Managerial Traits and Skills Chapter 7 Managerial Traits and Skills © 2006 Prentice Hall Leadership in Organizations

Learning Objectives Understand how conceptions about the importance of traits have changed over the past 70 years Understand the types of research methods that have been used to study leadership traits and skills Understand what traits and skills are most relevant for effective leadership Understand how traits and skills are related to leadership behavior © 2006 Prentice Hall Leadership in Organizations

Learning Objectives Understand how the relevance of a trait or skill depends on the situation, type of organization, and national culture Understand the traits and skills that cause some people to derail in their managerial careers Understand the limitations of the trait approach © 2006 Prentice Hall Leadership in Organizations

Nature of Traits and Skills Trait – Variety of individual attributes, including aspects of personality, temperament, needs, motives and values Need (motive) – Desire for particular types of stimuli or experiences Values – Internalized attitudes about what is right and wrong, ethical and unethical, moral and immoral Skill – The ability to do something in an effective manner © 2006 Prentice Hall Leadership in Organizations

Three-Factor Taxonomy of Skills © 2006 Prentice Hall Leadership in Organizations

Research on Leader Traits and Skills Stogdill’s Review of the Research (1948 & 1974) © 2006 Prentice Hall Leadership in Organizations

McCelland’s Managerial Motivation Measured with the Thematic Apperceptions Test (TAT) Need Basis Need for power Socialized power orientation Personalized power orientation Need for achievement Need for affiliation Optimal Pattern for Large Organizations Strong socialized power orientation Moderate need for achievement Low need for affiliation © 2006 Prentice Hall Leadership in Organizations

Miner’s Managerial Motivation Measured with a Sentence Completion Scale Correlates with Advancement Desire to exercise power Desire to compete with peers Positive attitude toward authority figures © 2006 Prentice Hall Leadership in Organizations

Critical Incident Research on Competencies Measured with Behavior event interview Traits of Effective managers Strong efficiency orientation Strong socialized power orientation High self-confidence Strong belief in self-efficacy Internal locus of control © 2006 Prentice Hall Leadership in Organizations

Critical Incident Research on Competencies Interpersonal Skills of Effective Managers Strong oral presentation skills Strong interpersonal skills Ability to manage group processes Ability to build member identification and team spirit Conceptual Skills of Effective Managers Inductive reasoning Deductive reasoning © 2006 Prentice Hall Leadership in Organizations

Longitudinal Research with Assessment Centers Utilize Multiple Methods to Assess Traits & Skills Advancement Predictors after 8 years (AT&T Study) Desire for advancement Dominance Interpersonal skills Cognitive skills Administrative skills Advancement Predictors after 20 years Achievement orientation Self-confidence Energy level Low need for security © 2006 Prentice Hall Leadership in Organizations

CCL Research on Mangers Who Derail Advancing Managers versus Managers who were Dismissed, Transferred, Retired Early, or Plateaued Traits, Skills & Competencies of Successful Managers: Emotional stability Lack of defensiveness Integrity Interpersonal skills Technical and cognitive skills © 2006 Prentice Hall Leadership in Organizations

Managerial Traits Effectiveness © 2006 Prentice Hall Leadership in Organizations

Big Five Personality Traits © 2006 Prentice Hall Leadership in Organizations

Managerial Skills and Effectiveness Technical Skills – Include knowledge about methods, processes, and equipment for conducting the specialized activities of the manager’s organizational unit Conceptual Skills – Involve good judgment, foresight, intuition, creativity, and the ability to find meaning and order in ambiguous, uncertain event Interpersonal Skills – Include knowledge about human behavior and group processes, ability to understand the feelings, attitudes, and motives of others, and ability to communicate clearly and persuasively. © 2006 Prentice Hall Leadership in Organizations

Other Relevant Competencies Emotional Intelligence Social Intelligence Systems Thinking Ability to Learn © 2006 Prentice Hall Leadership in Organizations

Situational Relevance of Skills © 2006 Prentice Hall Leadership in Organizations

Situational Relevance of Skills Transferability of Skills Across Organizations Difficult to transfer lower-level managerial skills Disagreement about transferability of upper-level managerial skills Requisite Skills and the External Environment Mix of skills changes over time Impacted by: Globalization Technological development Social change © 2006 Prentice Hall Leadership in Organizations

Application for Managers Guidelines for Understanding and Improving Relevant Competencies Maintain self-awareness Develop relevant skills Remember that a strength can become a weakness Compensate for weaknesses © 2006 Prentice Hall Leadership in Organizations