Different Leadership Competencies for Different Settings

Many people and organizations have different interpretations of what leadership is. The Center for Creative Leadership (CCL) defines leadership as “a social process that enables individuals to work together to achieve results they could never achieve working as individuals.” And in this article, What Are the Characteristics of a Good Leader? | CCL, CCL defines 10 qualities or characteristics of a good leader. If you compare their list of leadership qualities with the list that Robert Glazer shares in this article, you’ll see the list of qualities are similar between the two lists, but not 100% the same. This reveals that the most important qualities or characteristics of a leader can vary from company to company, or even position to position. It’s helpful for an organization to be clear on what leadership competencies are most important for their leaders and to ensure that messaging is clear across the entire organization.

Clarifying Leadership Competencies for Improved Results

I was speaking with a client recently who is focusing on the process of employees returning to the workplace after over 14 months of their employees working remotely due to the pandemic. And, while companies are going through this process, many have found that it is a challenge to get everyone on the same page about what the best approach is especially for those companies who have made the larger decision to offer employees the option to continue to work from home, at least in a hybrid fashion.

Many have considered the following. Who should be in the office and when? Should everyone show up on the same day, or is that not important? Should there be different expectations for leaders? For example, should leaders be expected to be in the office at specific times as a way to model, or engage with others differently than in a virtual environment? As my client and I pondered these questions, we discussed how their company identifies, or defines “leadership”. Through this conversation, it became apparent that they don’t have a clear definition of leadership. My client recognized that their company has not clarified specific leadership competencies to ensure their leaders have clear expectations and goals to strive for.

Depending on the size or age of your company, this isn’t so unusual, but it is a flag. The example I shared above, is from one of many clients or prospects who have shared a similar scenario with me. When there is a lack of alignment around what individuals, including leaders, think is expected of them vs. what their direct supervisor has in mind, it’s hard to hold individuals accountable, and it impacts outcomes. Getting aligned is key and critical to success. Leadership competencies can help – and they can also help individuals within the organization understand where they need to focus their efforts in order to be successful as a leader, and/or how to grow to become a leader. And, even if your organization already has defined leadership competencies, the past 14 + months may have shifted some perspectives. This may be the right time to reevaluate what is needed in your organization going forward.

Make a Plan

Are you looking to ensure your leaders focus on developing specific leadership competencies? What approach will you use to best identify which competencies are most important for your organization? Do you have clarity as to what you, as a leader or emerging leader need to focus on for your own success? I partner with individuals and organizations to help develop their leaders and help with alignment. Interested in learning more? Let’s connect.

“Not everyone is born a great leader, but anyone can foster core leadership competencies for themselves and become actionable, effective leaders.” – Ravinder Tulsiani