Developing Leadership Competencies

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Developing Leadership Competencies
Presented by Nancy Rehbine Zentis, Ph.D. SFLODN,
September, 2008
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Topics

• Define Leadership Competency Models
• Types of Leadership Competency
• Types of Leadership Competency Models
• How to Develop a Leadership Competency Model
• Baptist Hospital Model
• Benefits of a Competency Model
• Other tools
• Questions and Answers

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Leadership Competencies

• Most major companies have developed formal
  competency models - which are descriptions of
  knowledge, skills, and personal characteristics
  and behaviors needed to perform key elements or
  responsibilities of the leaders job

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Competency Models

• Used for a number of purposes
• Assessment of current senior leaders
• Identification of high-potential executive talent
• Performance Appraisal
• Job Benchmarking for Hiring and Selection
• Leadership Development

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Study ConductedBy Cambria Consulting

• Purpose Define a Universal Leadership
  Competency Model
• 64 Leadership Models from 22 major companies
• 30 Attributes
• 30 Practices
• 8 Attribute Models
• 27 Practice Models
• 65 Mixture of Attributes and Practices

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Two Types of Competencies

• Practices - what people do on the job to get
  results
• Example A leader might set vision and
  direction, focus on the customer and Make
  decisions
• Attributes - knowledge, skills and other
  characteristics and capabilities that people
  bring to the job that enable them to carry out
  leadership tasks
• Example A leader might possess strategic
  thinking, initiative, and high energy as personal
  attributes

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Attributes Versus Practices

• Attributes are the raw ingredients of performance
  - they are the capabilities needed by people to
  do their jobs
• Practices are what people do with the attributes
  they possess are described by observable
  on-the-job behavior.
• Practices also depend on the presence of
  attributes for example, one cannot make tough
  decisions (a practice) without a high degree of
  self-confidence (an attribute).

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Leadership Attributes
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Leadership Practices
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Approaches

• Comprehensive Approach
• Anything deemed necessary worth assessing or
  observing in a current leader
• Comprehensive Models focus on 20 competencies or
  more to be used for a variety of purposes - job
  requirements, hiring criteria, development plans
• Selective Approach
• High Impact Competencies to Differentiate
  Outstanding from Average Leaders
• Selective Models focus on 10 Competencies to
  highlight what is most valuable for future
  success

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Hybrid Approach

• Small Set of Key Leadership Competencies (5 or
  less) is grafted onto a larger competency
  dictionary
• Key Competencies are viewed as essential for
  leadership success
• Others are essential to anyone in a leadership
  role

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Two Categories

• Generic
• Adopted standard language from pre-existing
  competency lists - dealing with ambiguity,
  strategic agility, managerial courage, developing
  others, valuing diversity
• Strategically Informed
• Models that have adopted a unique language that
  models to the organizational culture, more
  selective and important to the enterprise - Build
  key relationships, claim the future, provide
  structure and direction, data driven, foster
  entrepreneurial thinking

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Advantage of Strategic Approach

• Ability to communicate expectations for leaders
  throughout the organization in a distinctive way
• Reflects the organizations strategy and culture
• Links competencies to business goals and
  performance outcomes

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Leadership Practices

• Research Findings
• Many leadership practices are not universal
• Leadership is situational and requires different
  behaviors
• In some models, competencies were identified as
  critical, in others not mentioned
• While Develop People was at the top of the list
  at 58, Get Results not as high

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Top Practices
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Top Attributes
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Whats Missing?

• Business Acumen
• Financial, Technical or Functional Knowledge
• Ambition - Key ingredient of effectiveness
  effective leaders want to lead
• Why were they missing?

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Guidelines for Developing Leadership Competencies

• Keep them few and simple
• Limit to the genuine priorities
• Link to capability needs
• Identify critical derailer competencies -
  Lominger does this
• Embed throughout systems and processes
• Continually revisit staying future focused

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Developing a Competency Model

• Comprehensive Approach
• Bench Mark from existing Leadership Competency
  Models - DDI, PDI, Lominger and match
  competencies existing leadership positions and
  business requirements
• Identify broad competency categories and
  supporting competencies
• Identify supporting behavior items that support
  the competency and requirements of the job

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Developing A Competency Model

• Review Purpose of the Job
• Conduct Interviews and Focus Group Discussion
  With Subject Matter Experts
• Develop a Job Profile based on the job
  requirements and business needs now and in the
  future
• Identify Broad Competency Categories
• Identify Key Behavioral Requirements - Critical
  Incidents
• Define the behaviors-traits, skills and knowledge
  needed to successfully perform the job
• Define behavioral items that describe the
  behavior by level
• Get Input and Buy-in from Stakeholders
• Revise and Approve

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Competency Development Process
2. Define Job Responsibilities Tied to Business
Goals Interview individuals, and managers to
identify key responsibilities
1. Review Organization Vision, Mission and
Goals Identify key performance outcomes for each
position
6. Gain Buy-in Review with SMEs Analyze
results and conduct a pilot assessment to
determine effectiveness

Leadership Competency Model
3. Identify Behavioral Competencies Ask SMEs
what behaviors are critical to job success, Level
competencies by level of responsibility and
define the behaviors
5. Define Competency Categories Define
Dimensions, Categories, and develop specific
descriptions of the competency
4. Benchmark Ask SMEs to prioritize importance
and value of the competencies Conduct research to
compare against other models Valid the
competencies
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Benefits of Competency Models

• Hiring and Selection
• Leadership Assessment
• Leadership Development Planning
• Leadership Career Path
• Performance Management
• Succession Planning
• Identifying High Potentials

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Other Resources

• Job Benchmarking, Behaviors, Values, and Personal
  Career Insights/Traits Assessments - Trimex - TTI
• 360 Degree Feedback Instruments - 20/20 Insight

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