Oliver Solis
Grand Canyon University
Case Analysis
Leadership do not have a fixed definition and anyone could wildly define and interpret the practice by identifying different styles and skills a leader posses. Let’s take a look on the different practices of Coach Knight and Coach K who has been used as models because of their remarkable leadership skills. The skills approach specifically focused on the leaders personality characteristics and emphasize on skills and abilities when can be learned and modified (Northouse, 2013, p. 43).
What is Katz Three Skill Approach?
This theory of leadership was observed by Robert Katz in 1955 on executives in a workplace and administration. Katz suggested that an effective leadership is determined by three basic skills and they are technical, human and conceptual. Technical Skills deals with the leaders knowledge and competence in a particular subject matter or work. While Human skill is the ability to work and relate with people. This area is where a leader shows how he/she could interact with others. And conceptual skill deals more with strategic direction and create goals and and vision for the company(Northouse, 2013, p. 46)
What is Mumford skill-based model?
This model is considered a capability model because it studies the correlation between the leaders proficiency and skills. It gives emphasis on the capabilities of a leader to be effective and competent. Education and experience are the factors that will help develop the leadership capabilities(Virkus, 2009) .This model has five components and they are competencies, individual attributes, leadership outcomes, career experience and environmental influences (Northouse, 2013, p. 48).
Coach K and Coach Knight’s skills based on Robert Katz and Mumford et al. skills model
Based on these two skills model that we are correlating with our coaches, both of them posses the skills mentioned like technical, human and conceptual. These two men have differences in running a team but the results are similar. After several years of career they both have a similar win-loss records for their teams and recognized as the leading coaches in collegiate level. As a coach , Mr. Knight is very knowledgeable in his career and as a matter of fact he even taught a course called “ Methods of Coaching”, his proficiency in what he is doing is unquestionable. He believes in discipline as the key to success in playing basketball (Snook, Perlow, & Delacey, 2005). His ability to work with around is very different from Coack K. his way of coaching is by showing tough love to the boys. He would make them do all the push ups and rigorous training because he believes this is the right way. For him the secret of the success of the team is discipline on the court everyday. While Coach K has a different skill approach , he believes that the best approach in coaching is not having too many rules. His ability in coaching is unquestionable too just like Coach Knight’s. Technical skill and human skill is irrefutable. Coach K believe that his relationship with his team should always continue. He shows his love and was never embarrassed to describe his feelings in a macho world of athletics. This trait makes him more respectable and liked by his team. He believes that there is a time a for everything, he is a disciplinarian when it comes to business but he knows how to apply it without embarrassing any team member. The skill that appear to be deficient in our comparison of the two coaches do not exist. The two coaches posses all the three basic administrative skills . In addressing the Mumford skill based model, the skill that accounted the success of these two coaches is the individual attributes. There are four individual attributes that impacts the leadership skills and knowledge and they are general cognitive ability which is synonymous to the intelligence of a person. Crystallized Cognitive Ability is defined as an acquired intelligence