39 Key Competencies Of Successful Business Leaders

In this post, we will go through 39 critical and key competencies of successful business leaders. These competencies are developed over a period of time and are extremely relevant for leaders in the middle management role. If the middle level managers are able to acquire, adopt and display these traits then they can become very successful in their career and climb the ladder of success with great pace.

Business Orientation

• Constant lookout for avenues for further business generation
• Identify and work towards converting prospective opportunities into big deals
• Regularly monitor key financial metrics and takes step to improve the same
• Analyze the commercial and business value of the proposed ideas
• Implement various operating and pricing models as per the context and need
• Support the branding efforts for organization with industry bodies and analyst organizations

Self Leadership

• Gain sound technical and domain knowledge, do not depend on others
• Adapt effectively to change, develop ability to take quick decisions
• Ability to share a valid point of view in his/her area
• Take charge of the situation, lead from the front
• Self driven and do not need directions from others
• Manage multiple and diverse responsibilities effectively

Partnering with the Customer

• Deliver solutions which have direct and measurable business benefits to the customer
• Act as an advisor to the customer and not just an order taker
• Keep customer's best interest in mind at all times and be genuine
• Propose a compelling business value proposition to the customer
• Recommend and implement different business and operating models as per the needs of the customer
• Deal with customer escalations effectively, focus on problem solving for long term
• Make strategic tradeoffs in the interest of the customer and own organization

Influencing

• Build extensive networks within the organization
• Understand the formal/ informal structures as well as dynamics in own as well as customer organization
• Influence others to gain support for own agenda
• Express own thoughts and ideas in a convincing way
• Negotiate skillfully with internal and external stakeholders
• Anticipate the effect of an action on others and modulates own behavior

Engaging and Developing Others

• Instill confidence amongst team members and motivate them towards achievement of the goals
• Mentor and coach the team members
• Assess the skills levels of the team members and identify development needs
• Ensure that team members get the right support and guidance from relevant sources within the organization
• Be sensitive to the cultural differences amongst team members
• Facilitates a common understanding within the team
• Communicatee the vision and goals of team/organization in a powerful and convincing manner

Critical Thinking

• Keeps revenue generation as the larger goal while making decisions
• Ability to look beyond the obvious
• Ask probing questions to identify the real problem
• Shift effectively between micro and macro perspectives
• Consider the strategic implications of decisions
• Analyze the situation at hand and derives key insights
• Identify innovative solutions for addressing the problem

Note that these skills or competencies cannot be acquired in a single day or in a single training program. These have to be learned and developed over a period of time and most important is that one needs to practice these skills at work on a day to day basis so that they become a part of one's business behaviour.

To conclude, here is a quote 'Leadership is never an avenue to be self-serving but,a platform to render great service to people'

If you read the above, you may also want to read the below mentioned other blog posts of interest:

How Much Would IT Professional Save In USA
USA Visa Basics L1A L1B and H1B
How To Go Onsite?
Most Valuable Skill For Your Life
21 Important Things To Know If You are Traveling To USA For The First Time
How To Hunt For Job After Career Break
5 Secrets of Salary Negotiations