Skills.

 

The research on leadership skills is considerably clearer and more conclusive than that on leadership abilities. Leadership skills are divided into three categories:

 

Technical, interpersonal and conceptual.

 

As leaders and managers move up in their organization, they rely less on technical skills and increasingly on interpersonal and conceptual skills. Company CEOs, school principals or hospital administrators do not need to be able to perform various jobs in detail. They, however, should be able to negotiate successfully and effectively and manage various interpersonal relationships inside and outside the organization. Furthermore, top executives more than lower-level leaders and managers need to read and analyze their internal and external environments and make strategic decisions that require considerable problem-solving skills.

 

Technical skills - Knowledge of the job processes, methods, tools and techniques

 

Interpersonal skills - Knowledge of interpersonal relationships including communication, conflict management, negotiation and team building

 

Conceptual skills - Knowledge on problem solving, logical thinking, decision making, creativity and reasoning in general.