Where to start?

Many days being a leader feels like this image. Where do you start?

Being a leader is complicated! Not only do you have your own job you are also responsible for leading and managing a team of people, representing your organization, collaborating with other leaders and functions, developing talent, making decisions, communicating up, and on and on. It can feel overwhelming.

To help all our leaders at Minnesota State we asked successful leaders across the system to identify what knowledge, skills, abilities and attributes were key to their success. Based on their answers we identified 11 Leadership Competencies that serve as a framework and a starting point for leadership success. You can see them above. We would also like to share them with you, our readers, in 2018. Each month we will focus on one competency and share insights, current literature, experiences and opportunities for your feedback and ideas. January will kick off with Understands Self and Others.

Our 11 Leadership Competencies are broken in four key leadership roles as follows:

Leader of Self

• Understands Self and Others
• Acts with Integrity

Leader as Relationship Builder

• Values Diversity
• Communicates Effectively
• Builds Trust

Leader as Manager

• Delivers Customer Service
• Builds Organizational Talent
• Demonstrates Good Stewardship

Leader as Innovator

• Articulates Vision and Mission
• Builds Organizational Capacity to Meet Future Challenges
• Demonstrates Effective Decision-Making

Todd Thorsgaard