Core Competencies

What are the skills and attributes that successful collaborative leaders bring to their civic work?  How can Leadership Austin help Central Texans hone their leadership skills to be more effective civic and business leaders?

Based on interviews with experienced Central Texas leaders, and on a review of research and best practices across the United States, Leadership Austin identified the following 13 core competencies for successful collaborative leaders.  Mastery of these competencies enables civic leaders to work effectively at the highest levels of challenge, and business leaders to work successfully in diverse environments. They continue to be an influence on the curriculum for all Leadership Austin programming.


    1. Systems Orientation
      • Sees interrelationships, interconnectedness
      • Has a "big picture" vantage; a 60,000 foot view in order to see patterns
      • Instead of separating the individual pieces of issues, focuses on the interrelatedness among issues (the inputs, processes, and outputs within an environment)
    2. Critical Thinking; Intellectual Capacity
      • Discernment - has the ability to differentiate "spin" from substance; a sound idea from a brainstormed idea; interest versus position; etc.
      • Has the ability to fully comprehend and reframe issues
      • Demonstrates self-directed, self-disciplined, self-monitored, and self-corrective thinking
    3. Inclusion
      • Believes that people of different cultures, backgrounds and viewpoints bring added value to community discussion
      • Is open to seeing things in new ways
      • Actively seeks more extensive participation from the community
    4. Trustworthiness
      • Is credible ("I do what I say…")
      • Is honest ("You know what, I really don’t have the time…")
      • Is ethical; aware of personal motives and possible conflicts of interest
      • Works proactively and consciously out of personal values
    5. Conflict Transformation
      • Assumes conflict is natural and works to harness its positive energy
      • Is able to identify, convene and hold together representatives (stakeholders) of groups and points of view
      • Develops win-win alternatives
    6. Political Acuity
      • Aware of and sensitive to the history and context that impact a situation
      • Is familiar with the "players" and their relationships
      • Recognizes leverage points
    7. Self-Awareness
      • Is personally aware; understands personal strengths, weaknesses, knowledge gaps, interests, style, etc.
      • Is authentic; knows who they are and acts honestly out of that foundation
      • Is reflective
      • Has life balance (INTERNAL - mental, physical, emotional, spiritual; EXTERNAL - family, work, self)
    8. Social Capacity
      • Skilled at relationship-building and intentional networking for community purposes
      • Inspires others to get engaged; leads by example
      • Effective in managing differences; creates an atmosphere of trust
    9. Focus on Results
      • Has persistence; "stick–to–it–tive–ness"
      • Plans and uses discipline in order to execute
      • Has strategic agility; works around impediments and changes in the environment; finds alternative routes around roadblocks
    10. Vision
      • Believes that together we can create a better future
      • Holds constant the long-term idea ("North Star" metaphor)
      • Acts through core values
    11. Stewardship
      • Is committed to something bigger than oneself
      • Maintains a broad community perspective, rather than a single-issue perspective
      • Takes a long-term point of view as fundamental to the good of the community
      • Recognizes and develops the leadership in others
    12. Promoting Respectful Dialogue
      • Actively listens; "hears between the words"
      • Is a "bridge-builder"; facilitates bringing together disparate points of view; is willing to occupy the "respectful center" to encourage dialogue
      • Crafts compelling language in a way that engages and motivates others
    13. Fire in the Belly
      • Acts out of passion
      • Stays the course; community leadership can be tedious and tiring and difficult; "it all happens on personal time"
      • Stretches their ability within the limits of their self-awareness; tries new things; promotes continuous learning
      • Thoughtfully takes risks; "winning teams" vs. "learning teams" metaphor