How competent are you as a leader?
ByThe author John Gardner once said, “The society which scorns excellence in plumbing because plumbing is a humble activity and tolerates shoddiness in philosophy because it is an exalted activity will have neither good plumbing nor good philosophy. Neither its pipes nor its theories will hold water.”
We all admire people who display high competence, whether they are precision craftsmen, world-class athletes, or successful business leaders. And most of us want to be seen as competent at our work. For leaders, competence is especially important. It can determine whether followers respect and follow you — or don’t. Here are some specific ways to cultivate the quality of competence:
1. Show up every day.
There’s a saying, “All things come to him who waits.” Unfortunately, sometimes it’s just the leftovers from the people who got there first. Responsible people show up when they’re expected. But highly competent people take it a step farther. They don’t show up in body only. They come ready to play every day – no matter how they feel, what kind of circumstances they face, or how difficult they expect the game to be.
2. Keep improving.
Highly competent people search for ways to keep learning, growing, and improving. They do that by asking why. After all, the person who knows how may always have a job, but the person who knows why will be the boss.
3. Follow through with excellence.
I’ve never met a person I considered competent who didn’t follow through. Willa A. Foster remarked, “Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction and skillful execution; it represents the wise choice of many alternatives.” Performing with a high level of excellence is always a choice, an act of the will. As leaders, we expect our people to follow through when we hand them the ball. They expect that and a whole lot more from us as their leaders.
4. Accomplish more than expected.
Highly competent people always go the extra mile. For them, good enough is never good enough. In Men in Mid-Life Crisis, Jim Conway writes that some people feel “a weakening of the need to be a great man and an increasing feeling of ‘let’s just get through this the best way we can.’ Never mind hitting home runs, let’s just get through the ball game without getting beaned.” Leaders cannot afford to have that kind of attitude. They need to do their job, and then some, day in and day out.
5. Inspire others.
Highly competent leaders do more than perform at a high level. They inspire and motivate their people to do the same. While some people rely on relational skills alone to survive, effective leaders combine these skills with high competence to take their organizations to a new levels of excellence and influence.
Where do you stand when it comes to getting the job done? Do you attack everything you do with fervor and perform at the highest level possible? Or is good enough sometimes good enough for you?
When you think about people who are competent, you’re really considering only three types of people:
- Those who can see what needs to happen.
- Those who can make it happen.
- Those who can make things happen when it really counts.
When it comes to your profession, where do you consistently perform? Are you a thinker, a doer, or a clutch player? The better you are, the greater potential for influence you will have with your people.
I love the quote at the beginning about a society’s pipes and philosophy not holding water. It’s such a great way to communicate the need for excellence in everything we do. Thanks for being a great leader and encourager John!!!!
Dear John Maxwell
You inspire me a lot every time I read your book on leadership subjects you away challenge me to think beyond boundaries and leave with courage to take a step towards my desired goal.
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“Thank-You” doesn’t even begin to describe how grateful and how much I have learned from You. I look forward to learning and growing more.
For me, keep improving is very important. It is not only show you are a great leader but it is good for our brain as well. When we keep learning, it helps in neurons in our minds.
What a great post! I’ve always been committed to giving it everything that I have in everything that I do because i like to lead by example. I don’t believe in asking people to do things that I’m not willing to do. I’m a doer by heart but can be a clutch player whenever I need to be. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you John, you have indeed said it all and its left for us to key into all these points listed not only in our daily lives but also in the lives of others….
Daddy David Olorunsebi-Its no surprise you display such a high level of Leadership;its tied to your Readership.
John Maxwell is truly a gifted Leader.
Great post! The above steps will certainly improve a person’s competency and leadership abilities.
But in my view, the right mentality is the most important factor. If you aren’t mentally prepared for leadership and success, you probably won’t achieve much in your career.
Without a doubt Lawrence. We have to take care of ourselves before we can posses the ability to take care of others.
Sir you never fail to inspire me.
This was an encouraging article.
Thanks,
Josh Mann
First time visitor. Love your quotes, and your perspective on leadership. I see myself as a leader who can make things happen when it really counts, and i am aware that its when the pressures really on that leaders will either succeed or fail. But one thing they must never do, is give up!
Absolutely Larry! Never give up
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I have been all three at some point, I guess it determined how comfortable I was in the given situation. Now, I evaluate and think before engaging because acting too quickly I have found can be just as bad as not doing at all.
Setting the example and perform as we expect others to perform is the overall message I see you giving to us. Inspiring others may be most of our downfalls, it is mine. Sometimes it can be difficult to find that special way to inspire a unique individual.
Thanks!
John – great list. I think the title of this post gets to the heart of the matter. How many leaders even ask themselves if they’re competent or not? I’ve been thinking a lot lately about self awareness and wondering how many problems this would solve. If leaders were more self aware, I think many problems would go away. Just taking the time to look at ourselves in the mirror (perhaps with 3rd party help) goes a long way to becoming a better leader.
John – Great reading…thank you for the mentorship