Key Competencies of LEAD Graduates
Cultural Competency:
Works effectively with cultures other than one's own in personal interactions, program development, management and evaluation, and inter-organizational relations.
Advocacy:
Effectively articulates issues of importance and then identifies and develops strategies to effect positive systems change.
Collaboration:
Works well with other organizations/partners, effectively negotiating the highest appropriate level of collaboration to achieve common goals, and manages the collaboration to reach those goals.
Leadership:
Provides effective leadership in one's present role in an organization and participates effectively in an organization-wide leadership team.
Key leadership competencies and qualities include*:
- Self-awareness: Reflects upon and understands personal strengths and areas for further growth. Has humility and an on-going commitment to personal reflection. Embraces challenges and mistakes as learning opportunities. Manages own emotions effectively and seeks support and nurturing when needed.
- Communications: Listens deeply and respectfully to diverse and divergent information, emotions, opinions, and perspectives. Clearly articulates issues and solicits responses. Generates dialogue leading to greater understanding and comprehensive plans for action.
- Judgment and decision-making: Analyzes and evaluates situations, assesses risks, and sees beyond own program to entire organization and its greater context. Knows when and where to seek additional perspectives and information, brings the appropriate people into the decision-making process, takes appropriate risks, and acts in a timely manner.
- Vision, creativity, innovation: Is open to possibilities, seeks new ideas, and imagines doing things not done before. Builds a common vision.
- Change agent: Questions existing situations, takes advantage of external changes to advance mission, adapts to changing circumstances, takes initiative, and leads others in change processes.
- Inspiration: Inspires others to achieve a common vision. Effectively empowers, mentors, acknowledges, and appropriately rewards others.
- Ethics, authenticity: Is transparent, values-driven, trustworthy, credible, respectful, and caring of others. Uses self-awareness to acknowledge own feelings and opinions. Leads by example with integrity.
* Leadership competencies developed with input from LeaderSpring and San Francisco Bay Area Local Initiative Support Corporation
Nonprofit Management:
Provides effective leadership and management for program and organization-wide activities in key areas:
- Program development, management, and evaluation
- Financial Management
- Cultural Competency
- Advocacy
- Human Resource Management & Internal Communications
- Fund Development
- Public Relations/Marketing
- Strategic Planning, Strategic Thinking
- Technology Use
Confirmed in Compliance with National