What it Takes for Leaders to Stand Out and Win

Dear readers,

Welcome to this week's edition of "Elevations."?

The recent news cycle has been buzzing with questions, concerns, and advice concerning leadership and things like who is fit to serve. This is an important debate not solely because of the politics and what is at stake but because very few people understand what leadership is, does, or requires.

Pundits, celebrities, and journalists are expressing all kinds of concerns and opinions regarding the debacle that the presidential election has become. Yet, nobody seems to be offering any clear answers—at least not about how we solve the leadership problem in our country, not about our problem with our leaders. The reason is that there are no simple solutions.

The issues in the headlines are no different than those faced by most companies today. We need competent leaders, but until we can define what makes leaders competent, all the talk is just noise.

I don't have any idea how to fix the political leadership problems we face today. I have always believed that highly competent business leaders contribute more to benefit society's social, economic, and cultural needs than politics, government, or public policy ever has or will.

I am, at least, hopeful that my work can make a difference in the lives of people impacted by the companies ALPS Leadership serves. Today's essay is my effort to move the conversation in the right direction.

As always, I wish you a great week ahead!

What it Takes for Leaders to Stand Out and Win

I am obsessed with the idea of competence because I am deeply bothered by the prevalence and consequences of the incompetence I experience daily, which presents itself as dysfunction. Beyond being annoying, it robs companies of productivity and profitability and chases away customers and good employees. It is often what causes companies to fail. With competent leadership, organizations tend to win.?

Most people I speak with equate competence with being capable or having the means to do what others expect. The problem is that, as a standard, it is vague and ambiguous. I see capable people who accomplish nothing or carelessly make avoidable mistakes. There is no guarantee that performing flawlessly will accomplish what matters most.?

People who perform to their potential are capable, diligent, and prepared. Competence is potential realized, and that means accomplishing things that matter.

Competence is a function of the quality, not quantity, of one’s efforts and is measured strictly in terms of what you accomplish. It is why competence is the antidote for dysfunction.?

I constantly see managers who seem resigned to the idea that dysfunction is a normal byproduct of most human endeavors. This attitude not only endorses mediocrity but also normalizes chaos. And when they demand that people improve, things only get worse.

Nobody in business deliberately aims for mediocrity, but they accept it by making excuses like, “If it ain’t broken, don’t fix it,” or “We’ve always done it that way,”?and “Mistakes will happen.” It makes sense why things break, and mistakes aren’t avoided.

Competence demands high standards and accountability for performance, whether as an individual or an organization. Competent leaders must set standards that ensure people are capable, prepared, and conscientious. Being sustainably successful requires more than a bias toward action; it requires an insistence on accomplishing things that matter most.?

A bias towards accomplishment is self-referring and self-perpetuating. You experience deep satisfaction when what you accomplish is meaningful (to you) and significant (to others). That pride drives all human joy. It is why top performers often endure pain to prepare themselves to accomplish their goals. Competence separates high-performance organizations from average ones, which drives meaningful and significant accomplishments.?

Being a competent leader requires you to take the responsibility to build your organization's culture on the relentless pursuit of competence and accomplishments. That requires attracting people who can and will develop themselves to be capable, prepared, conscientious, and, above all else, competent. Accepting anything less invites mediocrity. When you strive to be no better than average, someone else will inevitably succeed at being the best.??

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You can access over 150 other pieces on business leadership and related topics at the ALPS BLOG at ALPSLeadership.com.

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