We’ve all seen them. Some companies have them for internal use. Some companies in the leadership development business tout theirs. What are they? Leadership competency models, of course. The thinking is that if your leaders can just do (or be) these things on the list, they’ll be effective in their leadership roles. But is it true? In part, yes. But it’s not the complete story. There’s more to it, but no one is talking about it— except here.

Competency Models

A competency model is a list of characteristics or behaviors that good leaders should display and employ as they lead others toward whatever goals and objectives have been established. The federal government has a set it calls the “Executive Core Qualifications.” These qualifications include things like “strategic thinking” and “political savvy.” Private leadership development companies have them, like the “Leadership Circle Profile,” which includes creative competencies they encourage (such as courageous authenticity and systems thinking) and those they discourage (like arrogance or being too protective). Even the Boy Scouts of America has one! (Be trustworthy, loyal, and helpful.) Are these valuable? Yes. And they’re not the whole story. Let’s examine the other half of the equation.

Growth vs. Development

This might be a distinction you haven’t heard before, but it’s useful in examining how we move leaders to later stages of performance. The term “growth” relates to getting as good as possible at one’s current stage. Leadership, technical, and interpersonal skills appropriate for that stage in one’s career are acquired, used, and hopefully mastered. In other words, competencies. Those competencies are then consolidated. But how do you move to the next level?

Moving from one stage to the next is what we call “development.” So, growth is about getting good at your current stage and development is about elevating to the next stage by building your capacity. Think of it as having a leadership bucket. Achieving competencies fills the bucket. But development creates greater capacity— a bigger bucket!

Capacity Development—Make That Bucket Bigger

The science of developing greater capacity (developing to later stages) is complicated and beyond the scope of this article. It involves learning about several concepts, practicing on "real world" challenges, clashing ideas with peers, and participating in group and individual coaching. Together, these focused activities challenge learners to go beyond their current capabilities, expand their horizons, and develop a greater capacity for resilience in the face of increasingly complex challenges and opportunities.

Benefits

Leaders who advance to later stages of development— who build greater capacity—are more successful. They’re able to take on more complexity, work in more ambiguous situations, and stay open to multiple perspectives (even multiple realities) for longer periods of time. This leads to greater successes, new innovations, and faster career development.

Your Essential Next Step

Leadership competencies—regardless of which model you follow—are essential to your success in leading others. But they’re not the whole story. To advance your performance—and your career—you also need to build your capacity to take on greater and more complex challenges. Building that capacity may be the missing piece of your developmental journey.