Leadership role in any organization is vital to its success. Managers can be leaders but not every manager is a leader. A leader must be able to create a vision, influence others, and bring out the best in their people. With leadership, one can initiate action among his people. He can motivate everyone to keep going, with or without the help of rewards.

Additionally, leadership enables a person to provide guidance to others so that work can be done effectively and efficiently, and such guidance is given through coaching and mentoring. Lastly, with leadership, a person can make others confident about themselves by boosting their morale and highlighting on their capabilities.

Indeed, the role of a leader is essential and yet, not everyone is prepared for it; not all possess the competencies required of every leader. An aspiring leader might ask: what are these competencies? The answers are provided below.

Leadership Competency #1: Influence

The power of influence can do wonders to any organization. If one can get others to agree with his ideas and views, and fully accept them, creating change can be done smoothly and successfully. A leader must possess the ability to influence; it is a competency that he must have in order to be effective in his role.

Influencing skills can be learned through training and practice. Dale Carnegie, in his book entitled “How to Win Friends and Influence People” taught readers that to be able to influence others, they must:

1. Show respect to other people’s thoughts and opinions
2. Listen to what they have to say
3. Avoid arguments
4. See things from other people’s point of view
5. Make them feel important
6. Be generous in giving sincere appreciation
7. Ask, do not boss around.
8. Encourage and give them something to look forward to
   

Leadership Competency #2: Commitment

Commitment is about being passionate and dedicated to a cause or endeavor, regardless of what happens. An individual who is committed to his organization and his members will always strive to provide the best for everyone concerned. He will always have the drive and enthusiasm to keep going even when faced with adversities. Commitment in a leader translates to a person who will never give up no matter how frustrating the situation may be, but instead, will continue to push forward and inspire others to do the same.

Leaders teach by example and if a person shows true commitment to the company’s and the team’s objectives and goals, others will follow as well. These are some of the commitments that are important for every leader to have:

1. Commitment to complete assigned tasks.
2. Commitment to help members achieve assigned tasks and utilize their talents and abilities to the fullest.
3. Commitment to foster solid working relationships with the team as well as other teams.
4. Commitment to continuously develop self for the benefit of the team, organization, and for his own growth.
5. Commitment to support and adhere to the ideals, policies, and standards set by the organization.
   

Leadership Competencies #3: Resourcefulness

Resourcefulness stems from creativity, taking initiative, and being proactive. This is important because not every solution to a problem will be available; sometimes, it takes certain skills to find them. To practice resourcefulness, one must:

1. Plan ahead. Consider possible scenarios and prepare for these.
2. Think outside the box. Do not limit your choices to what is available to you at the moment. Check other options and utilize critical thinking.
3. Ask others for ideas and possible solutions. As the saying goes, “two heads are better than one.”

Leadership Competencies #4: Results-Orientation

Results-orientation is all about keeping one’s focus on the expected outcome and yet aiming to achieve it with excellence. To do this, it is important to know how to set priorities and manage time effectively. In addition, delegating work and establishing accountability to others also help everyone stay productive. However, when delegating work, instructions and expectations must be set clearly so as to avoid frustrations and mistakes along the way. Problems arise when there is no proper communication in channeling tasks to members.

To be an effective leader, these four competencies must be learned and practiced consistently.