Page 98 - 4- Leading_from_Within

At first, the new behaviors may seem strange. But over time, they become
habitual. Through practice, the individual has transformed the behavior
from conscious competence (“I have to think about how to do it”) to
unconscious competence (“It’s a habit, and I don’t have to think about

how to do it once I intend to do so”).

In the end, it is important to remember that we cannot become what we need
to be by remaining what we are. Max De Pree

Most of us could benefit from a checklist of core competencies - something
we can carry around in our electronic gadgets. When appropriate, we
could glance at this checklist to diagnose what's happening when we see
others performing successfully or unsuccessfully. The checklist can help us
learn in real time what works and doesn't work. It can also be a valuable
self-assessment tool. When we succeed or fail at a leadership or
communications attempt, we can later sit quietly at our desk and pinpoint

what we specifically did or failed to do that influenced what happened.

To maintain effectiveness as a leader, an individual needs to continuously
work at being aware of his/her competency strengths and development
needs. This also includes making an effort to understand how he/she is

perceived by others. This is not necessarily a “natural act” on one’s part,
which is why it takes an enlightened awareness and continuous effort to
make it happen.

Furthermore, given that “different folks need different strokes,” no one
leadership style exists that works in every situation. Leadership

effectiveness can be measured in terms of how successful the leader is in
adapting his or her behavior to the situation at hand. Generally, the
stronger one’s base of competencies, the more adaptable a leader can be.

From extensive research of the literature, it is possible to distill the key

competencies that are likely to be critical for the leader in these complex
times. These are discussed in the rest of this chapter.

David Kolzow 98