Four Core Competencies

Writer and management academic Warren Bennis identifies four core competencies that gifted leaders have in abundance:

1. Adaptive capacity - They see beyond the apparent. They know that they don't know what they don't know, so they're attuned to learning and see learning in failure. Noticing and the quest for knowledge enable them to see and seize opportunities.
2. The ability to engage others in a shared vision - Leaders encourage dissent and questioning because they use constructive criticism to enhance their adaptive capacity.
3. A distinctive voice - Their self-awareness, self-confidence, and self-control show in their character. They know that emotional intelligence - the understanding of feelings that enable people to succeed in life - fosters shared vision.
4. Integrity - Three components define it: ambition, competence, and a strong moral compass.