Leadership as a skill

Abstract

In both the event industry, and in scholarly research, leadership is often considered as a skill. This school of thought is closely related to the trait theories of leadership, as conceptually, it is hard to differentiate between the personality traits leaders possess and the skills that they demonstrate. What is the difference between the terms? Well, it is widely accepted that traits are innate, but skills can be learnt (Athey & Orth, 1999). So, skills differ from traits because they are considered to be something that can be developed – a practised ability. A skill is the ability to do a job well, particularly if you have practiced it. This school of thought therefore suggests that you might not be a ‘natural leader’, but you can develop the necessary set of skills that will allow you to become a good one. As such, you can develop the capabilities required to lead (Mumford et al., 2000b).