15. Skills, Capabilities and Competencies: Building leadership assets.

Published On: 7 October 2024Categories: Career, Resilience

In an ever-evolving world, thriving in uncertainty, requires a balanced mix of of skills, capabilities and competencies.  While often used interchangeably, these terms each play a distinct role in your leadership development:

  • Skills are learned abilities or talents that help you accomplish specific tasks effectively. These range from soft skills like emotional intelligence to hard or technical skills such as coding or data analysis.
  • Capabilities combine personal and technical skills, knowledge, and behaviours, providing flexibility to apply them in diverse situations. For example, project management isn’t just a skill but a capability that blends leadership, communication, and problem-solving.
  • Competencies reflect how proficiently you apply your skills and knowledge in real-world settings. They are often benchmarks for performance in your current role and in interviews.

Understanding these nuances helps you strategically plan for both current success and future opportunities.

Awareness:

  • Do you a clear sense of your current skills, capabilities, and competencies?
  • Have you assessed what’s needed to succeed in your future career aspirations?  Consider both hard and soft skills as well as leadership capabilities.
  • What is the best learning strategy for your development? Could you volunteer for a new project, attend a course, find a mentor, read a book, join a webinar or attend a conference.

Agency:

  • Conduct a personal audit of your skills, capabilities, competencies and experiences. The 100-Year Life Diagnostic is a great starting point.
  • Identify gaps between your current skills set and what’s needed for your future aspirations? Take proactive steps to close these gaps, focusing on both technical abilities and leadership potential.

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