Skills Skills ApproachApproach

AGED 3153

Leadership has a harder job to do than just choose sides. It must bring sides together.

~Jesse Jackson

Thought of the day…Thought of the day…

OverviewOverview Defining skills Skills approach perspective Three-skill approach Skills-based model How the skills approach works

Defining SkillsDefining Skills Leadership Skills

Skills Approach Skills Approach DescriptionDescription Skills can be acquired

Can train and develop them

Katz “skills of an effective administrator”

Harvard Business Review, 1955 Three-skill approach

Mumford and colleagues 1990s studies brought recognition of skills approach

Three-Skill Approach Three-Skill Approach (Katz)(Katz) Includes

skills skills skills

Leaders need all

Technical SkillsTechnical Skills Having knowledge about & being proficient in a

specific type of work or activity

Essential role in producing actual products

Most important at lower management levels.

Human SkillsHuman Skills Having knowledge about & being able to

work with people

Important at all levels.

Conceptual Skills:Conceptual Skills: Abilities to work with ideas & concepts

Central to creating a vision & strategic plan for an organization

Most important at upper management levels.

Management Skills Management Skills Necessary Necessary

technicalhuman conceptual

Skills Needed

technical human conceptual

technical humanconceptual

SummarySummary Skills: use of one’s knowledge and competencies Skills can be acquired Three skill approach

Technical hands-on

Human people

Conceptual vision/ ideas

For next class…For next class… Complete the Skills Inventory on page 65 of

Northouse. Be prepared to discuss results in class.

Skills ModelSkills Model Mumford and colleagues

U.S. Army and Department of Defense 1990s Develop a comprehensive theory of leadership

new measures & tools were used assessed skills, experiences and work situations.

Skills ModelSkills Model Questions included

What accounts for why some leaders are good problem solvers and other are not?

What specific skills do high-performing leaders exhibit?

Capability model

5 components of Skill 5 components of Skill ModelModel Individual attributes Competencies Leadership outcomes Career Experiences Environmental influences

Skills ModelSkills ModelIndividual Attributes

Competencies Leadership Outcomes

• general cog. ability

• crystallized cog. ability

• motivation

• personality

• problem-solving skills

• social judgment skills

• knowledge

• effective problem- solving

• performance

Career Experiences

Environmental Influence

Individual AttributesIndividual Attributes

“person’s intelligence”

linked to biology not experience

“acquired intelligence” linked to experience doesn’t diminish in

adulthood

General cognitive ability

Crystallized cognitive ability

Individual AttributesIndividual Attributes

Leaders must be: willingness

dominance

social good

Impacts development of your leadership skills.

Related to leader performance.

Motivation Personality

Competency SkillsCompetency Skills

Problem solving creative ability to solve

new & unusual organizational problems

Social judgment capacity to understand

people & social systems perspective taking social perceptiveness, behavioral flexibility social performance

Competency SkillsCompetency Skills

Knowledge accumulation of information &

mental structures used to organize info.

Leadership OutcomesLeadership Outcomes

Effective problem solving

originality & quality of solutions

Logical, effective, unique and go beyond the problem

Performance how well the leader

has done her/his job. positive evaluations

Career ExperiencesCareer Experiences Influence knowledge/skills Improved by:

challenging job assignments mentoring appropriate training hands-on experience

Environmental Environmental influencesinfluences Lie outside the leader’s

competencies characteristics experiences

Outside the leader’s control

What strengths of the skills approach make it acceptable to you?

What weaknesses of the skill approach do you see?

How can we apply this approach?

SummarySummary Mumford and Colleagues study

Competencies are the core Leadership outcomes are results Individual attributes, career experiences and environmental factors all play role

Skill approach is leader-centered Provides skill set necessary for effective leadership Doesn’t clearly explain impact of different skill levels Important for leadership development