Leadership competencies

February 8, 2020

It's much more fruitful to talk about leadership competencies, than of "being a leader". We can all learn and demonstrate competencies. In my decade of work I've seen and shown different styles and behaviours. I decided to write here the competencies I admire and that aim to show myself.

Clarity

Have a clear purpose and values for my team. In my twenties I used to think team values and purpose were BS - I was wrong. In fact, studies have demonstrated that a team charter and having public values and purpose, positively correlate with performance. Values and purpose provide clarity about what a team is and what it does. Specifically: (1) They create a team culture and public expectations of behaviour that everyone can refer to. (2) They motivate us by giving us a mission and purpose. (3) They are a tool for good decision making: by having a public purpose and values to refer we empower people to autonomously make decisions aligned to them.

Establish clear Roles and Responsibilities. I'd like a team to be clear about what is to be done, who does it, and why we're doing it. But I try to stay out of the how and not micromanage it. Roles and Responsibilities are not opposed to agility: we can be agile, adapt, change, and know the limits of our knowledge and not be vague, unclear, or superficial. So I strive to give people clarity on work and values.

Diligence and Reliability

Bring effort, diligence, and be results oriented - and reasonably expect it of others too. If we have a task, or a role to fulfill, it's best to bring our attention and skills to the table. This is also the attitude that we like from the people we work with: we want to be in teams where people are proud of what they do, and want to do it well.

Follow through on commitments. I place a premium on being reliable and delivering what we committed to - it helps coordination, improves trust, and gets things done. It's bad to be disappointed by someone who wants to take on senior roles. It makes us question the culture and quality of a team.

Judgement

Exercise critical judgement and make decisions. Of course some decisions will be wrong (otherwise they weren't hard decisions), at the same time we should strive to make the best decisions we can. I've previously written about research on how to make good decisions here. It's worth following best practices and make decisions to move work forward

Expertise

Cultivate and bring expertise. I make an effort to be updated on the technologies and techniques that impact my work. Not just for fun, but because that's what colleagues and customers expect of me - that's part of my added value. Of course we can't master all that matters and we should acknowledge the limits of our abilities. But, within reason, I strive to be prepared and I value it of others.

Develop people

Support people in becoming better professionals. This means putting in time and effort and understanding that everyone has different needs, goals, and motivations. Fruitful working (and personal) relationships grow out of mutual understanding and support for each other's goals. I tell my boss what matters to me, I expect to get their help in achieving it, and I try to do the same for others.

Also be clear and specific in performance related conversations. Good performance conversations are: (1) two way communication where the manager does a lot of listening (2) clear and specific about behaviours and their consequences, not judgements of motives or character, (3) an agreed set of commitments and actions on both sides.

I've found it useful to have a specific recurring occasion to give and receive feedback - that creates an open space where all sides feel more comfortable.

Organisational awareness and collaboration

Understand how large systems fit together. Companies have hundreds, thousands, or hundreds of thousands of people! Being able to organise people in sensible predictable ways is a valuable skill. When thinking of design I keep two things in mind: (1) Formal organisational units (teams, departments, squads, whatever they are) must have a reason to exist and measurable objectives to deliver. (2) The interaction of these units needs to align to wider delivery goals and strategy. That is, their number, their interfaces, their responsibilities should make sense as a whole for the objectives of the organisation.

Just as important as being able to design and understand an organisation and its process, is to be able to effectively collaborate across the units. This requires, in addition, personal and social skills (i.e. to understand what motivates people and where their goals align to ours).

Enjoyment and Trust

We should trust and enjoy the people we work with. Enjoyment and fun should be part of the work. When we enjoy the work we do, and the people we do it with, we're happier and more productive at work. Psychological safety and mutual care for the well being of our colleagues make for good working environments. (this does not preclude task-oriented conflict, which is normal and can have positive impact on performance). Great things are built by motivated teams. So I try to enjoy myself while working hard, to care for others, and be fun to work with as well.

In short:

I try to role model the behaviours and competencies that matter for leadership. And, as this post attests to, I make expectations public, because public knowledge makes for smoother and quicker work, as well as more empowered, and happier people.

In the end my goal is that people are better off if they work with me. And that's also what I look for in others.