Leadership

PSYCH 485 blog

Using Katz’s Three-Skills Approach in My Internship

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At my job, where I am an intern on the talent acquisition (TA) team, we are currently preparing for our summer internship program. This summer we expect to have around 40 interns. As proposed by my manager, I will be acting as the lead organizer for all intern-related events. Additionally, we also recently hired a new TA member who I have been training. The new hire is an exciting addition to the team as it will allow us to tackle more items. While these opportunities are exciting, I have begun to reflect on my leadership skills in consultation with Katz’s three-skill approach. The approach outlines three essential skills for effective leadership which include technical skills, interpersonal skills, and conceptual skills (Northouse, 2022, p. 117, para. 1). 

As Northouse (2022) notes, technical skills refer to the knowledge and proficiency one has in a given area (p. 117, para. 2). For example, in my role, attention to detail and organizational skills are crucial. Fortunately, these skills are strong suits of mine as I oversaw preparing our intern handbook, professional conduct training, and mentor training. Northouse (2022) reports that technical skills are most important at the lower management level, which I have found to be true in my internship work (p. 117, para. 3). 

Another skill that is highly needed for supervisory management is human skills (Northouse, 2022, p. 117, para, 4.). Northouse (2022) defines human skills as the understanding and ability to work with others (p. 117, para. 4). While I was originally nervous about talking to new people, that changed quickly with the social component my job has. I plan and supervise all our company’s intern social events, meaning human skills are something I have to use daily. For instance, I communicate with interns to gauge their interest in various events as well as provide instructions on the events, such as directions, dates/times, food offered, etc. Furthermore, to educate myself on various perspectives, I attend guest speaker events whenever possible which often spark new ideas to implement in our program. 

Conceptual skills are the proficiency to work with ideas and concepts (Northouse, 2022, p. 118, para. 2). I have had little experience with using these skills in my position but can reflect on my creation of our intern professional conduct training. When putting the training together, I had to mentally plan out how I was going to communicate the professionalism our intern program expects. Northouse (2022) explains that these skills are less important at lower management and more important at middle and top management (p. 118, para. 3). While at the lower level, I am taking the opportunity to sit in on upper management meetings so that I can begin strengthening my own conceptual skills. So far, I have found these shadowing experiences to be extremely helpful in witnessing how different people explain ideas. 

In sum, the three-skills approach has been helpful in reflecting on my leadership effectiveness. My TA internship has supported me in strengthening my technical skills and human skills, but my review identified my conceptual skills need improving. While I recognize my conceptual skills are less important at my current management level, I want to take the shadowing opportunities I have now to improve them. Overall, my TA internship has proved to be an environment where I can continue to grow my skillset with the encouragement of my coworkers. 

For more information on Katz’s skills approach check out this article: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/357463725_The_Three-_Skill_Approach_to_Leadership  

References 

Northouse, P. G. (2022). Leadership: Theory and practice (9th ed.). SAGE. 

Jaqua, E., & Jaqua, T. (2021, December). The three- skill approach to leadership – researchgate. Retrieved March 25, 2023, from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/357463725_The_Three-_Skill_Approach_to_Leadership 

My Experience with Team Leadership in Lacrosse

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Team leadership focuses on the role and input of the whole team (Northouse, 2022, p. 541). As Northouse (2022) notes, a team is a group of interdependent members working towards common goals (p. 541). I resonated with this topic as I looked back on my high school years as a lacrosse player. In this role, I was part of a team of about 20 led by four captains. Each of us had a role in driving our team’s success, but our captains made efforts to ensure it. Many of the components of team leadership were apparent in my lacrosse team’s conduct. The key functions of task function and task maintenance, Ginnett’s Team Effectiveness Leadership Model (TELM), and shared leadership are all relevant to my experience as a high school lacrosse team member.
To begin, the two key functions of team leadership are task function and maintenance (PSU WC, 2023, p. 4, para. 1). As our PSU WC (2023) notes, task function refers to leaders assisting their team to “accomplish their tasks” (p. 4, para. 2). Task leadership functions were present in my lacrosse team through our team captains who planned plays for future games, assigned players to positions, and analyzed and resolved playing issues from past games. These points all support the team’s performance, which task function is often referred to as. Task maintenance refers to leaders keeping their “group maintained and functioning” (PSU WC, 2023, p. 4, para. 1), which our team captains also demonstrated. Northouse (2022) reports maintenance functions to focus on the relationships between members and resolving any issues that arise (p. 551, para. 1). This aspect was depicted through our team captains’ team bonding tactics, such as team ice cream outings, where we would all hang out in a setting outside of practice and games. Get-togethers like these supported relationship-building and provided opportunities to resolve conflicts.
Additionally, while my lacrosse team did not intentionally use TELM, it would have assisted our team with making decisions based on our team’s current state (Northouse, 2022, pg. 555). The model has three components, including inputs, processes, and outputs (PSU WC, 2023, p. 7, para. 3). First, as PSU WC (2023) notes, inputs refer to what is available to the team as they work (p. 7, para. 4). For the model, inputs have three levels: individual, team, and organization (PSU WC, 2023, p. 7, para. 4). These levels are important because a leader can identify which level needs modification. For example, in my lacrosse team, an individual may contribute cradling skills, the team as a whole may offer the ability to communicate clearly, and the organization offers funding from team members, their parents, and coaches. Each level offers a different set of inputs, making their distinction crucial. Processes are how the team goes about work, including the group dynamics of communication, coordination, and conflict (PSU WC, 2023, p. 7, para. 5). Team leaders should be concerned with the processes component because it can identify areas where practice for improvement is needed (PSU WC, 2023, p. 7, para. 5). Last, outputs are the result of the team’s work (PSU WC, 2023, p. 7, para. 7). This aspect of the model can communicate to leaders whether their team is performing accordingly (PSU WC, 2023, p. 7, para. 7). In sum, all the components of the model can identify different areas of a team and where change may be needed to optimize team performance.
Now knowing the components of TELM, understanding how leaders use it to exercise team leadership can be approached (PSU WC, 2023, p. 7, para. 8). TELM explains that leaders “dream, design, and develop teams” by monitoring the inputs, processes, and outputs of the model (PSU WC, 2023, p. 7, para. 8). Leaders dream by establishing a clear purpose for the team, such as by holding bi-weekly meetings to go over performance needs (PSU WC, 2023, p. 7, para. 8). Design gives attention to the team’s input stage at each level (PSU WC, 2023, p. 7, para. 8). This function of team leadership may be depicted through tailored check-ins for each level. For instance, the individual level may utilize 1:1 check-ins when providing performance feedback. Leaders can develop their teams by tracking their overall cohesion and ability to drive results (PSU WC, 2023, p. 7, para. 8). An example would be the team captains of my lacrosse team watching our practice matches and correcting us instantly. Leaders must keep these functions of team leadership in mind and be ready to make changes to any of the three components of TELM (PSU WC, 2023, p. 7, para. 9).
The topic of shared leadership connects to my experience as a high school lacrosse team member given the team I was on shared responsibility. As PSU WC (2023) reports, shared leadership is distinguished from typical leadership because the team shares the responsibility for driving results (p. 9, para. 1). The idea of shared leadership was demonstrated in my team in multiple ways, such as holding 3 team meetings a month during the season where players could voice concerns or share ideas about processes. By sharing the responsibility of tasks, team effectiveness will likely improve as Pearce and Simon (2000, as cited in PSU WC, 2023, p. 9, para. 2) discovered. The key to shared leadership is that all members contribute, because, without the dedication from all, gaps will occur (PSU WC, 2023, p. 9, para. 2).
Overall, team leadership was relevant in my high school lacrosse team through task function and task maintenance, Ginnett’s Team Effectiveness Leadership Model (TELM), and shared leadership. Task function and task maintenance were present in my lacrosse team through our captains’ assistance in our team’s ability to accomplish their tasks and monitoring of our team functions. While my team didn’t utilize TELM, the potential benefits it could provide to our decision-making processes were clear, such as my recognizing the components of inputs, processes, and outputs. Shared leadership was a large part of my team’s conduct given everyone had a role in driving the team’s outcomes.
For more information on TELM, access the following link: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/performance-management/teams/model-leads-to-more-effective-teams/
References

Model leads to more effective teams. U.S. Office of Personnel Management. (n.d.). Retrieved March 15, 2023, from https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/performance-management/teams/model-leads-to-more-effective-teams/

Northouse, P. G. (2022). Leadership: Theory and practice (9th ed.). SAGE.

Pennsylvania State University World Campus (2023). PSYCH 485 Lesson 9: Introduction to Team Leadership. Retrieved from https://psu.instructure.com/courses/2245314/modules/items/37104733

Situational Leadership in My Internship

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Before my role as a Talent Acquisition (TA) Intern, I had little experience being a leader in a workplace setting. Had I known about the situational approach, I would have likely avoided many of the mistakes I made. As PSU WC notes, the approach “tells us how leaders should adjust their behavior depending on the followers and the situations.” (PSU WC, 2023, para. 1). This would have been useful in providing me with direction, especially with the use of the Situational Leadership ® II model.  

The Situational Leadership ® II model was introduced by Harry and Blanchard (1969, as cited in PSU WC, 2023, para. 1) and allows users to determine which leadership style to use for their given scenario. To identify the leadership style to utilize, one can either determine the supportive behavior and directive behavior needed or the developmental level of followers. Once one is determined, the other can be as well by matching it with its match. Leadership style and developmental level are a 1:1 ratio (ex. S1:D1) and include the following as reported by Northouse (2022, p. 174): 

Leadership Styles 

  • Directing (S1): High Directive and Low Support 
  • Coaching (S2): High Directive and High Support 
  • Supportive (S3): Low Directive and High Support 
  • Delegating (S4): Low Directive and Low Support 

Developmental Levels 

  • Developmental level one (D1): The follower is unable but willing to perform the new task. 
  • Developmental level two (D2): The follower is unable and unwilling to perform the new task. 
  • Developmental level three (D3): The follower is able but unwilling to perform the new task. 
  • Developmental level four (D4): The follower is able and willing to perform the new task. 

Now knowing how to use the Situational Leadership ® II model, I will plan to utilize it once my employer’s summer intern program begins. Being the TA intern comes with the responsibility of assisting with intern onboarding, training, and monitoring of intern peer mentors. While I plan to incorporate the situational approach the next time I am faced with confusion about the leadership style I should use, I can utilize the approach to analyze my past leadership mistakes. While it may be difficult to partake in self-reflection, looking back on my missteps will help me in repeating them. 

Looking back at last summer when I first stepped into my leadership role in the intern program, I recognize many of my mistakes stemmed from mistaking follower development level as higher than it was. IMD (“The 15 genuine benefits”, 2023) put this into perspective by interchanging the terms maturity and development level (para. 18). I originally saw all incoming interns on the same developmental level when experience levels ranged from never having an internship to having multiple before and from undergraduates to law students. As a result, my leadership style was largely directing (S1) which was ineffective for those on a higher developmental level than one. For instance, when providing professional conduct training, I assumed all the interns needed guidelines reinforced when there was just a small group of them. This experience helped me realize that I must ensure my leadership style is appropriate for the entire audience, and if not, create stacked sessions to lead to more effective distribution. 

Overall, I will incorporate the situational approach when selecting my leadership style. Not only will I be more engaged in my personal leadership development, but I will also provide improved guidance to the 2023 summer interns. As I build on my leadership skills, I will keep the Situational Leadership ® II model close by since it only requires the details of your situation to provide direction. A key message I got upon researching the situational approach was that leaders must be flexible and adapt to the situation at hand. 

For supplemental reading on how to practice situational leadership, I encourage checking out Colin Baker’s article, “What is Situational Leadership, and How Do You Practice It?”. The article highlights the individual aspects of the approach and offers methods of incorporating it into your own life. I found the content especially helpful as it explains when and when not to use the situational approach (Baker, 2022, para. 25). 

Link to Colin Baker’s article: https://leaders.com/articles/leadership/situational-leadership/

References 

Baker, C. (2022, September 7). What is situational leadership, and how do you practice it? Leaders.com. Retrieved February 12, 2023, from https://leaders.com/articles/leadership/situational-leadership/ 

Hersey, P., & Blanchard, K. H. (1969). Life-cycle theory of leadership. Training and Development Journal, 23, 26-34. 

Northouse, P. G. (2022). Leadership: Theory and practice (9th ed.). SAGE. 

Pennsylvania State University World Campus (2023). PSYCH 485 Lesson 5: Introduction to Style and Situational Approaches. Retrieved from https://psu.instructure.com/courses/2245314/modules/items/37104672 

The 15 genuine benefits of situational leadership in 2023. IMD business school for management and leadership courses. (2023, August). Retrieved February 9, 2023, from https://www.imd.org/reflections/situational-leadership/ 

The Role of Management and Leadership in Accomplishing Goals

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As stated by Northouse (2022), “Leadership is a process that is similar to management in many ways” (p. 67). Leadership and management both contribute to organizational goals being achieved, but in different capacities. Given the importance of the roles, I will define each and discuss how they work together to drive individuals to achieve a common mission in this blog post.  

The role of management, as noted by Bargau (2015), is “to exercise executive, administrative, and supervisory direction of a group or organization” (p. 182). As suggested in the definition, management monitors group members to ensure they complete their tasks contributing to their organizational goals. Bargau (2015), stresses the importance of necessary skills, which include technical skills (specialized skills), human skills (people skills), and conceptual skills (creative abilities) (p. 183). All three of these skills ensure that the individual placed in the role of the manager will be knowledgeable and experienced to provide helpful solutions and guidance, have the ability to communicate their thoughts and team needs and be able to understand various concepts and ideas brought to them. Management has many moving parts which support the role of leadership. 

Leadership, as Northouse (2022) describes, is “a process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal” (p. 57). The definition emphasizes the importance of an influential person because building a followership becomes more difficult to build. Without followership, goals will be ununiformed and lead to ineffective progress. 

Northouse (2022, p. 67) outlines three key aspects of leadership and their connecting duties, as follows: 

Establishing direction  – Create a vision 

– Clarify the big picture 

– Set strategies 
Aligning people  – Communicate goals 

– Seek commitment 

– Build teams and coalitions 
Motivating and inspiring   – Inspire and energize 

– Empower followers 

– Satisfy unmet needs 

From the provided responsibilities, it is evident that leaders focus on group energy and meeting goals, which managers ensure by monitoring team performance.  

Having an understanding of the distinction between the roles of management and leadership, we can delve deeper into how the two work together in getting goals met. First, we must acknowledge that both are needed, management for instilling and leadership for influencing. Northouse (2022) emphasizes this when explaining the overlap of the two (p. 68). For instance, consider the role of a chief executive officer (CEO) and manager. The CEO and manager will both play a part in ensuring the success of organizational goals. The CEO may do this by conducting a global company presentation that highlights recent company success and current projects to keep spirits up. They will likely describe how these components drive the company mission. Now, let us consider a manager’s role in each of these occurrences. In a global company meeting managers from chosen departments may speak and share timelines for achieving the goals described by the CEO. Next, a manager will outline measurements of success and resources used to meet goals. An example of this would be a sales manager presenting the dollar amounts of contracts won and the steps taken to win them.  

Management and leadership overlap when working to achieve a common goal. This may take place with projects at work, school, or any other organization. So, next time you take on a common goal, try to identify and distinguish the roles of leadership and management. You may be surprised by just how much leadership and management must collide to maintain a cohesive progression to common goals. 

To read more about the differences between managers and leaders look at the linked article from Harvard Business Review. 

https://hbr.org/2013/08/tests-of-a-leadership-transiti  

 

References 

Bargau, M. A. (2015). Leadership versus management. Romanian Economic and Business Review, 10(2), 197. 

Nayar, V. (2022, August 18). Three differences between managers and leaders. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved January 23, 2023, from https://hbr.org/2013/08/tests-of-a-leadership-transiti 

Northouse, P. G. (2022). Leadership: Theory and practice (9th ed.). SAGE. 

 

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