People want to follow someone who is competent. They want to know that the person they are following is not going to act unwisely, impulsively or with incompetence, but that they can trust your judgement and that in the end you will make the wisest decision.

This doesn’t mean a leader needs to be the foremost expert on every area of the entire organization. On the contrary, the most competent person knows that they need the help and input of others to really succeed. However, you need to be able to demonstrate competency over a long period of time in order to win over the trust and respect of your staff members. When people under your leadership look at some action you have taken and think, “that just goes to show why she is the one in charge”, you are demonstrating competency.

Competence is the ability of an individual to perform a job properly. Competence can be described as a combination of knowledge, skills and behaviour used to improve performance; or as the state or quality of being adequately or well qualified, having the ability to perform a specific role. Therefore, competence as a leader is the ability to be a good leader.

So how do you develop competence as a leader?

1. Experience and life skills – sometimes good old fashioned experience and life skills are what make all the difference in your leadership style. After years of experience, some skills just come naturally and you know what to do or what decision to make.

2. Surround yourself with skilled team members – knowing that you don’t know it all and that you need to draw from the skills of those around you makes you a more competent leader.

3. Know how to get the best out of your team – recognising that a team effort will achieve more than you can alone and celebrating the achievements of your team is a way to get results by drawing the best out of everyone in your team.

4. Learn from the best – glean what you can from exceptional leaders in an attempt to increase your own competency as a leader. Spend time with other leaders, read books and actively seek out opportunities where you can learn from other competent leaders.

5. Don’t just jump in – take your time and make the wisest decision possible after gathering the input of others around you, bearing in mind that your decision will impact the staff around you.

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