Three Competencies of Leadership

Leading or influencing requires three general skills, or competencies;

1. Diagnosing. Understanding the situation you are trying to influence
2. Adapting. Altering your behavior and the other resources you have available to meet the contingencies of the situation.
3. Communicating. Interacting with others in a way that people can easily understand and accept.

 Here is a brief discussion of each;

• Diagnosing is a cognitive-or cerebral-competency. It is understanding what the situation is now and knowing what you can reasonably expect to make it in the future. The discrepancy between the two is the problem to be solved. This discrepancy is what the other competencies are aimed at resolving.
• Adapting is a behavioral competency. It involves adapting your behaviors and other resources in a way that helps close the gap between the current situation and what you want to achieve.
• Communicating is a process competency. Even if you are able to understand the situation, even if you are able to adapt behavior and resources to meet the situation, you need to communicate effectively. If you cannot communicate in a way that people can understand and accept, you will be unlikely to meet your goal.