Leadership refers to the process of influencing others to accomplish a specific objective. A leader is someone who directs an organization in a way that makes it cohesive and orderly to perform tasks ( Lussier & Achua, 2015) . Leadership traits have been examined in determining what makes some people great leaders. There has been a debate on whether leaders are made or born. Leadership theories debate over what makes a good leader with different schools of thought developing to give explanations about where leaders come from and how to identify them. Trait and skills theories are two approaches that attempt to answer the question about leadership. The two traits see leadership as an objective set of qualities or actions but differ on who develops them.
Overview of traits and skills leadership theories
Trait theory of leadership focuses on identifying the innate qualities and characteristics that a leader possesses. The theory states that there are specific virtues that define a leader, which are usually inborn traits which manifests themselves in a person and guides them into leadership ( Germain, 2012) . It believes individuals are born with leadership traits and only great people possess them, making leadership a reserve for only a gifted few who have a set of basic personalities that sets a leader apart from the followers. Several characteristics are cited as essential leadership traits including self-confidence, sociability, persistence, and acceptance of responsibility ( Lussier & Achua, 2015) . The leader should also be able to motivate others, trustworthy, assertive and one who understands the needs of others. The trait theory believes leaders must have certain inherent and innate qualities as mentioned above. For example, leaders in business must always scan and analyze the actions of their employees to determine who qualifies to be a leader.
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On the other hand, the skills leadership theory asserts that many people have the potential for leadership if they can learn and acquire leadership skills ( Germain, 2012) . Skills are usually competencies that people learn and develop as opposed to personality traits. The skills leadership approach believes leadership is a set of activities that leaders have relative to an organizational situation, and individuals can be trained. As such, the skills leadership theory contracts with the idea that a leader must have inborn traits by emphasizing that a leader can be trained to develop the traits ( Germain, 2012) . This is different from trait theory that believes a leader can only be effective based on their individual characteristics. It focuses on the actions of a leader rather than their mental qualities to lead
These approaches to leadership can teach the current and future manages valuable lessons about being a leader. They show how different people have different approaches to leadership and the effectiveness of a leader depends on their approach ( Zaccaro, 2007) . The similarity between these two approaches is that they identify actions that every leader must have to function in any setting. For example, skills theory believes leaders must show specific personality markers or habits of mind, though no one has more potential than another. However, skills leadership theory is more democratic and states that each can become a leader through proper training, which contrasts with the trait approach. For example, a person who is born from a noble house such as the house of a president has more chances of becoming a leader than a person born in a family that is weak-willed. This is because those born in a noble family develop habits of assertiveness and their upbringing makes them into leaders ( Zaccaro, 2007).
Analysis of case study from chapter 2
Carol’s leadership traits were evident when she took over management of the business after the death of her husband. The opportunity allowed Carol to put the attributes into a task rather than stay dormant. However, her leadership traits were strong since she took over the business without much knowledge and made it more successful. Some of the leadership traits that Carol displays include competence, intelligence, courage and being sociable ( Northouse, 2018) . She was able to make decisions after conducting a thorough analysis of the problem. At the same time, she was friendly and could interact with both old and new employees at the company, probing out any potential issues. Carol was honest and sincere in her work, is highly moral and has a great attitude that makes her a competent leader. She was supportive, fair and cared deeply about other people. Managing the business presented a realization that she possessed leadership traits which were dormant
Caro’s habits played a role in the expansion of the company. After the death of her husband, she conducted a study of the business factors within the organization and made rational decisions that helped in the growth of the business. Her achievement at the company exceeded that of her late husband due to the inherent leadership skills, seen with increasing the number of employees based on the company growth, as well as a growth in sales and expanding stores to other locations. Her cognitive abilities and emotional stability exemplified great leadership in the eyes of the employees. For example, there was a reduction in the number of employee turnout.
Her inborn leadership traits that were polished by working at the company make her capable of operating in other business contexts. Managing the business placed her in a position to acquire more leadership skills that made her capable of working in different settings. Despite working in a family business, her traits as a leader and skills learned during the tenure were enough to train and prepare her for more opportunities. A leader is someone who is motivated and can create a good working environment for the employees, and that is what Carol acquired while managing the business. She has exemplified traits that are valuable across the board and allows her to make any business a success.
Analysis of case study from chapter 3
His success at the restaurant can be attributed to his personality that is both positive and outgoing. He also has excellent social skills and the ability to motivate his managers with proven human skills that allow him to attract customers back over and over ( Northouse, 2018) . Another advantage is his awareness of the deficiencies in his three managers and willing to solve their needs. He is also ready to improve the skills of his managers and ensure they can continue running the organization. As such, his conceptual skills and vision to make people see the value of his Italian restaurant has.
Among the three managers, Kelly seems knowledgeable in her position with great cognitive abilities. She is honest, efficient and organized and does his job well. However, Kelly is also weak in her social skills as seen when dealing with salespeople and is an area she can improve. She has trouble getting along with salespeople and wait staff. In this regard, she needs human skills that entail learning to work with people who are crucial in her work chain.
Similarly, Patrick is like Kelly in being a great worker who is knowledgeable of his position and is motivated work at the restaurant. He is a successful manager who is dedicated, dependable and technically able. However, Patrick also has a weak personality and social skills, especially when dealing with customers. The poor human skills can be a disadvantage for proper functioning, since the service-oriented business requires treating customers well ( Northouse, 2018) . As such, he needs to improve in his human and social skills.
On the other hand, Danielle has a great personality and excellent social skills when working with customers. She is dedicated, hospitable and insightful with the human skill and conceptual skills flow that can benefit the business. However, her knowledge of the position that entails working with numbers seems to be poor and needs improvement. She needs to work on the technical aspect of the job.
Andy was an effective leader who met all the three set of skills and a good leadership model. The three-skill approach is working for him and played a role in improving the profit margins of the restaurant. His excellent technical skills were responsible for keeping the restaurant open and accessible in the community. The case study shows how Andy is a great leader who cares about his staff He also has problem-solving and social judgment skills that makes him famous. However, he lacked in the numbers aspect of the restaurant that may limit his success.
References
Germain, M. L. (2012). Traits and skills theories as the nexus between leadership and expertise: Reality or fallacy?. Performance Improvement , 51 (5), 32-39.
Lussier, R. N., & Achua, C. F. (2015). Leadership: Theory, application, & skill development . Nelson Education.
Northouse, P. G. (2018). Leadership: Theory and practice . Sage publications.
Zaccaro, S. J. (2007). Trait-based perspectives of leadership. American psychologist , 62 (1), 6.
