TECHNICAL REPORT

This report functions as a description of the process used to develop a leadership competency model. Although a variety of organizations could utilize this competency model, it was created with Central Michigan University’s student leaders as the intended focal point. The leadership competency model is being distributed to members of the campus community, including the Leadership Institute, the Leadership Council, members of the administration, faculty, interested employers, and interested student groups. The competency model was created by eight graduate students and Dr. Stephen Wagner in the Industrial/Organizational Psychology Practicum class during the fall semester of 2004. This model will serve as a basis for creating tools to aid in the development of leaders, including a multi-source feedback instrument and a handbook of developmental activities for leaders.

The purpose of the competency model is to help student leaders develop their skills, knowledge, and abilities in order to successfully perform in current and future leadership roles. Five leadership competency dimensions, as well as specific competencies for each dimension, were identified through examination of leadership literature, competency model literature, existing leadership competency models, taxonomies of relevant knowledge, skills, and abilities in the Occupational Information Network (O*NET), and through conducting interviews with different groups of constituents having a vested interest in leadership development.

Each class member provided unique insights gathered from the above sources and collaborated to develop the competency model. Each class member took responsibility for gathering data from a specific constituency and providing information from that process. The following technical report provides detailed descriptions of the process for developing this leadership competency model. The appendices of the report provide interview guides and sorting exercises utilized in the process of developing the competency model.

Literature Review

The literature review consisted of readings on two subjects, the concept and process of competency modeling, and leadership theory and development. References for the literature reviewed are listed on page 10. The process began with readings describing what competency models are, how they are developed, and how they relate to the more common practice of job analysis (Schippmann, 1999). Effective interviewing techniques were reviewed to enhance qualitative data collection skills (Stewart & Cash, 1988). The critical incidence technique of job analysis was also reviewed (Levine, 1983). Once a foundation for understanding competency models was established, theories of leadership and leadership development were reviewed. Sources were academically oriented and included books (e.g., Northouse, 2004) and journal articles (e.g., Eagly, Johannesen-Schmidt, & Van Engen, 2003). Topics reviewed included issues such as leadership development, ethics, diversity, self-concept, gender, and leading under pressure. In addition to these sources, a book on O*NET (Peterson, Mumford, Borman, Jeanneret, & Fleishman, 1999) provided guidance in how leadership core competencies could be conceptualized and described.

Review of Leadership Competency Models

An Internet search for existing leadership competency models yielded a wide variety of results in terms of quality, content, and appearance. The Websites reviewed are presented on page 12. The majority of the models reviewed came from government and military organizations. Additional sources were academic institutions and private corporations. The models were very diverse in quality. While some had specific definitions for factors, others were vague and abstract. The content of some of the models was extremely thorough, whereas, others had limited content and a narrow definition of leadership. Most of the models included competencies related to task management and leading others; however the inclusion of other factors was inconsistent across models. Many competencies were also tailored to the organization for which the model was established. These existing models were reviewed and discussed among the practicum class.

After reviewing existing leadership competency models, each member of the practicum class developed their own leadership competency model. The models were broad, ranging from three up to ten or more factors. These models were again reviewed and discussed within the group. Aggregating the information learned from the existing and created competency models, the practicum class reached a consensus model (see Appendix A). This a priori model consisted of five dimensions with numerous potential core competencies listed under each dimension. The a priori model served as a basis for discussion and a reference utilized in defining the leadership dimensions and conducting interviews and content analyses. Initial definitions of each dimension were also developed by small groups and refined by discussion of the whole group (see Appendix B).

Content Analysis of O*NET and an Existing Competency Model

The content of O*NET and an existing competency taxonomy for management (Schippman, 1999) were also analyzed by the class. O*NET is an online descriptive reference tool developed and maintained by the United States Department of Labor. This tool provides an extensive list of jobs and describes the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to successfully perform these jobs. O*NET breaks down job characteristics into twenty-one categories; several of these categories were relevant to leadership. These include: basic and cross-functional skills, knowledges, abilities, work styles, generalized work activities, work context, and organizational context. Sorting exercises completed for these aspects of O*NET are presented in Appendices C through I. The eight members of the practicum class individually indicated which competencies within each category were relevant to leadership development. Competencies identified as relevant were sorted into the dimensions of the model. To determine which competencies to retain, a consensus approach was used. At least four of members of the practicum class had to agree that the competency was applicable to leadership in order for the competency to be retained. For those competencies that were rated as important to multiple dimensions, the dimension the competency was categorized under was determined by short discussion. A similar process was used to sort the work activities in Schippmann’s (1999) management taxonomy. The practicum class then collectively defined the competencies identified as important, and eliminated any redundant items to arrive at the final competency list for each dimension.

Interviews with Student Leaders

The opinions of current CMU students in various leadership positions on campus were highly relevant because the focus of the leadership competency model was to aid student leadership. Their direct and immediate experience with student leadership roles were explored through the process of interviewing.

Two members of the practicum class were assigned the task of interviewing student leaders on campus. The first step of the process was to identify the sample. In this stage the researchers examined the list of Registered Student Organizations on campus on CMU’s Student Life website. From this preliminary list, organizations were eliminated that were not academically or service oriented. Those eliminated included clubs such as social fraternities, sororities, and sports teams. The list reduced to forty organizations. Presidents of these organizations were contacted through e-mail and by phone and were requested to participate in an interview. Overall fifteen of the forty student leaders responded and agreed to be interviewed. The interview process generally lasted from 30-45 minutes. Two separate forms of the interview were used (see Appendix J). In addition to the lead questions in the interview guides, several probing questions were asked depending on the responses provided and the interviewees’ area of expertise. Interviewees were also requested to complete a critical incident survey. These asked for examples of either excellent or poor leadership in each of the five dimensions identified in the a priori competency model. Four of the fifteen interviewees returned the filled out critical incidents.

Survey of Alumni

Graduates of CMU were also thought to have valuable insights about leadership. Their insights on the competencies of leadership were explored through the process of surveying.

Guidelines for content of the interview questions were developed by the class, and a survey was developed based on these guidelines so that it would contain all of the components of the interview questions in a format that could be administered electronically (see Appendix K). This was done to reach a greater number of respondents so as to collect more information. To keep the survey at a reasonable length, the questions were split so that a Form A and Form B existed. The Leadership Survey Form A contained questions regarding the competencies and work activities that a leader must have or be able to perform and Form B contained questions regarding the environment that a leader must work in and the strategic factors to which they must be able to adapt. A Critical Incident Leadership Survey was also developed to find anecdotal evidence of either exceptional or poor leadership. The Critical Incident Leadership Survey Form A asked respondents to give examples of both good and poor leadership for the following competencies: Self-Management, Leading Others, and Social Responsibility, and Form B asked for examples of good and poor leadership for the following competencies: Leading Others, Task Management, and Innovation. The surveys were checked by the instructor and were given to three outside parties to check for ease of completion and comprehensibility of instructions prior to administration.

The Alumni Office of Central Michigan University and the Leadership Office were contacted for lists of alumni to participate in the survey. The Alumni Office sent a long list of names (over 200), over half of which included usable e-mail addresses. Additionally, all of the names on the alumni list had been identified as an outstanding leader, and most of them had very prestigious job titles. A total of 83 e-mails were sent out containing either Leadership Survey Form A or Form B, and 39 e-mails were sent out containing the Critical Incident Survey Form A or Form B. Complete responses were received from 13 respondents for Leadership Survey Form A, 5 for Leadership Survey Form B, and 3 for Critical Incident Leadership Survey Form A. In total, 122 e-mails were sent out with 21 respondents completing the surveys, resulting in a response rate of 17.2%.

Survey of Employers

Preparing students to succeed in leadership roles during their careers is an important goal of leadership development at CMU. Employers of CMU graduates were surveyed to identify leadership competency requirements in their organizations.

The process for gathering data from employers began with development of a survey instrument. It was determined that the survey would be sent out to specific individuals in organizations that hired CMU students, and so the instrument needed to be designed in a way that would be easily accessible. The interview was a document that could be downloaded and completed and returned via electronic communications (see Appendix L). This meant that the number of questions needed to be minimized in order to increase the chances that the respondent would fill out the survey. The survey was divided into two parts. One list of questions was developed and then divided up into two forms so that all questions would get asked, but not all to the same person. At the end of both forms was attached a second section seeking information about a positive and a negative critical incident on leadership. This section was the same for both forms. These critical incident questions were written about only one of the five competency dimensions; therefore, each survey that was sent out asked about only one of the five dimensions, but all five were rotated to different respondents so they would be distributed equally.

Identifying potential respondents was made easy by the fortunate timing of a career fair that was hosted by CMU. Included in the career fair materials was a document which listed 97 e-mail addresses of potential employers of CMU graduates. Rather than just sending the surveys directly to the e-mails listed, it was determined that going to the career fair and providing handouts and discussing the upcoming e-mail survey would maximize the probability of a good response rate. The surveys were e-mailed within one week of the career fair, and 17 surveys from employees at a diverse group of organizations were returned with partial or complete responses. The most frequently omitted section was the critical incident questions, however, all respondents provided a wealth of information and perspectives about leadership.

Interviews with Faculty

Faculty from a wide range of disciplines at Central Michigan University were selected as potential interviewees in an effort to validate the competency model. Faculty members were chosen for several reasons. First, the competency model was designed primarily for use by university students to develop as leaders, and many undergraduate students view faculty as role models for leadership in the academic setting. Additionally, the faculty of the university provided a convenient opportunity to interview professionals across a wide range of job families in one location.

Twenty faculty members representing every college at Central Michigan University (College of Business Administration, College of Communication and Fine Arts, College of Education and Human Services, College of Health Professions, College of Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences, and College of Science and Technology) were initially contacted via e-mail and office phone. Faculty were selected based on representation of the widest possible range of major fields, demographic characteristics, and courses taught (e.g. some faculty teach courses designated as “leadership” courses at the university). Nine faculty members agreed to participate, resulting in a response rate of 45%. No faculty from the College of Science and Technology chose to participate; all other colleges were well represented in the final group of interviewees.

Participating faculty were all interviewed in person by one member of the practicum class; the same interviewer used an identical structured interview guide to interview all faculty members (see Appendix M). Thus, the interviews were standardized with the exception of individualized follow-up probes when appropriate, resulting in a semi-structured interview format. In general, the nine faculty interviewees were asked to evaluate the initial competency model dimensions in terms of relevance to the applied practice of their discipline and to speculate regarding the future of leadership in their discipline as well as how Central Michigan University students can best prepare themselves to become leaders in these fields outside of the academic setting. Interviews ranged from thirty minutes to one hour in duration. Information gathered from faculty interviews was then used to enhance the competency model. Additions and deletions were made where appropriate, and added material was kept in as close to the original language of the interviewees as possible while protecting the confidentiality of the interviewees.

Interviews with Leadership Council

One member of the practicum class was assigned to conduct one-on-one interviews with CMU’s Leadership Council. This group is one of the many committees reporting to the Academic Senate and is responsible for creating, regulating, and modifying university-wide programs and courses relating to the study of leadership. This committee is comprised of two student representatives and eight faculty/administration members. Because of their integral role with leadership study at CMU, their opinions and views regarding the definition of leadership and vital aspects to leadership development were essential to incorporate.

Over the course of two weeks, eight faculty/administrators from the Leadership Council were interviewed. Each interview was conducted either in the privacy of the council member’s office or another private setting. Length of the interview time ranged from forty minutes to as long as two hours. This varied length of time was based on the degree of detail of interviewee responses and their willingness to continue with the interview process over more than one interview session. Only two council members were unable to complete the entire interview form (see Appendix N).

Within twenty-four hours after the interview’s conclusion, a thank-you e-mail was individually sent to each interviewee by the interviewer. This e-mail included survey questions tapping critical incidents of leadership behavior (see Appendix N). Interviewees were asked to respond to the critical incident survey as an e-mail reply.

Overall, 100% (eight of the eight council members) agreed to an interview and provided responses in a one-on-one interview format. Responses were collected for three weeks instead of the original two due to requests for additional time from some of the council members. This resulted in a 63% response rate to the critical leadership incident survey (i.e. 5 of the eight council members provided a leadership story).

Interviews with Administrators

Administrators of CMU were also thought to have valuable insights about leadership. Because of their various authority positions on campus and their effect on the current leadership culture at CMU, the opinions of members of this constituency were also considered highly relevant to the development of a student model of leadership development at CMU.

Participants of this interview process included five top administrative leaders, although more were approached, at Central Michigan University. The goal was to identify those competencies that these leaders felt are, or were, most important to leadership. Scheduling was an issue with this set of participants. Most have busy schedules, therefore interviews ranged from fifteen minutes in length to one hour. All participants seemed willing to help out and displayed an interest in the study. An effort was taken at the beginning of each interview to establish a rapport with each interviewee. This was done both to introduce the interviewer and respective department to the interviewee, as well as to increase the likelihood of an open and frank discussion of the topic. Time was also taken to explain the topic at hand and indicate the goals of the interview.

All participants believed that “honesty” and “integrity” were the foremost qualities needed by a leader. Nearly all participants agreed with the a priori model we had developed. Other recommendations that stood out were the ideas of Giving and Receiving Feedback, Leading by Example, and Accountability. As well, the idea of competencies being compensatory was put forth. Being Compensatory refers to the ability to identify one’s weaknesses and delegate tasks that require those skills to a constituent. Most felt that there is a minimum requirement of overall competency to become a leader. A copy of all interviews can be found in Appendix O.

Integrating Information Collected

The report titled, ‘A Leadership Competency Model: Describing the Capacity to Lead’, was developed by integrating the information collected during the literature review, content analyses, interviews, and surveys. First, core competencies for each dimension of the leadership competency model and important situations for each dimension were identified through the content analyses. The model was then supplemented with information collected during the interviews, surveys, and literature review. The practicum class refined the content of the report individually, in small groups, and in discussions involving the entire class. Core competencies in each dimension of leadership competency were organized into common factors. Definitions of each dimension were refined. Highlight of interviews with the university community were prepared. In the final report, each dimension of leadership competency was described by: a) displaying a model of the core competencies for that dimension, b) defining the leadership dimension, c) providing examples of excellent and poor leadership behavior for that dimension, d) defining the core competencies for that dimension, and e) identifying situations that require focusing on that dimension.

Academic References

Bass, B. M., & Steidlmeier, P. (1998). Ethics, character, and authentic transformational leadership. http://cls.binghamton.edu/BassSteid.html

Chemers, M.M., Watson, C.B., May, S.T. (2000). Dispositional affect and leadership effectiveness: A comparison of self-esteem, optimism, and efficacy. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 3, 267-277.

Eagly, A. H., Johannesen-Schmidt, M. C., & Van Engen, M. L. (2003). Transformational, transactional, and laissez-faire leadership styles: A meta-analysis comparing men and women. Psychological Bulletin, 129(4), 569-591.

Fulmer, R. M. (2004). The challenge of ethical leadership. Organizational Dynamics, 33, 307-317.

Gardner, W. L., & Schermerhorn, J. R. Jr. (2004). Unleashing individual potential: Performance gains through positive

organizational behavior and authentic leadership. Organizational Dynamics, 33, 270-281.

Greenberg, J. (2005). Managing behavior in organizations (4th Ed.). Pearson-Prentice Hall: Upper Saddle River,

New Jersey.

Hellenbeck, G. P., & Hall D. T. (2004). Self-confidence and leader performance. Organizational Dynamics, 33, 254-269.

Levine, E. L. (1983). Everything you always wanted to know about job analysis and more!-- A job analysis primer. Tampa, FL: Mariner Publishing Co.

London, M. (2002). Introduction: Dimensions of effective leadership. In Leadership Development (pp. 1-24). Mahwah,

NJ: LEA.

London, M., & Maurer, T. J. (2004). Leadership development: A diagnostic model for continuous learning in dynamic organizations. In The Nature of Leadership, Antonakis, J., Cianciolo, A. T., & Sternberg, R. J. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Lorenzi, P. (2004). Managing for the common good: Prosocial leadership. Organizational Dynamics, 33, 282-291.

McCauley, C.D. (2004). Successful and Unsuccessful Leadership. In Antonakis, J., Cianciolo, A.T., and Sternberg, R.J. (eds) The Nature of Leadership. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

McKenna, R. B., & Yost, P. R. (2004). The differentiated leader: Specific strategies for handling today’s adverse situations. Organizational Dynamics, 33, 292-306.

Northouse, P. G. (2004). Leadership: theory and practice. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, Inc.

Peterson, N. G., Mumford, M. D., Borman, W. C., Jeanneret, P. R., & Fleishman, E. A. (1999). An occupational

information system for the 21^st century: The development of O*NET. Washington, D. C.: American Psychological

Association.

Riggio, R. E., Ciulla, J. B., & Sorenson, G. J. (2003). Leadership education at the undergraduate level: A liberal arts approach to leadership development. In Murphy, S. E., & Riggio, R. E. (Eds.), The future of leadership development (pp. 223-236). Mahwah, NJ: USum Associates.

Schippmann, J. S. (1999). Strategic job modeling: Working at the core of integrated human resources. Mahwah, NJ: LEA.

Stewart, C. J., & Cash, W. B. (1988). Interviewing: Principles and practices (5^th Ed.). Dubuque, IA: Wm. C. Brown Publishers.

Van Fleet, D. D. (1974). Toward identifying critical elements in a behavioral description of leadership. Public Personnel Management, 3, 70-82.

Van Velsor, E., McCauley, C.D., & Moxley, R.S. (1998). Our view of leadership development. The Center for Creative

Leadership Handbook of Leadership Development. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Internet References

The Air War College’s Center for Strategic Leadership Studies, http://leadership.au.af.mil/sls-skil.htm

The Air Force’s Leadership Development Model, http://leadership.au.af.mil/af/afldm.htm

Alberta Public Service: http://www.pao.gov.ab.ca/learning/competencies/apscomp/

Army ROTC leadership minor. (n.d.) Retrieved September 4, 2004, from Slippery Rock University website: http://www.sru.edu/pages/286.asp

Business Leadership Center. (n.d.) Retrieved September 4, 2004, from Virginia Tech website: http://www.cob.vt.edu/buslead/BLM%20Home.htm

The Center for Naval Leadership’s Handbook for Civilian Leadership Training, https://www.netc.navy.mil/cnet/cld/cld_imphb.pdf

The Coast Guard’s Competencies for Leadership Development, http://www.uscg.mil/hq/g-w/g-wt/g-wtl/leadci/index.htm

Leadership competency definitions. (2004). Retrieved September 9, 2004, from Federal Energy Regulatory Commission website: http://www.ferc.gov/careers/curr-open/ses-leader.asp

IRS Leadership Competency Model (21 competencies resulting from a 360 assessment study, presented by Dr Jim Trinka, Director of Leadership and Organizational Effectiveness, IRS Strategic Human Resources), http://leadership.au.af.mil/documents/360_study_wye.ppt

The Leadership Center Competency Model from the Los Alamos National Laboratory, http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/gov/lanl-ldr-devguide.pdf

Maine Management Services. (2004). Leadership competencies for Maine state government. Retrieved September 8, 2004, from http://www.maine.gov/bhr/mms/leadership/index.html

NASA’s Leadership Development Model, http://leadership.nasa.gov/nasa/lmd/home.htm

The Office of Personnel Management’s Leadership Competencies and Key Characteristics, http://www.opm.gov/ses/competent.asp

Tufts University. (2003). Tufts university leadership competency model. Retrieved September, 2004, from http://www.tufts.edu/hr/odt/comp_model.htm

U. S. Coast Guard. (2004, February). Coast guard leadership competencies. Retrieved September, 2004, from http://www.uscg.mil/leadership/leadci/encl1.htm

Appendix A: A Priori Leadership Competency Model

Self Management	Influencing Others	Task Management	Innovation	Social Responsibility
Trait Theories of Leadership	Behavioral Leadership Theories	Situational Leadership Theories	Transformational Leadership Theory	Leadership Ethics
Path-Goal Theory of Leadership	Leader-Member Exchange Theory	Decision-Making Theories of Leadership	Charismatic Leadership Theory	Task-specific Ethical Standards
Self-Image Theories	Influence Tactics/ Persuasion	Electronic-Leadership Theories	Systems Thinking, Open-Systems Theories	Cultural Diversity/ Civil Rights/Global Awareness
Knowledge of Personal Values	Group Dynamics (e.g., minority influence)	Task-specific Knowledge & Experience	Diverse, Interdisciplinary Knowledge & Experience	Theories of Moral Development
Seeking Feedback	Oral and Written Communication	Goal-Setting	Strategic Planning	Recognizing Defining Moments
Stress Management	Conflict Management	Delegation	Creativity	Defining Ethical Issues
Independent, Continuous Learning	Team Building	Providing Feedback (Praise & Criticism)	Creating a vision	Identifying Affected Parties/Consequences
Acknowledges Mistakes	Active Listening	Resource Management	Recognizing Opportunities	Moral Reasoning
Introspection	Negotiation	Time Management	Taking Initiative	Empathy
Adaptation	Coalition Building	Problem-Solving	Inferential Thinking	Keeping Promises
Tolerance for Ambiguity	Political Savvy	Empowering Others	Resilience	Honesty
Self-esteem	Non-verbal Communication	Setting Priorities	Entrepreneurial Risk Taking	Sense of Civic Responsibility
Self-efficacy	Extraversion	Conscientiousness	Persistence/Determination	Integrity
Courage	Agreeableness	Work Ethic	Cognitive Ability	Respect for Others
Emotional Stability	Emotional Intelligence	Position Power	Openness to Experience	Compassion
Internal Self-monitoring	Sense of Humor	Need for Achievement	Resourcefulness	Values Fairness
Self-actualizing	Values Relationships	Values Development of Others	Need to Test Status Quo	Values Citizenship

Good leaders know their own values, strengths, and limitations and are able to control their emotions and behaviors. They must seek personal development by being willing to seek help when needed or admit when they have made a mistake and by engaging in continuous learning. They should be able to manage and adapt to stressful or dynamic situation.

Leaders must maximize the potential of others to meet the organization’s vision, mission, and goals. They must be able to manage individual and group performance with an understanding of group dynamics and team building. Leaders must actively listen and communicate effectively to persuade others and build consensus and trust. They should understand and be empathetic toward individual’s emotions and needs and be able to resolve conflicts in a respectful manner.

Leaders are ultimately responsible for the group/organization attaining its objectives. This involves using task-specific knowledge and experience to guide the group/organization. Leaders must engage in problem solving, delegation, time and resource management, and setting priorities and goals. Leaders must strive for results and provide feedback to ensure effective contributions from all constituents. Successful leaders empower others and model good work ethics.

Leaders must be able to think creatively while taking initiative and calculated risks. Effective leaders have a vision beyond the immediate work of the group/organization. This involves exploring and integrating diverse perspectives, recognizing unexpected opportunities, and obtaining resources needed to achieve progress.

The purpose of this interview is to discuss in detail your role as a student leader on-campus and the responsibilities you assume as the president of ‘RSO Name’, and your expectations of good and bad leadership competencies. We would like you to think carefully and consider your personal experiences before answering each question. Please ask us for clarifications if you are not clear with any part of the question.

1. Consider all of the knowledge, skills and abilities that are important to have in a student leadership position. Which competencies do you feel are most important to successful leadership?

- Which competencies are most important in the social responsibility of leadership?

2. As a student leader, what types of activities do you typically perform in a leadership role?

- What leadership skills and competencies do you see yourself using in the completion of these tasks?

3. There can be many factors in the environment that affect how a person leads, such as stress level, and number of people in the group. What elements in the environment do you feel have an impact on your leadership? What type of environment do you feel is most conducive to you being successful as a leader?

The PSY 790I class of fall 2004 is developing a Leadership Competency Model for the Leadership Institute at CMU. You have been selected for this interview because of your unique role as president of ‘RSO Name’ at CMU. This survey focuses on defining competencies that make good and bad leaders. We believe that you will be able to provide us with insightful experiences as a result of the role you execute as the president of your organization and the leadership activities you regularly engage in.

In the following survey we have defined certain competencies that we think are required of leaders. Each competency is explained in brief. We would like you to read carefully the description of each of the competencies, think of a situation or context in which the competency was displayed at its best and the specific activities or behaviors that the leader engaged in that were effective. Similarly think of another situation or context in which the competency was displayed at its worse and the specific activities or behaviors that the leader engaged in that were ineffective. Also, discuss the outcome (consequences) for each incident. You can draw on to your personal experiences as president or you could provide examples of other leaders whom you have interacted with. Please ask for clarifications if you are not clear with any part of the question.

Thank you for your participation. We really appreciate your time and effort. If you have any questions regarding this survey or wish to seek results, please contact Professor Steve Wagner at wagne1sw@cmich.edu.

a. What interpersonal competencies are important to aid a leader in working with others?

b. What competencies are important to aid a leader in self-awareness, or the knowledge of one’s self and ability to control one’s emotions?

c. What task management competencies are important to help the leader with the successful and efficient completion of tasks?

d. What innovative competencies would help a leader to be able to expand horizons and adapt to change?

e. What socially responsible competencies would help a leader to act ethically and morally and with respect toward others?

a. What activities should a leader be able to do that involve working with people?

b. What activities should a leader be able to do that involve self-awareness or insight into their personal experiences?

c. What activities should a leader be able to do that involve expertise in an area and the ability to complete a task successfully?

d. What activities should a leader be able to do that involve changing or adapting to change or using innovative strategies?

e. What activities should a leader be able to do that involve ethical decisions and acting with social and moral responsibility?

b. What aspects of the Leader’s environment involve knowledge or awareness of one’s self or control of one’s own emotions?

c. What aspects of the Leader’s environment involve the successful and efficient completion of tasks?

d. What aspects of the Leader’s environment involve innovation or being able to institute and adapt to change?

e. What aspects of the Leader’s environment involve ethical decisions and acting with social and moral responsibility?

5. What strategic factors (e.g., mission statement, vision, global concerns, etc.) must a Leader be aware of and be able to adapt to?

b. What strategic factors involve knowledge of one’s self or the ability to control one’s emotions?

c. What strategic factors involve being able to successfully and efficiently complete tasks?

d. What strategic factors involve innovation or being able to institute and adapt to change?

e. What strategic factors involve ethical decisions and acting with social and moral responsibility?

An example of a good critical incident for a bus driver follows…

After picking up his passengers at their stop, the bus driver began driving but noticed that a car was pulled over on the side of the road with smoke coming from the top of the car. Realizing that if he stopped to assist the person he would make his passengers late for their respective destinations, the bus driver instead radioed 911 to call for police and paramedics to assist the person. On his next stop around, the bus driver noticed that the police and ambulance were there assisting the person who was unharmed.

An example of a poor critical incident for a bus driver follows…

Already running a little behind schedule, the bus driver began to speed and change lanes quickly to try to get back on schedule. During a lane shift, the bus driver failed to signal and check if anyone was in the lane. The bus struck the front portion of a car in the next lane as it changed lanes. Still worried that he was running behind schedule, the bus driver failed to stop and make sure the other driver was okay or radio the police. The other driver then called the police and filed a report against the bus driver. The bus driver was fired as a result of the accident and complaint.

An example of a good critical incident for a bus driver follows…

An example of a poor critical incident for a bus driver follows…

Leadership Competence Survey

Thank you for your willingness to provide feedback to the Leadership Institute at Central Michigan University. As an employer of CMU students, your input about leadership competencies is very valuable information as we strive to develop leaders for the future. As you fill out this survey, please focus your attention on the new employees that are hired directly out of college.

In considering the expectations of the new employee on the typical first job assignment, what activities most require leadership competence?

How valuable is leadership development in the strategic mission of your organization?

Where do you see the value of leadership in your organization in the future? How do you think the concept of leadership is changing?

What are some specific competencies a new employee must have when they are dealing with the individuals they are responsible for?

What do you think are the most important self-management competencies a new employee must have to be effective?

As you look to the future of your organization, what leadership competencies are most important for your employees to have or to develop during their careers?

Please describe the typical type of job that a new employee would experience in your organization? Please include a general description of the type of work, and the work environment? What is the organizational culture like? Is the organization multinational?

What are the interpersonal situations that new employees typically encounter? Do they have any subordinates? Do they work in teams or groups of some sort?

The following are five categories of leadership competence. Please rank each of these competency categories based on how important each one is for the success of the new employee in your organization. Please rank order all five categories, assigning “1” to the most important category and “5” to the least important. No two categories can have the same rank.

Now, please rate each of the categories for importance on a scale of 1 to 5. Rate each one individually. More than one category may have the same rating.

What do you think are the most important task management competencies one must have to be effective as a new employee?

What are some specific competencies a new employee must have to be an innovative leader?

What do you think are the most important competencies one must have to be a socially responsible leader?

Critical Incident Survey

What were the outcomes of this effective behavior for the organization or for the individual?

What were the outcomes of this ineffective behavior for the organization or for the individual?

1. Tell me about what leaders in your discipline are like -- not academics but leaders in the applied settings.

2. How is leadership in your discipline affected by the context of work, that is, the work environment, organizational culture, the way work is performed, etc.?

3. Describe the specific activities and responsibilities of leaders in your discipline. Please describe specific behaviors that are particularly relevant to leadership in your discipline.

4. Think about the future of your discipline. How are leadership roles going to change in the next twenty years.

5. How well are students at CMU prepared to take on leadership roles in your discipline

What could be do better in order to prepare CMU students to take on leadership roles?

Are there any extra-curricular experiences that you feel better prepare students to obtain leadership positions in their future careers?

LEADERSHIP COUNCIL STRUCTURED INTERVIEW GUIDE

Competencies

Suppose you are responsible for selecting someone to fill a leadership position. Describe what you would look for in a potential candidate, including positive indicators and warning signs that the person would not be a successful leader.

More specifically, what knowledge skills and abilities do you believe are required for successful leadership?

Of the skills and abilities you mentioned, which do you believe one could learn through course work and/or training programs and which do you believe one could NOT learn through course work and/or training programs?

Strategic Factors

Regarding the future success of CMU, why is developing tomorrow’s leaders a crucial strategy for this university?

What do you believe are successful strategies for programs trying to focus on leadership development?

Work Activities

Now think about what a leader does. What duties and/or activities do leaders generally perform?

Are there any activities you believe a successful leader shouldn’t be performing (i.e. delegating to others)?

Are there any past activities or experiences that one may have had that would contribute to successful leadership?

Are there any tools or technology that you feel significantly contribute to the practice of successful leadership?

Work Contexts

Please think about the different situations settings or conditions in which leaders are expected to perform. Overall, what types of settings or conditions are ideal for successful leadership to occur?

Which conditions or settings do you feel pose the greatest challenge for those in leadership positions?

The purpose of this survey is to gather information about leadership behaviors that are necessary for successful performance. The critical incident example below is an anecdote of a leadership activity that could be considered an example of outstanding leadership performance:

A misunderstanding developed between the data processing team and the data collection team. The project leader met with both the data processing team leader and the data collection team leader to investigate the problem. The project leader worked to develop compromise solutions with both team leaders and the misunderstanding was resolved.

Using the following questions as a guide, please give an example of a critical leadership incident that exemplifies outstanding leadership performance and a critical leadership incident that exemplifies poor leadership performance.

Please describe a specific situation in which you or a colleague in a leadership role exhibited superior leadership performance. In your description, please include what led up to the incident and the setting in which it occurred.

What did this person do, specifically, that qualified their behavior as superior?

What were the specific consequences of the person’s actions, and were these consequences actually within this person’s control?

Now describe a situation in which someone in a leadership role exhibited extremely poor leadership performance. Remember to include what led up to the incident and the setting in which it occurred.

What did this person do, specifically, that qualified their behavior as extremely poor?

What were the specific consequences of their actions, and were these consequences actually within this person’s control?

The following is my structured interview for administrative personnel at CMU. I’m planning on establishing a rapport with the individuals, either over the phone or in person. I’ll then ask them if it is most convenient for them to fill out the structured interview through email, or if they would like me to write down their answers.

Q: What are some competencies that you think are important, or essential, to the leadership program?

Probes: Can you think of any other competencies that might be beneficial, maybe even tangentially related?

Q: What are the work activities that are associated with the aforementioned competencies?

Q: Of the previously mentioned competencies, which are those that you see as important to the direction and strategic mission of the leadership department?

Which of these competencies are in most accord with the strategic goals of the leadership program?

The following is a set of questions regarding the best and worst examples of effective leadership behaviors.

Knowledges	Self Management	Leading Others	Task Management	Innovation	Social Responsibility
Administration and Management
Clerical
Economics and Accounting
Sales and Marketing
Customer and Personal Service
Personnel and Human Resources
Production and Processing
Food Production
Computers and Electronics
Engineering and Technology
Design
Building and Construction
Mechanical
Mathematics
Physics
Chemistry
Biology
Psychology
Sociology and Anthropology
Geography
Medicine and Dentistry
Therapy and Counseling
Education and Training
English Language
Knowledges	Self Management	Leading Others	Task Management	Innovation	Social Responsibility
Foreign Language
Fine Arts
History and Archaeology
Philosophy and Theology
Public Safety and Security
Law, Government, and Jurisprudence
Tele- communications
Communications and Media
Transportation

Basic & Cross-Functional Skills	Self Management	Leading Others	Task Management	Innovation	Social Responsibility
Reading Comprehension
Active Listening
Writing
Speaking
Mathematics
Science
Active Learning
Learning Strategies
Monitoring
Critical Thinking
Problem Identification
Information Gathering
Information Organization
Synthesis/ Reorganization
Idea Generation
Idea Evaluation
Implementation Planning
Solution Appraisal
Social Perceptiveness
Coordination
Persuasion
Negotiation
Instructing
Service Orientation
Operations Analysis
Technology Design
Basic & Cross-Functional Skills	Self Management	Leading Others	Task Management	Innovation	Social Responsibility
Equipment Selection
Installation
Programming
Testing
Operation Monitoring
Operation and Control
Product Inspection
Equipment Maintenance
Troubleshooting
Repairing
Visioning
Systems Perception
Identification of Downstream Consequences
Identification of Key Causes
Judgment and Decision Making
Systems Evaluation
Time Management
Management of Financial Resources
Management of Material Resources
Management of Personnel Resources

Abilities	Self Management	Leading Others	Task Management	Innovation	Social Responsibility
Oral comprehension
Written comprehension
Oral Expression
Written Expression
Fluency of Ideas
Originality
Problem Sensitivity
Deductive Reasoning
Inductive Reasoning
Information Gathering
Category Flexibility
Mathematical Reasoning
Number Facility
Memorization
Speed of Closure
Flexibility of Closure
Perceptual Speed
Spatial Organization
Visualization
Selective Attention
Time Sharing
Arm-hand Steadiness
Manual Dexterity
Finger Dexterity
Control Precision
Multilimb Coordination
Abilities	Self Management	Leading Others	Task Management	Innovation	Social Responsibility
Response Orientation
Rate Control
Reaction Time
Wrist-Finger Speed
Speed of Limb Movement
Static Strength
Explosive Strength
Dynamic Strength
Trunk Strength
Stamina
Extent Flexibility
Dynamic Flexibility
Gross Body Coordination
Gross Body Equilibrium
Near Vision
Far Vision
Visual Color Discrimination
Night Vision
Peripheral Vision
Depth Perception
Glare Sensitivity
Hearing Sensitivity
Auditory Attention
Sound Localization
Speech Recognition
Speech Clarity

Work Styles	Self Management	Leading Others	Task Management	Innovation	Social Responsibility
Achievement/ Effort
Persistence
Initiative
Energy
Leadership Orientation
Cooperation
Concern for Others
Social Orientation
Self-Control
Stress Tolerance
Adaptability/ Flexibility
Dependability
Attention to Detail
Integrity
Independence
Innovation
Analytic Thinking

Generalized Work Activities	Self Management	Leading Others	Task Management	Innovation	Social Responsibility
Getting information needed for job
Monitoring processes, …
Identifying objects, actions…
Inspecting equipment…
Estimating characteristics of materials…
Judging the qualities of objects, services or persons
Evaluating information for compliance
Processing information
Analyzing data
Making decisions/solving problems
Thinking creatively
Updating and using job knowledge
Developing objectives and strategies
Scheduling work and activities
Organizing, planning, prioritizing work
Performing general physical activities
Generalized Work Activities	Self Management	Leading Others	Task Management	Innovation	Social Responsibility
Handling and moving objects
Controlling machines and processes
Operating vehicles, equipment
Interacting with computers
Drafting, laying-out, and specifying technical devices
Implementing ideas, programs, systems…
Repairing and maintaining mechanical equipment
Repairing and maintaining electronic equipment
Documenting and recording information
Interpreting the meaning of information for others
Communicating with coworkers
Communicating with persons outside organization
Establishing and maintaining interpersonal relationships
Generalized Work Activities	Self Management	Leading Others	Task Management	Innovation	Social Responsibility
Assisting and caring for others
Selling or influencing others
Resolving conflicts and negotiating with others
Performing for or working directly with the public
Coordinating the work and activities of others
Developing and building teams
Teaching others
Guiding, directing , and motivating subordinates
Coaching and developing others
Providing consultation and advice to others
Performing administrative activities
Staffing organizational units
Monitoring and controlling resources

An example of a good critical incident for a bus driver follows…

An example of a poor critical incident for a bus driver follows…

Good

Good

Poor

Good

Poor

An example of a good critical incident for a bus driver follows…

An example of a poor critical incident for a bus driver follows…

Good

Poor

Good

Good

Poor

Leadership Competence Survey

Critical Incident Survey

LEADERSHIP COUNCIL STRUCTURED INTERVIEW GUIDE

Competencies

Strategic Factors

Work Activities

Work Contexts

Students

Work Context	Self Management	Leading Others	Task Management	Innovation	Social Responsibility
Formality of Communication
Communication Method
Objectivity of Information Communicated
Frequency of Job-Required Social Interaction
Privacy of Communication
Supervisory Roles
Sales Roles
Service Roles
Adversarial Roles
Team Participation Roles
Responsibility for Safety of Others
Interpersonal Conflict
Strained Interpersonal Relation
Types of Work Settings
Privacy of Work Area
Physical Proximity
Exposure to Extreme Environmental Conditions
Exposure to Job Hazards
Possibility of Injury
Work Context	Self Management	Leading Others	Task Management	Innovation	Social Responsibility
Impact of Injury
Body Positioning
Work Attire
Consequence of Error
Impact of Decision
Responsibility/ Accountability
Decision Latitude
Frustrating Circumstances
Degree of Automation
Task Clarity
Required Precision
Required Attention to Detail
Required Maintenance of Vigilance
Monotony/ Repetitive Activities
Structured vs. Unstructured Work
Level of Competition
Frequency and Stringency of Deadlines
Distractions and Interruptions
Machine Driven Work Pace

Organizational Context	Self Management	Leading Others	Task Management	Innovation	Social Responsibility
Organization Size
Hierarchy
Specialization
Formalization
Standardization
Decentralization
Employee Empowerment
Information Sharing
Individual vs. Team Structure
Type of Work Teams
Job Characteristics
Recruitment Planning
Recruitment Operations
Selection Processes
Selection Methods
Group Socialization
Individualized Socialization
Training Methods
Use of Data in Training
Training Topics
Extent/ Support of Training
Job Rotation
Compensation Elements
Benefits Elements
Organizational Context	Self Management	Leading Others	Task Management	Innovation	Social Responsibility
Organizational Values
Extent of Individual Goal Setting
Individual Goal Specificity
Availability of Goal Feedback
Individual Goal Negotiability
Extent of Organizational Goal Setting
Organization Goal Specificity
Role Conflict
Role Negotiability
Role Overload
Leadership Consideration
Task Orientation
Visionary
Problem Solving
Use of Independent Contractors
Change in Organizational Structure
Use of Data

Leadership Competencies in General
1.	What activities do you engage in as the president of ‘RSO Name’?
	What leadership competencies are required for successful handling of your position as the president of your organization?
	What qualities are unacceptable of a leader?
CMU student Employers
	What personal qualities and skills do employers look for when employing fresh graduates for leadership positions?
Personal Experience
	What kind of training have you engaged in to develop leadership skills? What leadership skills do you attribute to your training so far?
	Think of a problem ‘RSO Name’ faced in which you were primarily involved.
	a) Explain the problem.
	b) How did you resolve the problem?
	c) What specific activities did you engage in to resolve the issue?
	d) What activities did you avoid to resolve the issue?
The Three Leadership Competencies
	What knowledge, skills and abilities are required of a leader to successfully lead others?
	What knowledge, skills and abilities are required of leader to efficiently manage his/her tasks?
	What knowledge, skills and abilities are required of a socially responsible leader?

Self Management: Good leaders know their own values, strengths, and limitations and are able to control their emotions and behaviors. They must seek personal development by being willing to seek help when needed or admit when they have made a mistake and by engaging in continuous learning. They should be able to manage and adapt to stressful or dynamic situation.
Excellent Performance	Explain the incident and the situation leading to the incident.

	What activities did the leader engage in that was effective?

	What were the consequences?

Poor Performance	Explain the incident and the situation leading to the incident.

	What activities did the leader engage in that was ineffective?

	What were the consequences?

Leading Others: Leaders must maximize the potential of others to meet the organization’s vision, mission, and goals. They must be able to manage individual and group performance with an understanding of group dynamics and team building. Leaders must actively listen and communicate effectively to persuade others and build consensus and trust. They should understand and be empathetic toward individual’s emotions and needs and be able to resolve conflicts in a respectful manner.
Excellent Performance	Explain the incident and the situation leading to the incident.

	What activities did the leader engage in that was effective?

	What were the consequences?

Poor Performance	Explain the incident and the situation leading to the incident.

	What activities did the leader engage in that was ineffective?

	What were the consequences?

Task Management: Leaders are ultimately responsible for the group/organization attaining its objectives. This involves using task-specific knowledge and experience to guide the group/organization. Leaders must engage in problem solving, delegation, time and resource management, and setting priorities and goals. Leaders must strive for results and provide feedback to ensure effective contributions from all constituents. Successful leaders empower others and model good work ethics.
Excellent Performance	Explain the incident and the situation leading to the incident.

	What activities did the leader engage in that was effective?

	What were the consequences?

Poor Performance	Explain the incident and the situation leading to the incident.

	What activities did the leader engage in that was ineffective?

	What were the consequences?

	*Self-Management:* Knowledge of one’s self, values, strengths, and limitations. Ability to control one’s emotions and behaviors, and the willingness to seek personal development. Ability to manage and adapt to stressful or dynamic situations.
Good
Poor

	*Leading Others:* Leaders must maximize the potential of others to meet the organization’s vision, mission, and goals. They must be able to manage individual and group performance and interpersonal issues. Leaders must actively listen and communicate effectively to build consensus and trust.
Good
Poor

	*Social Responsibility:* Acts with integrity, honesty, and justice. Acts in the best interest of others, showing respect and empathy for unique individual and cultural differences. Recognizes and conducts oneself in concert with universal moral principles as well as specific values, laws, and ethics relevant to the group one leads.
Good
Poor

	*Task-Management:* Involves using task-specific knowledge and experience to achieve strategic goals of the group and/or organization. This may include, but is not limited to: goal setting, delegation, time management, and problem solving. A successful task manager will often assert leadership over others in a positive manner, exhibit dependability, and display good work ethics.
Good
Poor
	*Innovation:* Ability to think creatively while taking initiative and calculated risks. Demonstrating vision creation and strategic planning. Recognizing opportunities and resources. Pursuing diverse experiences and integrating interdisciplinary perspectives.
Good
Poor