Abstract
M.Ed. (Educational Psychology)
The purpose of this study is to determine whether there are significant differences in
leadership skills between successful and unsuccessful candidates in house committee
elections as indicated by senior students and other house committee candidates.
The study consists mainly of two parts. The first is a study of the literature discussing the
concepts : leadership, leadership development and leadership skills. The concept of
leadership from an educational psychological perspective will be associated with the concept
of leadership development. In the second place, an empiric study is carried out in order to
establish to what extent the six skills of the successful and unsuccessful candidates differ.
From the data it will be established which skills are essential for the formulation of a leadership
development programme.
From the literature study it appears that it wasinitially believed that leadership required inborn
qualities. The other two prominent approaches concentrated on the behaviour of the leader
and the situation in which he and his followers find themselves. The contemporary viewpoint
supports the fact that leadership can be developed through leadership skills.
Two women's residences and two men's residences were selected as representative of the
student population. At the 1990 house committee elections HC-candidates and other selected
students at each of the four residences were required to evaluate each of the candidates in
respect of leadership skills.
The results obtained from the questionnaires have been processed by the way of the Hotelling
Il-test technique.
It was found that significant differences exist between successful and unsuccessful candidates
in respect of the six leadership skills. It appears that these skills are more prominent with
successful candidates than with unsuccessful candidates.
The development of leadership skills should therefore be considered when a leadership
development programme is formulated.