Search online for “lists of leadership competencies,” and you’ll find hundreds of lists from various groups, companies, and experts. Ranging in length from 5-32 competencies, these well-intended lists can be helpful in designing learning plans and expectations for leaders. But too often, I find that a fundamental leadership competency is missing from these lists:
The best leaders see and encourage people to reach their potential.
Why This is So Important
Think about it this way. Leaders aren’t accomplishing things alone – they have a team. Together, they are striving for a goal or objective beyond current achievement or accomplishment – which means change is required. So, for leaders to succeed in reaching those goals, they can’t do it alone, or with current levels of activity.
The leaders that reach those outcomes consistently do it with and through their team. And for those team members to achieve more, they need the support and encouragement of their leaders.
When leaders get this competency right, most every other part of their job gets easier, increasing their odds of success.
How To Build this Competency
Building this competency starts with belief. When you believe that people have potential and can grow and improve, you are more likely to see that potential. Call this good use of confirmation bias.
This belief cascades into the actions of this competency – seeing potential and encouraging it.
Once we believe in one’s potential, we will begin to look for examples of their promise. And once we see those examples, it is easier to encourage them.
This is one of the shortest posts I have made on this blog in a long time – but perhaps one of the most important. If you want to be a more effective leader, you must see and encourage people to reach their potential. Doing so makes a bigger positive impact on that person, your team and organizational results, and the world around you.
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