Berglund 1

Traits and Skills Leadership Theories

Erin Berglund

OGL 300

Dr. Jay Klagge

August 29, 2021

 Berglund 2

Traits and Skills Leadership Theories

Since as early as Thales in the 7th century BCE there have been countless

researches into the field of thought and human development. Nobody can agree exactly

how leadership styles are attained and because of this we have many different theories

into why humans think the way we do. Some claim leadership qualities are inborn and

are impossible to attain. Or that leadership qualities are attainable if enough effort is put

into their attainment. But one thing that is factual is some are given a predisposition to

lead while others are not, and why is that? Throughout this paper we will look into two

different theories of leadership, trait based, and skill based, and will decipher which you

believe is most accurate.

In the early 20th century philosophers discovered a new leadership style called

trait leadership. This leadership style was based on the idea that people are born with

characteristics which help them to lead. These traits are not learned and come naturally

to this type of person. This gives them an inborn ability to lead. The trait approach has

made many philosophers question if this phenomenon is true and whether it is possible

for some people to be born with this trait while others are not (Cherry, 2021). An

example of this type of leader is Abraham Lincoln. From an early age Abe had a natural

ability to lead unlike any of his fellow scholars. He was given the nickname Honest Abe

for his unwillingness to deceive others. Whether these traits came naturally or if he put

in extreme effort to display them is unknown. But will be pondered over until it is

discovered.
 Berglund 3

Similar to trait leadership, the skills approach takes into consideration a leader

focused perspective on leadership. But differs in the belief that the skills are attainable

to whoever has the urgency to learn and develop them. The skills approach is the belief

that certain abilities, knowledge, and skills can be learned and are necessary in

becoming a productive leader. This leadership approach makes it possible for everyone

to become a leader if leadership qualities are used. The skills based approach was first

used in a Harvard Business Review Article named, “Skills of an Effective Administrator”

by Robert Katz. His emphasis was on viewing leadership traits as attainable goals

instead of innate characteristics. Shortly after, other studies conducted found a leader's

effectiveness depends on their ability to solve complex issues rather than if they had

inborn characteristics. Katz found three qualities which were present in all who

demonstrated effective administration skills these include: technical, human, and

conceptual abilities. Because these traits are possible to obtain, many people learn

these skills daily. For example, when I was a manager at Pacsun I was able to acquire

similar skills that made me successful in a management position specifically when

assigning tasks to my employees.

In the book Leadership: Theory and Practice by Northouse we are asked to

decipher a case study assignment about a new managerial position in the research

development position at Great Lakes Food (GLF). The new position's job description is

to develop and test new ideas in hopes of creating new products. Sandra, the vice

president of the company is assigned to hire the new representative and is inbetween

three potential candidates. The first is Alexa Smith who has been with the company for

ten years. She started in the mail room and made her way up through ten different
 Berglund 4

positions to her current manager of new product marketing. Her colleagues describe her

as creative and insightful. The second candidate is Kelsey Metts. She has been with

Great Lakes Food for five years now and is manager of quality control and established

products. Kelsey has a reputation for being very bright and for graduating from Harvard

at the top of her class. The final candidate is Thomas Santiago. He has been with the

company for ten years now and is often turned to by upper management for strategic

planning and corporate direction ideas. Thomas is responsible for establishing the

vision of GLF and is known for his honesty and integrity. The three candidates all sound

like very well rounded individuals who do a great job in their current position at GLF.

There is one that stands out for their ability to create and administer new products, this

is Alexa Smith. Alexa has had the opportunity of being in ten different positions at GLF

giving her a very well rounded view of the company as well as her leadership

characteristics of being very creative and insightful. These attributes will be especially

beneficial to her as a manager of productivity especially because of her creativity and

well rounded managerial skills.

The next case study from the Northouse textbook we are going to be breaking

down is about Andy Garafallo and his Italian restaurant. The restaurant has been very

successful as it is celebrating its 25th anniversary. Andy’s approach to business is to

give people what they truly want, great food at a great price. Throughout its 25 years the

restaurant has had many different managers and currently has three, Kelly, Patrick, and

Danielle. All the managers do a great job in their area of expertise however struggle in

different areas of the business. Kelly for example, is the kitchen (food prep) manager.

She excels in food ordering, inventory, and preparation. However, she has a difficult
 Berglund 5

time getting along with the salespeople and delivery drivers. Because of this, she needs

to work on her personality skills. Understanding others from a different perspective can

help her have an outside view to the argument and a two sided approach to conflict

resolution. The next manager is Danielle who works in the front of the restaurant. She is

great with customers and even has a way of knowing what they want before they ask.

Her one flaw however is, she is bad with numbers. Not a big deal, she can work on this

by putting in the initiative to go over expense reports and daily cash nets to become

accustomed to simple math equations which will help her in the business. The final

manager is Patrick. He can work in both the front and back of the restaurant however

struggles on the people side. Patrick tends to treat customers as faceless, coming off as

emotionless. He can work on this by focusing on making strong conversations and

connections with customers. Andy Garafallo the owner of the restaurant understands

the importance of relating to customers and the strengths of keeping a restaurant

affordable and genuine. However he may see an even higher profit if he were to

analyze his numbers and find places to cut back on. There are always ways to perfect

your business, understanding where the improvements can be made will make all the

difference.

The final section of this paper is my self assessment questionnaire which I will

compare to five others scores. What most surprised me was my family's average score

in the following categories: outgoing, self-assured, and self-confident. The average

score from my family was a five, whereas I scored myself a 3.5. This shows that just

because you do not see your own strengths does not necessarily mean others don't as

well. The traits I do need to work on however are: being more empathetic, friendly, and
 Berglund 6

sensitive. Sometimes I do not put in enough effort to make others feel welcomed and

appreciated. I can definitely improve this by making a point to make stronger

connections with people and improve the relationships I previously have.

 Berglund 7

References

Cherry, K. (2021, March 8). Understanding the Trait Theory of Leadership. VeryWell

Mind. Retrieved August 31, 2021, from https://www.verywellmind.com/

What-is-the-trait-theory-of-leadership-2795322

Katz, R. L. (1955). Skills of an effective administrator. Harvard Business Review

Northouse, P. G. (2016). Leadership: Theory and practice, 8th ed. Los Angelas, CA:

SAGE Publications, Inc.