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Leadership Skills and Wages

Author

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  • Kuhn, Peter J.

    (University of California, Santa Barbara)

  • Weinberger, Catherine

    (University of California, Santa Barbara)

Abstract

American business seems to be infatuated with its workers’ “leadership” skills. Is there such a thing, and is it rewarded in labor markets? Using the Project Talent, NLS72 and High School and Beyond datasets, we show that men who occupied leadership positions in high school earn more as adults, even when cognitive skills are held constant. The pure leadership-wage effect varies from four percent for a broad definition of leadership in 1971 to twenty-four percent for a narrow definition in 1992, and appears to have increased over time. High-school leaders are more likely to occupy managerial occupations as adults, and leadership skills command a higher wage premium within managerial occupations than other jobs. We find evidence that leadership skill has a component that is determined before high school, but also find evidence that it is “teachable”.

Suggested Citation

  • Kuhn, Peter J. & Weinberger, Catherine, 2002. "Leadership Skills and Wages," IZA Discussion Papers 482, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp482
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    2. Lex Borghans & Bas ter Weel & Bruce A. Weinberg, 2008. "Interpersonal Styles and Labor Market Outcomes," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 43(4).
    3. Elías, Julio & Elías, Víctor & Ronconi, Lucas, 2007. "Discrimination and Social Networks: Popularity among High School Students in Argentina," IDB Publications (Working Papers) 3313, Inter-American Development Bank.
    4. Gensowski, Miriam, 2018. "Personality, IQ, and lifetime earnings," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 170-183.
    5. Borghans, Lex & Weel, Bas ter & Weinberg, Bruce A., 2005. "People People: Social Capital and the Labor-Market - Outcomes of Underrepresented Groups," Research Memorandum 002, Maastricht University, Maastricht Economic Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
    6. Pascal, D. & Mersland, R. & Mori, N., 2017. "The influence of the CEO’s business education on the performance of hybrid organizations: the case of the global microfinance industry," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 49(2), pages 339-354.
    7. Víctor Elías & Lucas Ronconi & Julio Elías, 2007. "Discriminación y redes sociales: Popularidad entre los estudiantes de bachillerato en Argentina," Research Department Publications 3239, Inter-American Development Bank, Research Department.
    8. Brunello, Giorgio & Rocco, Lorenzo, 2024. "The Pecuniary Costs of Early School Leaving and Poor Basic Cognitive and Non-cognitive Skills," IZA Discussion Papers 17296, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    9. Naci Mocan & Erdal Tekin, 2010. "Ugly Criminals," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 92(1), pages 15-30, February.
    10. Gustavo Yamada & Pablo Lavado & Ana Paula Franco & Emilia Abusada, 2016. "First impressions matter for life: the contribution of skills for the firt job," Working Papers 16-13, Centro de Investigación, Universidad del Pacífico.
    11. Eriksson, Tor & Bratsberg, Bernt & Raaum, Oddbjørn, 2005. "Earnings persistence across generations: Transmission through health?," Memorandum 35/2005, Oslo University, Department of Economics.
    12. Pascal, D. & Mersland, R. & Mori, N., 2017. "The influence of the CEO’s business education on the performance of hybrid organizations: the case of the global microfinance industry," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 49(2), pages 339-354.
    13. Myoung-Jae Lee & Yip Chun Seng, 2005. "Non-market Leadership Experience and Labor Market Success: Evidence From Military Rank," Working Papers 12-2005, Singapore Management University, School of Economics.
    14. Vasilios D. Kosteas, 2011. "High School Clubs Participation and Future Supervisory Status," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 49(Supplemen), pages 181-206, June.
    15. Amankwah, Akuffo & Castaing, Pauline & Owoo, Nkechi Srodah & Palacios-Lopez, Amparo, 2024. "Labor Market Participation and Employment Choice in Ghana : Do Individual Personality Traits and Gender Role Attitudes Matter ?," Policy Research Working Paper Series 10664, The World Bank.
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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity
    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials

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