Northouse, Introduction to Leadership: Concepts and Practice, 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2018
Lecture Notes
Chapter 6: Developing Leadership Skills
Chapter Summary
I. Introduction
A. Definition of skills as learned competencies
B. More research attention on skills in past 10 years
II. Administrative Skills Explained
A. Utility and Definition
III. Administrative Skills in Practice
A. Managing people
IV. Interpersonal Skills Explained
A. Utility and Definition
V. Interpersonal Skills in Practice
A. Being socially perceptive
B. Showing emotional intelligence
C. Handling conflict
VI. Conceptual Skills Explained
A. Utility and Definition
VII. Conceptual Skills in Practice
A. Problem solving
VIII. Leadership Snapshot: Coquese Washington, Head Coach, Penn State Women’s
Basketball
IX. Case Study: Sweet Caroline’s
Northouse, Introduction to Leadership: Concepts and Practice, 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2018
Chapter Objectives
1. Understanding administrative skills and their use in practice.
2. Understanding interpersonal skills and their use in practice.
3. Understanding conceptual skills and their use in practice.
Lecture Notes
• What are your core leadership skills?
I. Introduction
A. Skills are learned competences that leaders are able to perform
II. Administrative Skills Explained
A. Utility and definition
1. Not glamorous or exciting, but most fundamental skill
III. Administrative Skills in Practice
A. Managing people
1. “Management by walking around”
3. Skills involved
a. Helping employees work as a team
b. Motivating employees to do their best
c. Responding to employee requests
4. Example: Nate Parker, after school recreation program
B. Managing resources
2. Competence in obtaining and allocating resources
4. Example: Coach wanting to replace team uniforms
C. Showing technical competence
2. Organizational know-how, understanding complexity
4. Example: Orchestra conductor
Northouse, Introduction to Leadership: Concepts and Practice, 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2018
IV. Interpersonal Skills
A. Utility and definition
1. Sometimes disparaged as “touchy–feely,” but necessary for effective
leadership
3. Three groups of skills: Social perceptiveness, emotional intelligence,
conflict management
V. Interpersonal Skills in Practice
A. Social perceptiveness
1. Having insight into what is important to others, how they are motivated,
the problems they face and how they react to change
3. “Finger on the pulse of the organization”
5. Example: U. of Michigan graduation location
B. Emotional Intelligence
2. e emotions to facilitate thinking, to understand and reason with emotions
and manage emotions effectively
4. How to develop emotional intelligence
5. Example: High school principal and student pranksters
C. Handling conflict
2. Conflict creates the need for change and is the result of change
4. Causes strain and stress for leaders and followers
6. Conflicts are usually complex
VI. Conceptual Skills
A. Utility and definition
1. Working with people and concepts.
VII. Conceptual Skills in Practice
Northouse, Introduction to Leadership: Concepts and Practice, 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2018
A. Problem solving
1. “What went wrong?” and “How can it be fixed?”
3. Four step process:
a. Identify the problem.
4. Example: Malfunctioning dishwasher
B. Strategic planning
2. Strategic leaders need ability to learn, capacity to adapt, and managerial
wisdom
3. Example: Promotion campaign for NewDevices, a start-up medical
supply company
C. Creating vision
1. Capacity to challenge people with compelling visions of the future
3. “Walk the talk”
VIII. Leadership Snapshot: Coquese Washington, Head Coach, Penn State Women’s
Basketball
A. Grew up in Flint, MI; played seven musical instruments.
B. Was an All-State selection for girls’ basketball two years in a row and was
awarded a scholarship to attend Notre Dame.
C. Earned a juris doctorate from the Notre Dame Law School.
D. After law school, played for the Portland Power of the ABL (American
Basketball League), a short-lived women’s professional basketball league and
eventually joined the WNBA.
Northouse, Introduction to Leadership: Concepts and Practice, 4e
SAGE Publishing, 2018
IX. Case Study