Running head: THE LINK BETWEEN PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCIES & LEADERSHIP

STYLES 1

The Link between Professional Competencies and Leadership Styles

Sherine Mitto

GR 509: Graduate Capstone Project

International College of the Cayman Islands

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Abstract

According to research, one's leadership style is the way a person uses their abilities to lead other

people. As such, it is said that a manager's competence is a critical part of their leadership style.

While many leaders are usually selected for their competence alone, competence is something

different from leadership styles, and should not be confused. However, studies have placed much

emphasis on leadership styles and not enough on a managers professional competence. Due to

that fact, this research paper will look into the link between professional competencies and

leadership styles as several studies indicate that there is an association between the two. With a

systematic literature review, and a more in-depth exploration and examination of scholarly

articles on professional competencies and leadership styles, this paper will address the

professional competencies an individual needs to be a good manager or leader. It will also

highlight the five (5) different types of leadership styles - autocratic, democratic, laissez-faire,

transactional and transformational - that exist in todays work environment. Four (4) local

managers were sought out to get their opinions on what it means to be professionally competent

and to find out if they believe a managers professional competencies affect their leadership

style; the participants will also voice their opinions on the difference between a leader and a

manager and state the type of leadership style used most often by themselves.
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Introduction

History has shown that the success or failure of an organization intertwines with the

professional competencies and leadership styles of a manager. The words "leader" and

"manager" are frequently used interchangeably; however, it has been said that they mean two

entirely different things. When you are promoted into a management role where yo u are in

charge of employees, you do not automatically become a leader (Arruda, 2016). A leader is an

individual who can motivate a group of people to act towards achieving a common goal,

whereas, a manager controls and tells their employees what to do; a manager accepts the status

quo, while a leader challenges it (Walters, 2016). There are many rationales for what makes a

leader different from a manger, but one thing is certain, a manager can learn how to become a

leader. By having certain professional skills and competencies, a manager will be able to adapt

his or her leadership styles to achieve organizational objectives and goals (Ababneh, 2009).

Competence is a critical part of the bigger leadership picture. The word competencies are

a relatively new name for one's skills, knowledge, virtues, and abilities which have been

recognized and used for many years (Lorber & Skela Savi, 2011). The term "competence" first

appeared in an article authored by R.W. White in 1959 as a concept for performance motivation;

however, it was popularized by Richard Boyatzis who used the concept in relation to

performance improvement (Lorber & Skela Savi, 2011). Many scholars see competence as a

combination of theoretical and practical knowledge, cognitive skills, value and behavior used to

improve the performance or the qualifications and abilities to perform a particular role ( Bolden,

Gosling, Marturano & Dennison, 2003). Competence provokes confidence in a leader. However,

being competent does not mean that a leader knows how to do everything, but rather that they

know what to do and how to get it done. Even the most brilliant leader who tries to go it on their
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own is setting them self up for failure. It should be noted that managerial competencies are a way

in which an individual cooperates with other individuals (Bolden, Gosling, Marturano &

Dennison, 2003).

An effective and good leader will know where their strengths and weaknesses lie and

based on that, know what kind of expertise they will need to surround themselves with. While

many leaders are often selected for their competence alone, competence is something different

from leadership styles, and should not be confused. Studies have placed much emphasis on

leadership styles and not enough on a managers professional competence; and it has gotten

many organizations into trouble (Merchant, 2012). The subject of leadership styles has received

ample attention by many scholars, academics, and researchers over the past decades. Given the

intense times many organizations are in, leaders are often referred to one who pushes life into the

organization and the one who insures the stability and the endurance of the organization in the

goals and purpose it was established for; hence, it is not surprising that academic attention has

been focused on this important concept (Ababneh, 2009).

Taking a team from ordinary to extraordinary means understanding and embracing the

difference between management and leadership. The personality and professional competencies

of the leader play an important part in this exercise (Dulewicz & Higgs, 2005). Different types of

leadership styles exist in the workplace; but, there are advantages and disadvantages of each

leadership style. Nonetheless, researchers have defined essential leadership competencies and

global competencies. While some leadership competencies are essential to all companies, an

organization should always define what leadership qualities are distinctive to the particular

organization to create a competitive advantage as the goals and culture of an organization

determines which leadership style fits the organization the best (Dulewicz & Higgs, 2005). Some
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leaders possess many professional competencies and offer several leadership styles within an

organization, provisory upon the specified tasks to complete and departmental needs, while

others are personally restricted to one leadership style (Dulewicz & Higgs, 2005).

Due to that fact, this research paper will look into the link between professional

competencies and leadership styles as several studies indicate that there is an association

between the two. With a systematic literature review, and a more in-depth exploration and

examination of scholarly articles on professional competencies and leadership styles this paper

will address the professional competencies of individuals such as interpersonal skills, time

management, communication skills, accountability, goal setting skills, technical expertise,

leadership abilities, visioning process, conflict resolution, etc. needed to be a good manager. It

will also highlight the five (5) different types of leadership styles - autocratic leader, democratic

leader, laissez- faire leader, transactional leader and transformational leader - that exist in todays

work environment. In addition, this paper will summarize four (4) local managers opinions on

what it means to be professionally competent and how a managers professional competencies

affect ones leadership style; the interviewees will also voice their views on the difference

between a leader and a manager and state the type of leadership style used most often by

themselves.

Theoretical Frame work

Research on leadership styles can be traced back to the mid-1800s, starting with the

Great Man Theory of Leadership' which was first proposed by Thomas Carlyle. According to

Carlyle, leaders are extraordinary people, born with intrinsic attributes, designed to lead. The

use of the word 'man' was intentional since until the latter part of the twentieth-century
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leadership was considered a concept which is primarily male dominated (Bolden, Gosling,

Marturano & Dennison, 2003 & Cherry, 2017).

Carlyle's ideas inspired many other researchers, where Francis Galton took his idea

further when he established the Trait Theory of Leadership which focused on identifying

different characteristics and personality traits that connected successful leadership styles

across a variety of situations. The Trait Theory states that a successful leader should possess

self-confidence, good personality, honesty, intelligence, determination, emotional stability,

reliability, sociability, and integrity as these are certain innate tra its that are common among

all leaders as this study focused on the differences between leaders and followers (Bolden,

Gosling, Marturano & Dennison, 2003 & Cherry, 2017). Like everything else, this theory had

its limitations, however, in spite of the limitations, this theory helped management to develop

such qualities in a leader through its various programs of training and development. This led to

the next school of Behavioural Theory of Leadership.

Behavioural Theory of Leadership is a significant leap from Trait Theory, in that it

implies that leadership abilities can be learned, rather than being inherent. In 1960, Douglas

McGregor's classic book The Human Side of Enterprise attention shifted to behavioural

theories. This opened up the gates to leadership development, as opposed to a simple

psychometric appraisal that classifies those with leadership potential from those who will

never have the chance (Bolden, Gosling, Marturano & Dennison, 2003). Behavioural Theory

concentrated on what leaders actually do, rather than on their qualities where distinctive

patterns of behaviour are examined and categorized as 'styles of leadership' (Bolden, Gosling,

Marturano & Dennison, 2003). This theory states that a leader demonstrates two (2) types of
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skills which are people-oriented and task-oriented behaviors and may make a decision using

democratic, authoritarian and laissez-faire styles (Chakrabarti, 2014).

Situational Theory also appeared as a reaction to the Trait Theory where Hersey Spencer

and Ken Blanchard concentrated on four different leadership behaviors based on the levels of

the directive and supportive behaviour. This theory implies that different situations call for

different characteristics. It also proposes that there may be differences in required leadership

styles at the various levels in the same organization (Bolden, Gosling, Marturano & Dennison,

2003). It is said that a leader may adopt four (4) types of leadership styles depending on the

employees' level of maturity which ranges from highly immature to highly mature telling,

selling, participating and delegation (Chakrabarti, 2014).

Last but not least, the construction of professional competence is linked to Saul

Meghnagi, who studied professional competence since the late 1980s and is a proponent of a

research model conducted in the professional development field (Camelo & Angerami, 2013).

Meghnagi described professional competence as an articulate and sophisticated combination

of skills and capabilities that result from a conceptual and functional synthesis of theoretical

aspects, linked to disciplinary contents and current experience" (Camelo & Angerami, 2013).

Due to that fact, ones competence becomes an important ally for an organization, and as a

result, companies seek professionals with advanced knowledge and behavioral qualities which

are able to resolve problems (Camelo & Angerami, 2013).

Lite rature Review

Many historical events have set the stage to analyze professional competencies and

leadership styles in the workplace (Merchant, 2012). According to Clawson (1999), the
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Industrial Revolution established a paradigm shift to a new theory of leadership where "ordinary"

people gained power by virtue of their skills and competencies (Turey, 2017). And in those

times, the word leadership' became a dominant term to those already holding high society

positions. Morgan (1997) highlighted that as technology advances came to fruition, so did

bureaucracies. Max Weber also witnessed the parallels between mechanization of industry and

the proliferation of bureaucratic forms of organization (Turey, 2017). It was believed by Stone

and Patterson (2005) that as the mechanistic view of leadership began to decline in popularity as

the emerging theorists encouraged leaders to recognize that huma ns were not machines and

should not be treated as such (Turey, 2017). As a result, by the mid-1940's a post-bureaucratic

shift was made which moved toward everyone in an organization taking responsibility for the

organization's success or failure (Turey, 2017 and Heckscher & Donnellon, 1994).

Additionally, researchers during the mid-1900s began to examine the relationship

between leaders behavior and their professional competencies. In the years that followed,

theorists such as Carlyle, Galton, Blanchard, Spencer, Maslow, Hawthorne, and Meghnagi would

all make contributions to leadership theory and its definition (Turey, 2017). Some researchers

paid attention to leaders personal traits, whereas others focused on the relationship between

leaders and followers or on situational factors that influenced leaders behavior (Hughes, R.,

Ginnett, R., & Curphy, G, 2008 and Turey, 2017). At the end of the Industrial period, the

influence of complex thinking changed much of the foundation of the consideration of human

interaction and leadership behavior (Porter-OGrady & Malloch, 2010 and Turey, 2017).

As noted by Bolman and Deal (2003), leadership was universally offered as a cure-all for

almost any social problem (Turey, 2017). Although it is imperative that a leader become an

effective manager, being an effective manager and an effective leader are two different things.
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Hersey and Blanchard (2001) stated that management is the process of working with and through

individuals and groups to accomplish organizational goals. Whereas, Bolman and Deal (2003),

said that a good leader must also be able to make decisions effectively; they should also possess

the qualities of commitment, vision, and strength (Bolden, Gosling, Marturano & Dennison,

2003). To date, various leadership styles have been developed and have been defined by

researchers.

Leadership Styles

Studies have identified a diversity of leadership styles based on the number of followers.

It is said that the most appropriate leadership style depends on the functio n of the leader, the

followers and the situation (Turey, 2017). Lets look at the top five (5) most popular leadership

styles in todays society which are autocratic, democratic, laissez- faire, transactional and

transformational leadership styles.

Autocratic Leadership Style

Autocratic leadership also referred to as authoritarian leadership, is characterized

as domineering due to the individuals control over every move or input for the group.

(Bolden, Gosling, Marturano & Dennison, 2003 & "Authoritarian, Democratic &

Laissez-Faire Leadership Research", n.d.). This leadership style allows managers to make

policies and decisions alone without the input of others. In fact, it is said that no

subordinate would challenge the decisions of autocratic leaders. In addition, such

managers tend to distance themselves from their employees as it's a sign of being in

control or authority. This leadership style benefits workers who require close supervision

as the functions of autocratic manager typically include problem-solving, whereas the

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aspects of authoritarian employees comprise adhering to the managers instructions

without questions or comments as there is an unspoken understanding of everyone's role

in this sort of organization ("Authoritarian, Democratic & Laissez-Faire Leadership

Research", n.d.).

It has been stated that this leadership styles often leads to employees

dissatisfaction, absenteeism and high employee turnover for the company (Gastil, 1994).

However, such leadership style is necessary for companies and business setting with a

steady stream of new staff, large-scale coordination of group assignments and restricted

decision- making time or resources (Bolden, Gosling, Marturano & Dennison, 2003). As

such, research has shown a company that promotes autocratic leadership may not be

suited for potential and current employees who seek or desire to participate in decision-

making processes and shares their opinions.

Democratic Leadership Style

Democratic leadership also refers to as participative leadership, characterized by

collective decision- making, active employee involvement, camaraderie, restrained

criticism and fair praise ("Authoritarian, Democratic & Laissez-Faire Leadership

Research", n.d.). This type of leadership styles values the input of their employees and

peers in relation to decision- making and projects as all workers are supported to share

thoughts, but the ultimate responsibility of making the concluding decision rests with the

participative leader. These managers believe in equal participation, self-determination,

and inclusiveness, resulting in subordinates feeling more engaged and appreciated in the

process. As such, this leadership styles also affects democratic followers which enable
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individual responsibility for the team, willingness to be held responsible for their decision

or actions, open to preserve their group's autonomy, motivated to take on the role of

leader if required, and enthusiasm to work alongside their leaders ("Authoritarian,

Democratic & Laissez-Faire Leadership Research", n.d.).

Therefore, fostering employees creativity and professional growth as they are

able to influence their own appraisal outcome, work hard and earn promotions instead of

just a monetary reward. This leadership styles also affects democratic followers which

enable individual responsibility for the team, willingness to be held responsible for their

decision or actions, open to preserve their group's autonomy, motivated to take on the

role of leader if required, and enthusiasm to work alongside their leaders ("Authoritarian,

Democratic & Laissez-Faire Leadership Research", n.d.).

Although, this approach can lead to task happening a little slower, it usually ends

well for those companies who appreciate quality over quantity in production. Research

has indicated that democratic leadership not only increases employees' job satisfaction,

but also to the most effective leaders to higher contribution from members, develops

employees' social skills and improves group morale ("Authoritarian, Democratic &

Laissez-Faire Leadership Research", n.d.). When an organization wants to make changes

within the group, a democratic leadership style aids employees to accept changes easily

because they play a role in the process. This style meets challenges when an organization

needs to make a decision in a short period.

Laissez-faire Leadership Style

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Laissez- faire leadership also refers to as delegative leadership, characterized as

uninvolved with their employees and followers as this leader is hands-off and allows its

staff to carry out all the decisions ("Authoritarian, Democratic & Laissez-Faire

Leadership Research", n.d.). This type of leadership behavior or styles makes no policies

or decisions and provides minimum guidance. As such, highly experienced and trained

employees requiring little supervision fall under the laissez- faire leadership style.

However, not all employees possess those characteristics.

However, it is said that the role of laissez- faire followers comprise self-

monitoring, problem-solving, and producing successful end products. Therefore, Laissez-

faire leadership is obviously not a good fit for employees who require direction,

feedback, praise, or flexibility (Gastil, 1994). Nonetheless, Laissez-faire leaders are most

victorious for employees who are self-directed and highly qualified in their profession.

Transactional Leadership Style

Transactional leadership also refers to as managerial leadership, characterized as a

leadership style where the manager depends on rewards and punishments to achieve

optimal job performance from his subordinates (Rouse & Pratt, 2017). As such, this type

of leadership is based on a transaction or exchange where a manager and his employees

set predetermined goals together, and employees agree to follow the direction and

leadership of the manager to accomplish these targets (Bolden, Gosling, Marturano &

Dennison, 2003). Such managers seek to have subordinates deliver specific results that

are well articulated and measurable.

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This relationship between leader and employee is based on theories that believe

people are not self- motivated to do their duties and need instruction, structure, and

supervision to accomplish their jobs (Rouse & Pratt, 2017). Consequently, transactional

leaders appeal to the self- interest of their subordinates in order to keep them on track.

This leadership approach fits best in a structured environment where there are installed

processes as well as set roles with specific tasks to accomplish.

Transformational Leadership Style

A transformational leader is described as a leadership approach that depends on

high levels of communication from management to meet goals (Bolden, Gosling,

Marturano & Dennison, 2003). A leader using this method possesses confidence,

excellent communication, integrity, and sets a good examp le in their goals to his

subordinates. In its absolute form, it creates valuable and positive change in the

employees with the end goal of developing the other employees into leaders. As such, a

transformational leader gives employees independence over particular jobs, as well as the

authorization to make decisions once they are trained (Spahr 2015). This type of leader

inspires people to look beyond their own interests and focus on the interests and needs of

the organization. In addition, this leader concentrates on the bigger picture within an

organization and delegate smaller tasks to the team to accomplish goals.

Understanding the role that autocratic, democratic, laissez- faire, transactional and

transformational leadership styles play an important fact in understanding the manager and their

leadership styles. It should be noted that the effectiveness of a singular style is reliant on the

business situation and environment. Although leadership is just a phrase that is often used in
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conversation, most scholars have come to the conclusion that the perception of leadership does

not attribute to just one particular attribute (Turey, 2017). Making the study of leadership styles

and professional competencies critical to research as everyone wants to learn the impact it has on

an organizations performance and bottom line. And for this, the below will address professional

competencies.

Professional Competencies

According to research, one's leadership style is the way a person uses their abilities to

lead other people. As such, it is said that a manager's competence is a critical part of their

leadership style (Bolden, Gosling, Marturano & Dennison, 2003). Each organization demands a

different set of professional competencies for each leadership position. As such, when selecting

and developing leaders, human resource personnel must consider the competencies that the

individual holds and compare those to the ones that need further development for success in a

leadership role. By looking at his or her current competencies and comparing those to the skills

necessary to fill a leadership position, organizations can make better- informed decisions in

hiring, developing and promoting leaders (Bolden, Gosling, Marturano & Dennison, 2003).

A focus on skill development and professional competencies will develop better

leadership. However, skills needed for a particular position may change depending on the

specific leadership level in the organization. Top-level leaders and managers are all concerned

with developing the competencies they need to become more effective leaders. Decades

of leadership research has outlined the successful abilities and skills that are associated with

leadership effectiveness (Bolden, Gosling, Marturano & Dennison, 2003). By utilizing a

competency approach, an organization can determine what positions at which levels require
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specific competencies. As such, here are ten (10) professional competencies derived from several

researchers and the broader research literature:

Table I

Professional Competencies: These are the skills and knowledge needed to direct the systems and

processes that a leader controls.

Communicate in a respectful tone and manner.

1 Communication
Communicate in a manner that supports strategies for

employee involvement.

Recognize cultural differences in communication.

Listen actively to others.

Write legibly and accurately in a variety of contexts and

formats.

Listen and ask questions to understand other peoples

viewpoints.

Communicate issues in a timely manner.

Be aware of and responsive to verbal and non-verbal

communication styles.

Skillfully settles differences by using a win- win approach in

order to maintain relationships.

Use emotional intelligence to identify, assess, and control

2 Interpersonal Skills
the emotions of oneself and others.

Treats others with respect, dignity, and trust.

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Supports a productive culture by valuing individuals and

their contributions.

Works well with others by being considerate of the needs

and feelings.

Work productively with different personalities across a

3 Teamwork
variety of social and professional situations.

Work within the dynamics of a team.

Display commitment to the group's purpose and goals.

Provide feedback in a considerate and constructive way.

Encourage others to share information and do the same.

Motive and support the team to perform at its best.

Recognize the role of conflict when appropriate.

Build professional relationships.

Sow accountability to the team and follow through on your

commitments.

Consider diverse, intercultural perspectives and working

styles.

Assess situations and identify problems.

4 Research & Analysis
Think critically and strategically.

Recognize the interpersonal and technical sides of a

problem.
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Access, analyze and apply knowledge and skills from

various disciplines.

Apply principles and expertise from past experiences to new

situations.

Explore possible solutions in an innovative and creative

way.

Evaluate solutions to make decisions.

Plan and carry out assignments with defined goals.

5 Decision Making
Determine appropriate strategies, and implementation tools.

Adapt to change in relation to work priorities.

Use a range of techniques to monitor a project or task.

Set priorities and meet deadlines.

Multiple tasks.

Displays attribute that makes people glad to follow.

6 Influential Skills
Provides a feeling of trust.

Follow workplace policies

Recognize your rights and responsibilities.

Respect and abide by the rules of practice known in your

field.

Take responsibility to understand and adapt to workplace

culture.

Rallies the troops and builds morale.

7 Emotional
Skills/Intelligence Act with honesty, integrity, and personal ethics.
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Recognize your own efforts and the efforts of others.

Acknowledge diverse opinions and accept differences.

Manage your own emotional and health.

Take responsibility and accountability for oneself.

Plan and manage your time, and other resources.

Recognize your strengths and areas for improvement.

Adapt to new environments and cultures.

Identifies and collects information relative to the problem.

8 Area
Expertise/Competence Use brainstorming methods to create options.

Choose the best course of action by identifying all the

options and then makes a logical assumption.

Understands that learning happens at every opportunity.

9 Coach and Train Peers
& Subordinates Develops future leaders by volunteering to train others at

work.

Provides performance feedback and career development to

individuals to maximize their success.

Day-to-day feedback on the employee's performance is an

essential.

Identifies and collects data pertaining to the problem.

Brainstorm to create a variety of options.

Set and pursue personal and educational goals.

10 Continuous Learning Identify and access learning sources and opportunities.

Show a willingness to learn and grow continuously.

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Learn from your mistakes.

Accept constructive feedback from people.

Stay current with technologies.

(Bolden, Gosling, Marturano & Dennison, 2003)

Methodology

The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlation between professional

competencies and leadership styles. As such, it was deemed necessary to get the opinions of

individuals in senior management roles. The population of this study was four (4) local

managers, two (2) males and two (2) females between the ages of 35-50 years of age, with a

bachelors degree or greater. A one-on-one interview was conducted with each of these managers

on different days where they were all asked the same fourteen (14) open-ended questions which

were designed to get the interviewees thinking about the link between their own professional

competencies and leadership style(s) (see Appendix I).

The Interview & Participants Response

I conducted my own investigation where I sort four (4) managers opinion on

professional competencies and leadership styles in the Cayman Islands based on their

experiences and knowledge of being in a management role. For the purpose of privacy, the

interviewees will be referred to as Participant 1, Participant 2, Participant 3 and Participant 4.

Participant 1 is a Manager and Program Coordinator of the Department of Counseling Service

for the Cayman Islands Government, Participant 2 is a Senior Programmer at Vega Asset

Management Holdings, Participant 3 is a Finance Manager at Department of Vehicle &

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Equipment for the Cayman Islands Government, and Participant 4 is the General Manager at

National Housing Development Trust.

During the one-on-one interviews, all participants were asked the same questions and not

surprising, their responses were similar in a sense but total opposite. The first question was what

does it mean to be professionally competent? (Mitto, 2017); all four interviewees gave a similar

response where Participant 1 said to have the knowledge and skills necessary to adequately

perform in the specific area or capacity that one holds., Participant 2 said enabling yourself to

suit all your job requirements, and performing to your fullest ability is the definition of

professionally competent, Participant 3 said to be capable of carrying out responsibilities of

your role and Participant 4 said to have the knowledge and skills needed to complete a job or

task. I then asked the participants to list the top three professional competencies needed to be a

good leader (Mitto, 2017); their responses can be seen below:

Table II

Participants Response to the top three professional competencies needed to be a good leader.

Participant 1 Accountability, responsibility and communication skills.

Participant 2 "Communication skills, accountability, and level- headedness."

Participant 3 Communication skills, accountability and goal-setting skills.

Participant 4 Communication skills, interpersonal skills and technical expertise.

(S. Mitto, interview, August 30, 2017, and September 1, 2017)

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Based on their response, the follow-up question was what is the difference between a

leader and a manager? (Mitto, 2017). According to Participant 1, the two are quite different

where a manager focuses more on the tasks to be done and deadlines to be met and a leader

supports the abilities of others, provides training and knowledge which empowers the person to

perform in their respective role (Participant 1, personal communication, September 1, 2017).

Participant 2 highlighted that anyone could be a manager given the right job title and

responsibilities; however, a true leader takes much more interest in the growth and development

of the people in his or her team and directs them by example (Participant 2, personal

communication, September 1, 2017). Participant 3 stated that all leaders could be managers, but

not all managers can be leaders. Participant 3 further explained that a leader had a clear view of

the future and where he or she would like to see the organization go; a leader is also effectively

able to impart this vision to others and get people to adopt or share their point of view, whereas,

a manager delegates tasks and monitors the work of others (Participant 3, personal

communication, August 30, 2017). And Participant 4 said the difference between a leader and a

manager is that a leader motivates and encourages others around them, while a manager controls

and tells other around them what to do (Participant 4, personal communication, August 30,

2017). The participants also highlighted the character traits of a good leader:

Table III

Participants Response to what character traits make a good leader.

Participant 1 Ambitious, organized, honest, compassionate and decisive.

Participant 2 Intelligence, empathy, and honesty."

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Participant 3 Organized, intelligent, compassionate."

Participant 4 Honesty, intelligence, and innovation."

(S. Mitto, interview, August 30, 2017, and September 1, 2017)

All the participants believed that those character traits were necessary fo r a leader to be

well-rounded to perform the duties. The following question was who do you believe make better

leaders, men or women and why? (Mitto, 2017). According to three (3) of the participants, they

did not believe gender played a factor in being a good leader. However, Participant 4 said that

women make better leaders because women pay more attention to detail than men, women tend

to build better relationships than men and women also tend to be better communicators than men

and those qualities are essential to being a great leader" (Participant 4, personal communication,

August 30, 2017).

I then asked if the participants believed a managers professional competencies affect

their leadership style; If so, how? (Mitto, 2017). Participant 2 stated, "ideally it shouldn't as a

leader should choose his leadership style based on the situation, the project, the team and not his

own personal competencies and skills (Participant 2, personal communication, September 1,

2017). And Participant 4 said that he did believe a managers professional competencies affect

their leadership styles because if a manager is knowledgeable in their field of work then it should

be easy to effectively communicate what tasks they want to be completed in detail and answer

any questions their employees ask (Participant 4, personal communication, August 30, 2017).

Participant 1 highlighted that living in the Cayman Islands, there is a blend of leadership styles
THE LINK BETWEEN PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCIES & LEADERSHIP STYLES 23

that are currently being used throughout many companies. Participant 1 further stated that she,

however, believed that an autocratic leader is quite common on the island, though the work

environment continues to change; there will be an increase in democratic and transformational

leaders. The reasoning for this is because people are continuing to be more vocal, stating their

needs and expectations from the company and seeking the ability to have more of a balance

between work and a personal life (Participant 1, personal communication, September 1, 2017). I

then asked the participants to state the leadership styles used most often by themselves and

explain the most important values they demonstrated as a leader (Mitto, 2017); their responses

can be seen below:

Table IV

Participants Response to what leadership style do you use? And what are the most important

values you demonstrate as a leader?

Participant 1 I consider myself to be a democratic leader but also aspire to utilize the

approach of a transformational leader.

Culturally aware, motivator, problem solver, organized, efficient and

responsible.

Participant 2 I usually employ a democratic style which has worked best for me.

I find that being empathetic and just listening to peoples grievances help

calm any situation down and makes people feel important and valida ted.
THE LINK BETWEEN PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCIES & LEADERSHIP STYLES 24

Participant 3 Democratic because I believe it is important to get the ideas of others

before I make a decision. Or at least keep team members informed so that

they will not feel left out. In so doing you will have a better chance of

getting them to be on board with whatever it is you are trying to do or

implement.

Empathy, compassion for others, organizations and ability to set goals

and effectively relay them to others."

Participant 4 Democratic leadership because in my opinion, it is the most effective.

Good communication, respect, good interpersonal skills and technical

knowledge and skills."

(S. Mitto, interview, August 30, 2017, and September 1, 2017)

Participant 1 expressed that the role that leadership plays to a manager is the ab ility to be

an effective leader which will determine the role someone has in the organization and with their

team. Leadership enables a person to contribute in various ways to the advancement of the

business and the development of those that are an apart o f the company (Participant 1, personal

communication, September 1, 2017). Participant 3 also said that leadership teaches managers

that there is more to the role than just delegating tasks to others. Leadership teaches them that a

good manager should be able to effectively motivate/influence staff/team members and get them

to adapt your way of thinking as well as your views for the future (Participant 3, personal
THE LINK BETWEEN PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCIES & LEADERSHIP STYLES 25

communication, August 30, 2017). As a graduate student, I believe the personality and

competencies of a manager plays an important part in the exercise of their leadership styles. And

after further discussions with the participants, I learned they all had to use several approaches to

get through to their employees, indicating that their professiona l competencies were a major

contribution to the daily running of their departments and leadership styles.

Conclusion

It is clear that ones professional competencies could affect their leadership styles in the

work environment. Still, a leadership style is just a pattern of behavior engaged by a manager

when dealing with employees. Each leadership style possessed its own characteristics and

objective of a leader (Turey, 2017). Historically, there have been four approaches to leadership,

the earliest approach was the Great Man Theory, followed by the Trait Theory, then the

Behavioural Theory and final to the Situational Theory (Bolden, Gosling, Marturano &

Dennison, 2003). Nonetheless, a focus on professional competencies and skill development

promote better leadership. As noted above, researchers have identified several essential

professional competencies such as communication skills, interpersonal skills, influential skills,

etc. that are consistent among successful leaders and their organizations (Bolden, Gosling,

Marturano & Dennison, 2003 and Turey, 2017). In addition, evidence has shown that leaders

who communicate effectively and creates a feeling of succeeding build a strong foundation for

connection with their subordinates.

Leaders cannot take a cookie-cutter approach to managing people. The best leaders

display both their morals, values and their ethics in their leadership style and actions (Heathfield,

2016). A leadership style that inspires and motivates one individual might plunge another into a
THE LINK BETWEEN PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCIES & LEADERSHIP STYLES 26

poor performance as noted above. However, no leader can do it all themselves. Therefore, it's

critical to distribute power throughout the organization and to rely on decision- making from

those who are closest to the action (Walters, 2016). Despite the little scholarly attention that has

been paid to understanding the link between professional competencies and leadership styles,

studies have shown that leaders play a significant role in the attainment of organizational

objectives and goals by creating a climate that would influence employees attitudes, motivation,

and behavior.
THE LINK BETWEEN PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCIES & LEADERSHIP STYLES 27

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Appendix I: Interview Questions

1. What does it mean to be professionally competent?

___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________

2. What is the difference between a leader and a manager?

___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________

3. In your opinion, what are the top three professional competencies needed to be a good
leader?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________

4. What character traits make a good leader and why?

___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________

5. Who do you believe make better leaders, men or women? And why?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________

6. Do you believe a managers professional competencies affect their leadership style? If so,
how?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________

7. Living in the Cayman Islands, what would you say is the most common form of leadership
style used within the workplace? (Autocratic leader, Democratic leader, Laissez- faire leader,
Transactional leader or Transformational leader)?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
THE LINK BETWEEN PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCIES & LEADERSHIP STYLES 31

8. What leadership style do you use?

___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________

9. What are the most important values you demonstrate as a leader?

___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________

10. What is the role that leadership plays to a manager?

___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________

11. Have you ever taken on a job or assignment that you were unqualified for? If so, how did you
manage and what was the outcome.
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________

12. How do you get others to accept your ideas?

___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________

13. What sort of leader would your team/co-workers say that you are? Given an example.
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________

14. What is the most difficult part of being a leader?

___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________