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Competencies in Practice: A Framework for Leadership

Kelly A. Clever

April 21, 2019

Seton Hill University: SED 765 Module 7: Framework for Leadership

Dr. Christine Mahady

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Introduction

Many people think of a leader as someone who holds a position of authority in an

organization’s hierarchy. To this way of thinking, a leader is a president, director, dean,

principal, manager, or officer. Others, however, view leadership “as a set of skills and mindsets,

instead of a hierarchy,” and therefore a role that is open to all (Whitmarsh, 2018). This

perspective is an important one, as it demonstrates why everyone should work to develop a

leadership mindset and the skills that accompany it. As McKee (2014) explains, “Today,

everyone needs to be a leader… We must contribute the best of who we are—our talents, skills,

and creativity—so we can successfully make positive, ethical… decisions in the midst of our

changing world” (emphasis in original, p. 4).

A leader must have a vision for the organization; respect and consideration for others;

high ethical and quality standards; an honest assessment of their own abilities and values; and

must take initiative. An effective leader must be aware of the threats and opportunities in the

surrounding environments and have a vision for where the organization should go and what it

should become. An influential leader must cultivate healthy relationships and maintain clear

communication within and beyond the organization and should empower others on the team to

share ownership of the group’s goals. Leaders must conduct themselves with consistency and

integrity. By earning the respect of others, taking the initiative, and maintaining a clear vision of

the goals of the organization, a leader can effectively motivate others and guide the group to

success.

Background & Context

While all of the texts in this course contributed to my understanding of leadership

qualities and behaviors, it was Management: A Focus on Leaders by Annie McKee (2014) that
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had the single greatest impact on my learning. As someone who has never aspired to hold an

authoritative position in an institutional hierarchy, I was particularly convicted by her assertion

that “the days when some people led, some managed, and others just blindly followed orders are

gone. In your career, you will be called on to do all three: lead, manage, and follow” (McKee,

2014, p. 4). I found the examples relevant and helpful to illustrate the concepts of the text. This

book helped to change my assumptions and attitudes toward leadership; I had previously held

unconscious assumptions in line with trait theory, and I believed that my lack of most classical

“leadership traits” meant that I could never be a successful leader (Green, 2016, p. 39; McKee,

2014, p. 45). The idea that “if you seek to learn how to lead, develop leadership competencies,

and increase your capacity for self-awareness, you are on the road to becoming a great leader”

was a new concept to me and has inspired me to cultivate my own leadership competencies

(emphasis in original, McKee, 2014, p. 25).

While Management: A Focus on Leaders contributed most strongly to my perspective

shift, it was Green’s (2016) Practicing the Art of Leadership which provided the foundation for

the leadership framework below. The emphasis on standards, competencies, and specific

behaviors helped me to see what leadership in practice actually looks like. The problem-based

scenarios, which illustrated the competencies and behaviors in action, were crucial for my

understanding of what these abstract concepts would mean in the real world. This text also gave

me a greater appreciation for “collaborative leadership as the type that is most likely to be

effective in 21st-century schools” and other settings (Green, 2016, p. 38).

Description of the Model

The framework below is patterned after the “Framework for Leadership: Types of

Evidence” document from the Pennsylvania Department of Education (2014). Each leadership
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domain is briefly defined and is illustrated by a pertinent quotation from one of the class texts.

Each domain is divided into components; each component is defined. Specific behaviors that

demonstrate evidence of the component of the leadership domain are then listed. As Green

(2016) observes, we are in a “period of standards, competencies, and accountability measures,”

and so this concrete depiction of behaviors and components of leadership domains seemed

appropriate (p. 50).

The model can be read either top-down (beginning with the domain and its definition,

and then working left to right on the grid through the component, description, and finally

behaviors) or from the bottom up (beginning with the specific behaviors and seeing how they are

clustered together under component descriptions and finally in the various leadership domains).

Either form of reading will give a leader an understanding of how day-to-day behaviors are

actually leadership in practice.

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DOMAIN 1: Philosophy of Leadership

A philosophy of leadership is a set of guiding values and principles that inform leadership practice in order to effectively motivate the
group to achieve the organizational goals. “Intellect, emotion, and spirit depend on one another for wholeness. They are interwoven in
the human self” (Palmer, 2017, p. 4).

Component Description Behaviors

Personal code of conduct
Professional ethics
Organizational values
An individual’s guiding values for personal
conduct and interacting with others
Adhering to the ethical guidelines of the
profession
Defining and seeking the values of the
organization and its culture
 Treats others with respect
 Models responsible workplace behavior
 Exhibits integrity by acting in accordance with
stated values and goals
 Values input from followers
 Maintains familiarity with best ethical practices
in the field
 Follows the ethical guidelines for professionals in
the discipline
 Defines organizational values and goals
 Seeks the advancement of the organization’s
vision rather than personal agendas

DOMAIN 2: Vision for Leaders

Leaders have a vision of their personal mission and ideal self and seek to grow into that purpose. “Articulating your ideal self is the
first step in intentional change, which is a process that results in sustainable change and development” (McKee, 2014, p. 14).

Component Description Behaviors

Personal mission Has a conception of a highest purpose in life  Describes the impact they wish to make in their
circle of influence
 Makes connections between personal goals and
personal values
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Hope Believes that a good future is attainable
Determination Demonstrates a commitment to achieving
personal mission and goals
DOMAIN 3: Vision for the Organization
Leaders have a vision for what the organization seeks to achieve, and they must communicate that vision to others and inspire them to
work for its achievement. “Leaders… have been called on to ask important questions about the organization’s future: ‘Where are we
going?’ ‘How are we going to get there?’ ‘What if?’” (McKee, 2014, p. 9).
Component Description
Organizational mission The reason the organization exists and the
purpose it seeks to fulfill
Core values The values and priorities that guide the
organization
Goal-setting Setting goals that further the organizational
mission
6
 Articulates a vision of a positive future
 Formulates personal goals
 Strategically works to achieve personal goals
 Makes decisions in alignment with the highest
purpose
 Perseveres toward personal vision despite
difficulties
Behaviors
 Articulates the purpose of the organization
 Communicates the organization’s purpose to
stakeholders
 Maintains a focus on the organizational mission
throughout decision-making
 Defines and shares the values of the organization
 Personally adheres to the core values of the group
 Cultivates an organizational culture that
prioritizes the core values
 Connects specific goals to the organization’s
mission
 Chooses courses of action that bring the
organization closer to the vision
 Evaluates projects and potential projects in light
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of the organization’s mission

DOMAIN 4: Method of Professional Growth

Leaders continuously work to strengthen their own professional knowledge and skills and also seek to foster professional growth in
the personnel of their organizations. “Essential tasks… are recruiting, selecting, employing, and retaining a quality teaching faculty…
Then, the professional growth of the faculty must be facilitated” (Green, 2016, p. 21).

Component Description Behaviors

Personal professional
growth
Quality personnel
Continuing education
Feedback
The leader’s own professional knowledge
and skill set
Hires and retains effective and qualified
personnel
Provides and supports continuing education
opportunities
The leader’s feedback to organizational
personnel
 Participates in professional communities
 Seeks feedback on personal practice
 Maintains a current knowledge of the
professional literature/conversation
 Recruits candidates who are qualified and well-
suited to the organization and its mission
 Supports existing employees/faculty
 Utilizes participatory decision-making when
appropriate
 Provides continuing education opportunities
within the organization
 Encourages staff to take advantage of external
professional development opportunities
 Suggests opportunities for continuing education
 Acknowledges professional growth
 Provides clear and actionable feedback
 Maintains consistent communication channels
 Encourages staff to strive for continuous
improvement
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DOMAIN 5: Communication Styles

Leaders communicate their vision and goals clearly and respectfully and seek to understand the needs and motivations of those within
their organization and from the surrounding community environment. “The leader is never in a position where communication is not
occurring” (Green, 2016, p. 144).

Component Description Behaviors

Empathy
Verbal communication
Non-verbal communication
Written communication
Understanding what others need and what
motivates them
Oral and/or sign-language communication,
in person or recorded
Body language and actions
Communication that is written or typed,
whether hard copy or electronic
 Practices active listening
 Understands the motivations of followers
 Demonstrates concern for the needs of others
 Views communication as a people process rather
than a language process
 Expresses meaning unambiguously
 Speaks clearly and at an appropriate pace
 Checks with listeners to ensure that meaning is
being understood
 Practices what they preach
 Demonstrates attention to the speaker through
body language, eye contact, etc.
 Body language, eye contact, voice modulation,
etc. are in accordance with the verbal message
being delivered
 Words and punctuation are used to convey
meaning without ambiguity
 Communication is written at the appropriate
reading and comprehension levels
 Written communication clarifies and/or codifies
verbal communication
 Written artifacts have been proofed and edited for
clarity and to be free of errors
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DOMAIN 6: Method of Vision Attainment

Leaders effectively manage their resources and lead their teams in order to achieve the organizational vision. Leaders “put a process
in place to assess progress toward vision attainment” (Green, 2016, p. 15).

Component Description Behaviors

Strategic plan The plan for moving the organization to
attain its mission
Organizational management Management of workflow, processes, and
resources
Assessment The evaluation process to determine the
successfulness of actions
 Establishes a comprehensive organizational plan
 Sets goals to move the organization toward its
mission
 Evaluates projects and potential projects in light
of the organizational vision
 Establishes processes to maximize the
effectiveness of workflow
 Manages resources ethically and effectively
 Evaluates organizational structure for
effectiveness and efficiency
 Establishes an effective evaluation process
 Reflects on results
 Integrates assessment results into plans for further
improvement
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References

Green, R. L. (2016). Practicing the art of leadership: A problem-based approach to

implementing the professional standards for educational leaders (5th Edition). NY, NY:

Pearson.

McKee, A. (2014). Management: A focus on leaders (2nd ed). Boston, MA: Pearson.

Palmer, P.J. (2017). The courage to teach (20th anniversary edition) [Kindle version]. Retrieved

from Amazon.com

Parlsoe, E., & Leedham, M. (2016). Coaching and mentoring: Practical techniques for

developing learning and performance (3rd ed.) [Kindle version]. Retrieved from

Amazon.com

Pennsylvania Department of Education. (2014). Framework for leadership: Types of evidence

[PDF file]. Retrieved from https://www.education.pa.gov/Documents/Teachers-

Administrators/Educator%20Effectiveness/Principals%20and%20CTC%20Directors/Gen

eral%20-%20Framework%20for%20Leadership%20Evidence%20List.pdf

Whitmarsh, L. (2018, August 22). 3 Steps to Becoming a Leader In an Academic Library.

Retrieved from https://www.wiley.com/network/librarians/library-impact/3-steps-to-

becoming-a-leader-in-an-academic-library