MGT1250 Module 3- Leadership Skills

The Skills Approach

Module 3

Learning Objectives

• Describe the skills approach

• Explain how the skills approach works

• Discuss the strengths and criticisms of the skills approach

The Skills Approach

• Leadership Skills- The ability to use one’s knowledge and competencies to

  accomplish a set of goals and objectives

• Leader-centered perspective

• Emphasis on skills and abilities that can be learned and developed

Three-Skill Approach (Katz, 1955)

• Technical Skill

• Human Skills

• Conceptual skills

Basic Administrative Skills – Katz (1955)

Leaders need

all three skills—

but relative

importance

changes based

on level of

management

Technical Skill

• Having knowledge about and being proficient in a specific type of work or activity.

• Technical Skills include: specialized competencies, analytical ability, and use of appropriate tools and techniques

• Technical skills involve hands-on ability with a product or process

• Most important at lower levels of management

Human Skill

• Having knowledge about and being able to work with people.

• Assisting group members in working cooperatively to achieve common goals

• Creating an atmosphere of trust and empowerment of members

• Important at all levels of the organization

Conceptual Skill

• The ability to do the mental work of shaping

  meaning of organizational policy or issues (what

  company stands for and where it’s going)

• Central to creating and articulating a vision and strategic plan for an organization

• Most important at top management levels

• 
  

Multiple Choice

According to Katz’s skills model, which two skills are most important for supervisory- (low-) level managers to be successful leaders?

• Human skill and conceptual skill

• Technical skill and conceptual skill

• Technical skill and human skill

• Human skill, Technical skill and conceptual skill

Multiple Choice

The skills approach takes a _____________ on leadership, like the trait approach.

• Leader-follower centered perspective

• Organizational-centered perspective

• Situational-centered perspective

• Leader-centered perspective

Fill in the Blank

The _____ approach presents a competency-based approach to leadership.

Multiple Choice

At the upper-management level in an organization

• Technical skills are less important than human skills

• Technical skills are more important than conceptual skills

• Human skills are not important

• Technical skills are not important

Multiple Choice

Katz states that human skills are most important for middle- and top-management levels.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

Leadership skills are defined in the chapter as

• Knowledge and competencies to accomplish goals

• Technical ability to interact in the work environment

• Developing behaviors for effective leadership outcomes

• Using individual attributes to communicate well with others

The Skills Model

• Capability model - Examines relationship between a leader’s knowledge & skills & the leader’s performance. Suggests many people have the potential for leadership

• Research studies (1990s) goal: to identify the leadership factors that create exemplary job performance in an organization

• Emphasizes the capabilities that make effective leadership possible rather than what leaders do

Three components of the Skills Model

Individual Attributes, competencies, and leadership outcomes

Strengths

• First approach to conceptualize and create a structure of the process of leadership around skills

• Describing leadership in terms of skills makes leadership available to everyone

• Provides a structure consistent with leadership education programs

Criticisms

• Breadth of the skills approach appears to extend beyond the boundaries of leadership, making it more general, less precise

• Weak in predictive value; does not explain how skills lead to effective leadership performance

• Skills model includes individual attributes that are trait-like

Multiple Choice

Jim is a district manager of Wendy's in west Michigan. When he hires people, the most important thing he looks for is whether people are good problem solvers.

• Jim is using Katz's skills approach.

• Jim is using the Mumford Skills model.

• Jim is using the trait approach.

• Jim is using the style approach.

Multiple Choice

The skills approach is relatively new and has not been widely used in training and development.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

Career experience is a strong influence on a leader's competencies

• True

• False