Top 5 leadership competencies
What are the most important leadership skills or competencies?
How many do you possess?
The 2014 results for LMA’s Leadership Employment and Direction (L.E.A.D.) Survey has determined that, from leaders own perspectives, the key leadership competencies are:
Building relationships
Communication skills
Developing and coaching others
Planning and organising
Problem solving and decision making
Strategic thinking
The bulk of these competencies have remained in the top five since the commencement of the survey in 2001 and most of the top five competencies are the same for each of three audiences – leaders, managers and employees – a sign that we generally understand what a good leaders needs to be doing to perform their role well.
Q. Looking at this list of leadership competencies, please nominate which you believe are the five most critical competencies that leaders and senior managers need to do their job well today.
Leadership competencies | Employees 2014 | Managers 2014 | Leaders 2014 |
| Communication skills | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Problem solving and decision-making | 2 | 4 | 5 |
| Developing and coaching others | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| Planning and organising | 4 | 6 | 8 |
| Building relationships (external and internal) | 5 | 3 | 4 |
| Strategic thinking | 6 | 5 | 2 |
The 2014 L.E.A.D. Survey results provide direction on how leaders and managers should be developing their own competencies to effectively support and achieve the best results from those they lead and manage.
Are you a strong leader? To see how you fare over several crucial leadership capabilities, take LMA’s DIY Leadership Analysis.
Leadership through understanding - your ticket to organisational success
The latest findings from LMA’s latest Leadership, Employment and Direction (L.E.A.D)...
