Leadership encompasses three broad groups of competencies (specific knowledge/skills sets):
♥ Leading yourself
♦ Leading others
♠ Leading the organisation
Leadership development often hones in on one or two of these competency groupings, but regularly fails to address all three. You can set your own leadership up on solid foundations with an intentional focus on each of the competency groupings.
- Leading yourself
- Self-leadership begins with self-awareness. Reflect regularly. Ask for feedback. Take the time to understand your strengths and your weaknesses. Articulate your personal values.
- Practice the art of discipline. Be intentional every day about doing what you need to do to get closer to achieving your goals.
- Remain agile. Learn to embrace change and move quickly in response to changing circumstances.
- Regulate your emotions. Emotional Intelligence is all about feeling and labelling your emotions and regulating them appropriately. Nobody wants a leader who flies off the handle!
- Always keep learning. Stay at the forefront of your industry by remaining abreast of changes.
- Be intentional about creating your self-identity. Most people believe their self-identity happens to In fact, you can shape your own self-identity. It begins with deciding who you want to be.
- Remain courageous. It’s far easier to stay safe in the known. But not much good ever happens there!
- Leading others
- Cultivate your charisma. Oliva Fox Cabone refers to the trilogy of power, presence and warmth. All of these things can be learned.
- Communicate like a leader. That is, communicate clearly, consistently and more often than you think you need to.
- Cultivate trust. Do what you say you will do. Trust others (unless they give you cause not to).
- Include everyone. Create an environment in which everyone feels seen, heard and welcome.
- Stand for something. Know your values, share your priorities and communicate your vision for the team.
- Learn the art of the courageous conversation. The sooner they are had, the better.
- Help your team to know and lean in to their strengths, their value and the role they perform in the team and the organisation.
- Learn the difference between management and leadership. Management is the transactional, day-to-day stuff. Leadership is the strategy and vision. Both are important.
- Lead the organisation
- Problem-solve like a boss! Use your knowledge and experience to see and analyse problems as they arise.
- Become a master creator. Innovation is a hallmark of strong leadership.
- Know the industry – inside out and back to front. Anticipate what could be ahead.
- Keep your eye to the bigger picture. Avoid getting bogged down in management. Understand the vision and the role your team plays in achieving it.
- Cultivate your networks, both within the organisation and outside of it. Be helpful to those within your networks.
Want to deepen your knowledge of these leadership competencies? Expressions of Interest are now being sought for the 2025 High Value Leader Mastermind experience. Delivered over six months, this program will equip you with new skills and competencies, connect you with other leaders and help you to articulate your leadership vision.
Email karen@o2advisory.com.au for details.
