I continue to hear so much about “leadership competencies.” It is interesting to note that when Andy Garman and I first wrote out competency book in 2006, the topic was not quite the rage that it is now. I think at this time, it is possible that the subject has been overdone. Yet there is still great merit in understanding competencies because I think it is the best way to truly understand leadership. Consider this:

“While the organizations that use competencies are admirable, some organizations believe that implementing leadership competency models will solve leadership problems. This simply is not the case. Ulrich, Zenger, and Smallwood, (1999, 27) wrote about the “search for a ‘holy grail’ of leadership attributes” and how adopting one does not necessarily mean that leadership issues are resolved. William Linesch (2014), a human resources executive, stated, “Leadership competency models can be great assets to a talent management program, but organizations need to be careful not to allow them to become another bureaucratic burden on managers.” Exceptional Leadership: 16 Critical Competencies for Healthcare Executives, Second Edition, 2015, Health Administration Press.

Thoughts?