Core Leadership Competencies

We live in a world where it’s okay to have differing leadership methods. For example, leaders at Google vary greatly in their methods from the leaders at General Motors. However, there are several traits leaders in every industry must possess in order to guide their constituents in the direction of success. In my own leadership journey, I have been able to identify some of my core leadership strengths, as well as understanding which competencies allow for the most improvement. Of the seven leadership competencies discussed during lecture, I will be discussing the first five, as the last two competencies are more or less company specific. In order from weakest to strongest, my competencies are Personal Effectiveness, Execution, Operational Excellence, Inspiration of Others and Employee/Team Development. Although there are sub-aspects of each leadership trait, I ranked my competencies on a general quality basis. This was done to simplify the rankings, and avoid picking apart sub-aspects of the middle three qualities in detail.
I have specifically focused on this trait, as a leader must be able to lead themselves in growth before they can learn to lead others in the same way. While active leadership is certainly a requirement, I feel leading by example is an important trait which often gets overlooked. Demonstrating professionalism, desiring to be a continuous learner, and holding myself accountable are some of my strongest sub-aspects in this category. Being professional in all situations is an important value to me, as treating all colleagues with respect will earn you the respect of superiors in the workplace. Continuous learning and self-accountability go hand in hand for