Summary of Part I - Research indicates a leadership shortage tsunami is upon the US.* To fast track leadership development: convene a talent steering committee, identify business and talent needs, and competencies of current top performers. Establish job patterns for critical positions from data on top performers. In addition, create a talent pool for leadership development by surveying business leaders to identify high potentials and employees regarding career desires and learning needs.

Do not reinvent wheels. Start with 6-8 overall competencies and 18-20 leadership skills.** Leadership competencies are defined as measurable skills, traits, and characteristics that are subject to modification or change. Competencies are critical for job descriptions, hiring and promotion decisions, training and development, and performance management.

To jump start your identification of competencies and leadership development, consider Profiles International's extensive research that revealed the following 8 Universal Leadership Competencies and 18 Skills:***

Leadership Competency > Skills

Communication > Listen, Process Information, Communicate Effectively Leadership > Instill Trust, Provide Direction, Delegate
Adaptability > Adjust to Circumstances, Think Creatively
Relationship > Build Positive Relationships, Team Success
Task Management > Work Efficiently, Work Competently
Production > Take Action, Achieve Results
Develop Others > Cultivate Individual Talents, Motivates Successfully
Personal Development > Display Commitment, Seek Improvement

Once your steering committee decides to use the universal competencies, you are ready to assess high potentials for competency gaps and provide online training with on-the-job action plans. In addition, you can determine how aligned your managers are to the organization's vision, mission and strategic goals.****

Next, supplement the leadership competencies with an assessment for the following competencies using the Profile XT.

Cognitive Abilities:
Verbal Skill, Verbal Reasoning
Numerical Ability, Numerical Reasoning
Learning Index

Behavioral Traits:
Energy Level
Assertiveness
Socialability
Attitude
Manageability
Decisiveness
Accommodating
Independence
Objective Judgment

Occupational Interests:
Enterprising
Financial/Administrative
Technical
Creative
People Service
Mechanical

To use this data on cognitive abilities, behavioral traits, and occupational interests, you assess top and low performers in critical positions to identify job patterns.

Your executives and senior leaders can project into the future and modify job patterns to emphasize competencies expected to be most important for future individual and organizational success. Most likely, you will discover that higher scores in some behavior traits may be needed depending upon the business unit challenge. For example, Watkins states that startups and turnarounds require "hunters," people who can move fast and take chances as contrasted to realignments which require "farmer" skills, such as influence and cultivating consensus.*****

With the Profile XT, you can hire, promote, and develop top performers and place them in jobs that best match their cognitive abilities, behavioral traits, and occupational interests. This will contribute to productivity, employee retention, and share holder value.

Our next newsletter will continue with the delineation of other critical components of a successful leadership development-succession planning program.

* Lash, Rick, Leadership Development Interview, April 2007. Hr.com.
** Reality HR: Taking a Comprehensive Approach to Developing Managers and Future Leaders: Interview with Anne McIntosh, HSBC, Hr.com.
*** Checkpoint 360 Degree Competency Feedback System Technical Manual.
**** Checkpoint 360 Degree Organizational Management Analysis.
***** Watkins, M. (2003). The First 90 Days, Critical Success Strategies for New Leaders at all Levels, Boston: Harvard Business School Press.

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