Instructor Resource
Northouse, Introduction to Leadership, 5e
SAGE Publishing, 2021
Lecture Notes
Chapter 5: Developing Leadership Skills
Learning Objectives
1. Explain the role of developing administrative skills for being an effective leader
Chapter Outline
I. Introduction
A. Leadership skills critical for success.
II. Administrative Skills Explained
A. Administrative skills refer to those competencies a leader needs to run an
organization in order to carry out the organization’s purposes and goals.
D. Administrative Skills in Practice
i. Managing People
a. “Management by walking around”: An effective leader connects
with people and understands the tasks to be done, those skills
required to perform them, and the environment in which people
work
Instructor Resource
Northouse, Introduction to Leadership, 5e
SAGE Publishing, 2021
• Dealing with urgent staff matters.
• Attention to recruiting and retaining employees.
ii. Managing Resources
a. Resources are the lifeblood of an organization.
b. Resources in an organization include people, money, supplies,
equipment, space, or anything else needed to operate an
organization.
iii. Showing Technical Competence
a. Technical competence involves having specialized knowledge about
the work we do or ask others to do.
• It also involves understanding the complex aspects of how an
organization works.
III. Interpersonal Skills Explained
A. Interpersonal skills are people skills, those abilities that help a leader to work
effectively with followers, peers, and superiors to accomplish the organization’s
goals.
Instructor Resource
Northouse, Introduction to Leadership, 5e
SAGE Publishing, 2021
a. Social perceptiveness includes having insight into and awareness of
what is important to others, how they are motivated, the problems
they face, and how they react to change.
ii. Showing Emotional Intelligence
a. Emotional intelligence is concerned with a person’s ability to
understand his or her own and others’ emotions, and then to apply
this understanding to life’s tasks.
iii. Handling Conflict
a. Conflict creates the need for change and occurs as the result of
change.
• Initiating structure.
IV. Conceptual Skills Explained
A. Conceptual skills are about working with concepts and ideas.
Instructor Resource
Northouse, Introduction to Leadership, 5e
SAGE Publishing, 2021
C. Conceptual skills and leadership: Able to conceive and communicate ideas that
shape an organization from its goals and mission to how to best solve problems.
D. Conceptual Skills in Practice
i. Problem Solving
a. Problem-solving skills refer to a leader’s cognitive ability to take
corrective action in a problem situation in order to meet desired
objectives.
ii. Strategic Planning
a. Strategic planning is mainly a cognitive activity. Being strategic
requires developing careful plans of action based on the available
resources and personnel to achieve a goal.
c. Strategic planning is a multifaceted process.
• By planning strategically, leaders and their employees can
increase the likelihood of reaching their goals and
achieving the aims of the organization.
iii. Creating Vision
a. Creating vision takes a special kind of cognitive and conceptual
ability.
Instructor Resource
Northouse, Introduction to Leadership, 5e
SAGE Publishing, 2021
d. To create vision, a leader needs to be able to:
• Set forth a picture of a future that is better than the present.