. Los Angeles: Sage Publications Inc.
The Supervisor’s Role in Management highered.mheducation.com/sites/dl/free/0073545082/323131/Chapter_1.pdf