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    Leadership - Unit 2 Discussion Assignment

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    1) The document discusses the debate around whether leadership is a skill, trait, or behavior. 2) It argues that leadership is best understood as a fusion of all three - traits, skills, and behaviors. 3) Successful leaders possess inherent traits like confidence but also cultivate skills and behaviors to guide their teams effectively towards goals.

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    Leadership - Unit 2 Discussion Assignment

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    Ghiath Alddin Zeen
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    1) The document discusses the debate around whether leadership is a skill, trait, or behavior. 2) It argues that leadership is best understood as a fusion of all three - traits, skills, and behaviors. 3) Successful leaders possess inherent traits like confidence but also cultivate skills and behaviors to guide their teams effectively towards goals.

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    1) The document discusses the debate around whether leadership is a skill, trait, or behavior. 2) It argues that leadership is best understood as a fusion of all three - traits, skills, and behaviors. 3) Successful leaders possess inherent traits like confidence but also cultivate skills and behaviors to guide their teams effectively towards goals.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    40 views4 pages

    Leadership - Unit 2 Discussion Assignment

    Uploaded by

    Ghiath Alddin Zeen
    1) The document discusses the debate around whether leadership is a skill, trait, or behavior. 2) It argues that leadership is best understood as a fusion of all three - traits, skills, and behaviors. 3) Successful leaders possess inherent traits like confidence but also cultivate skills and behaviors to guide their teams effectively towards goals.

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    1

    Leading in Today's Dynamic Contexts

    BUS 5411-01 - AY2023-T3

    University of The People

    Instructor: Dr. Chris Lorenz Marcelo

    Unit 2, Discussion Assignment

    Trait Theory and Lewin's Classic Leadership Styles Theory

    Feb. 04, 2023


    2

    Introduction

    The question of whether leadership is a skill, trait, or behavior is a common debate among

    leaders and researchers in the field, as well as the well-known question of whether leaders are

    born or made. In the construction industry, leadership skills are crucial for accomplishing project

    objectives. In this post, I aim to address the popular topic of 'is leadership a skill, trait, or

    behavior,' and share my perspective on it.

    Content

    The field of leadership has garnered much attention from researchers who aim to understand

    its various characteristics and approaches. Despite extensive research, the subject remains

    complex with a range of theories and styles. The individual factors and personal psychological

    and cognitive growth play a role in shaping a person's leadership style (Walker, 2017). There is

    ongoing debate about the nature of leadership, with some experts viewing it as a behavior and

    others as a trait. Still, others believe that it is a learned skill.

    Personally, I believe that leadership is a fusion of behaviors, traits, and skills. A remarkable

    leader encompasses a variety of qualities that can be classified as behavior, traits, or skills.

    Primarily, leadership is a trait where leaders possess certain characteristics that distinguish them

    from others, which are mostly hereditary (SagePub, n.d.). For instance, some leaders possess

    confidence and others may be extroverted and sociable (SagePub, n.d.).

    According to Northouse (2007), traits like intelligence, self-confidence, determination,

    integrity, and sociability are considered to be leadership traits. The author of the paper ponders

    the relationship between leadership and expertise, discussing "trait and skills theories as the link

    between leadership and expertise: truth or fallacy?" Four of these traits are also common among

    experts (Germain, 2008). Additionally, leaders must also have a set of skills necessary to
    3

    effectively lead their teams. A successful leader must possess the ability to guide their team

    towards their goals. Hence, they require specific skill sets (SagePub, n.d.). For instance, as an

    executive director in a humanitarian organization, I oversee various projects annually that span

    across diverse fields such as medicine, agriculture, and education. I need to be knowledgeable

    about the progress of each project, even though there are experts assigned to handle specific

    technical tasks. The leader must understand the operations to effectively lead the team towards

    their objectives. Hence, besides traits, leaders need skills as well. For example, Germain (2008)

    mentions that intelligence, as a trait, contributes to a leader's problem-solving skills and social

    judgment abilities. Furthermore, leadership is also a behavior that influences the actions of a

    leader. Unlike traits and skills, leadership behavior can be easily observed by others (SagePub,

    n.d.). Leadership behavior can be mission-oriented or process-oriented, where mission-oriented

    behaviors are crucial for leaders to complete the task at hand. On the other hand, process-

    oriented behaviors help team members feel comfortable in their group. Leaders need to possess

    both task and process behaviors and must know the best approach to achieve their goals

    (SagePub, n.d.).

    Conclusion

    Leadership cannot be attributed solely to behavior, traits, or experience; it is a combination of

    various elements that vary in proportion for each leader. A leader must cultivate and refine their

    behavior, skills, and traits, with some traits being innate. The right mix of these components is

    crucial for leaders to be successful in achieving their goals and performing their tasks.
    4

    References

    Germain, M-L. (2008, February 20 – 24). Traits and skills theories as the Nexus between

    leadership and expertise: Reality or fallacy? . Academy of Human Resource

    Development International Research Conference in the Americas (Panama City,

    FL, Feb 20-24, 2008). http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED501636.pdf

    Northouse, P. G. (2007). Leadership: theory and practice (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA:

    Sage Publications.

    SagePub (No Date). Being a Leader. Retrieved from SagePub:

    https://in.sagepub.com/sites/default/files/upm-binaries/40975_1.pdf

    Walker, S. (2017). What Makes a Leader, is it Skills, Traits or Behavior?. Retrieved

    from PennState: https://sites.psu.edu/leadership/2017/05/28/what-makes-a-leader-

    is-it-skills-traits-or-behavior/

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