I did not plan to write this but I noticed this on the same website as the prior posting about the number of leadership competencies ---

Pick out the key competencies that would really make the biggest difference in the success of your business. Go back to your interview notes and highlight the phases that you heard over and over. Use that same language (for buy-in), but cross-reference the phrase to ensure they are part of at least two research-based models. 8-12 competencies is probably a good number, if only for focus. (a good test one year later is to ask managers if they can name them all). (from Great Leadership - http://www.greatleadershipbydan.com/2008/09/how-to-develop-leadership-competency.html)

What is my point?

My single biggest problem with practically all competency models is that there are too competencies!

One very well known competency model lists 68 while a large international firm well known for its leadership development lists 128! This is too many. Too many to track, too many to bring into focus, too many for day-to-day line managers to relate to. (Perhaps this attached picture gets the concern across better -- scroll way down for the summary)

While it may sound self-serving, this is why Dr. Andy Garman and I wrote our book with Health Administration Press. Our research showed that sixteen competencies stood out as being the truly critical ones. I have discussed these in prior posts so I will not repeat.

Consider - how many do you feel are ample?