Ompetence:: I Y B I T W C

C O M P E T E N C E:
I F Y O U B U I L D I T, T H E Y W I L L C O M E
Competence goes beyond words.

It’s the leader’s ability to say it, plan it, and do it
in such a way that others know how ___
and know that they want to follow you.
____ John C. Maxwell
The society which scorns excellence in plumbing

because plumbing is a humble activity and tolerates
shoddiness in philosophy because it is an exalted activity
will have neither good plumbing not good philosophy.
Neither its pipes nor its theories will hold water.
____ John Gardner, Author
The society that looks down on quality in plumbing

because plumbing is a low class or low ranking activity and
tolerates no value in theory because it is an ideal activity
will have no good plumbing and good philosophy thus, its
pipes and thesis (philosophy) will hold no water.
FANFARE F OR A C OMMON MAN
Benjamin Franklin always thought of himself as an ordinary citizen. One of the seventeen
children, Franklin was the son a tradesman, a candle maker, who was far from wealthy. He
experienced a typical childhood. He attended school for only two years and at age twelve, he was
apprenticed to his brother in the printing trade.
Franklin worked hard and lived a simple life, governing his actions according to a set of
thirteen virtues, upon which he graded himself daily. At age twenty he started his own printing
business. Had Franklin been content to work at his trade, his name would be little more than a
footnote in Philadelphia’s history. Yet he lived an extraordinary life. He was one of the fathers of
American independence and a great leader of the emerging nation. He coauthored the
Declaration of Independence, and he later helped write the Treaty of Paris and the Constitution
of the United States. (He was the only man who signed all three.) And he was selected to
perform a difficult and dangerous secret diplomatic mission to Paris during the war to secure
military and financial support for the revolution.
What gave a northern tradesman the opportunity to exert so much influence among the
wealthy, predominately southern landholders who headed the war for independence? I believe it
was Franklin’s incredible competence.
Benjamin Franklin excelled at everything he touched for seven decades. When he started
his own printing business in 1726, people believed Philadelphia could not support a third printer,
but Franklin quickly established a reputation as the most skilled and industrious printer in town.
But the Philadelphia tradesman wasn’t content with only that accomplishment.
Franklin’s mind was curious, and he continually sought ways to improve himself and
others. He expanded into publishing, his work including the noted Poor Richard’s Almanack. He
did extensive experiments with electricity and coined many of the terms still associated with its
use. He invented numerous items such as the potbellied stove, the catheter, and bifocals. And
when he travelled frequently across the Atlantic Ocean, he took it upon himself to chart the Gulf
Stream. His attitude toward life could be seen in an aphorism he wrote for his almanac: “Hide
not your talents. They for use were made. What’s a sundial in the shade?
The evidence of Franklin’s talents were many. He helped establish Philadelphia’s first
library. He started the nation’s first fire department. He developed the concept of daylight saving
time. And he held many posts serving the government.
For the most part, Franklin was recognized for his ability. But sometimes he had to let his
competence speak for itself. During a time when he was working on improvements in
agriculture, he discovered that plaster made grains and grasses grow better, but he had a difficult
time convincing his neighbors about the discovery. His solution? When spring arrived, he went
to a field close to a path, dug out some letters into the dirt with his hands, put plaster into the
ruts, and then sowed seed over the whole area. As people passed that way in the following
weeks, they could see green letters growing brighter than the rest of the field. They said simply,
“This has been plastered.” People got the message.
FLESHING I T OUT
We all admire people who display high competence, whether they are precision craftsmen,
world-class athletes, or successful business leaders. But the truth is that you don’t have to be
Faberge, Michael Jordan, or Bill Gates to excel in the area of competence. If you want to
cultivate the quality, here’s what you need to do.
1. Show Up Every Day
There’s a saying, “All things come to him who waits.” Unfortunately sometimes it’s just the
leftovers from people who got there first. Responsible people show up when they’re expected.
But highly competent people take it a step farther. They don’t show up in body only. They come
ready to plan every day ___ no matter how they feel, what kind of circumstances they face, or
how difficult they expect the game to be.
2. Keep Improving
Like Benjamin Franklin, all highly competent people continually search for ways to keep
learning, growing, and improving. They do that by asking why. After all, the person who knows
how will always have a job, but the person who knows why will always be the boss.
3. Follow Through With Excellence
I’ve never met a person I considered competent who didn’t follow through. I bet it’s the same for
you. Willa A. Foster remarked, “Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of high
intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction and skillful execution; it represents the wise choice
of many alternatives.”
Performing at a high level of excellence is always a choice, an act of the will. As leaders,
we expect our people to follow through when we hand them the ball. They expect that and a
whole lot more from us as their leaders.
4. Accomplish More Than Expected (Perform to the best of your ability)
Highly competent people always go the extra mile. For them good enough is never good enough.
In Men in Mid-Life Crisis, Jim Conway writes that some people feel “a weakening of the need to
be a great man and an increasing feeling of ‘let’s just get through this the best way we can.’
Never mind hitting home runs. Let’s just get through the ball game without getting beaned.”
Leaders cannot afford to have that kind of attitude. They need to do the job, and then some, day
in and day out.
5. Inspire Others
Highly competent leaders do more than perform at a high level. They inspire and motivate their
people to do the same. While some people rely on relational skills alone to survive, effective
leaders combine these skills with high competence to take their organizations to new levels of
excellence and influence.
REFLECTING O N IT
Where do you stand when it comes to getting the job done? Do you attack everything you do
with fervor and perform at the highest level possible? Or is good enough sometimes good
enough for you?
When you think about people who are competent, you’re really considering only three
types of people:
Thinkers: they do not speak out a lot.
1. Those who can see what needs to happen. As leader,
 you need to know your
2. Those who can make it happen. audience very well
 need to have a better
3. Those who can make things happen when it really counts. understanding of your
audience
When it comes to your profession, where do you consistently perform? Are you a thinker,
doer, or a clutch player? The better you are, the greater potential for influence you will have with
your people.
BRINGING I T HOME
To improve your competence, do the following:
 Get your Head in the Game. If you have been mentally or emotionally detached from your
work, it’s time to reengage. First, your rededicate yourself to job. Determine to give it an
appropriate amount of your undivided attention. Second, figure out why you have been
detached. Do you need new challenges? Are you in conflict with your new boss or
coworkers? Are you in dead-end job? Identify the sources of the problem, and create a plan
to resolve it.
 Redefine the Standard. If you are not performing at a consistently high level, reexamine your
standards. Are you shooting too low? Do you cut corners? If so, hit you mental reset button,
and outline more demanding expectations for yourself.
 Find Three Ways to Improve. Nobody keeps improving without being intentional about it. Do
a little research to find three things you can do improve your professional skills. Then
dedicate the time and money to follow through on them.
DAILY T AKE–AWAY
I read an editorial in Texas Business not long ago that said, “We are truly the lost generation,
huffing and puffing down the fast track to nowhere, always looking to the dollar sign for
direction. That’s the only standard we recognize. We have no built-in beliefs, no ethical
boundaries.”
You’re only as good as your private standards. When was the last time you gave a task
your absolute best even though nobody but you would know about it?
Extra Notes:
Thing Learnt After Reading the Chapter
 Don’t wait to be told.
 Learn to ask questions.
 Perform to the best of your ability. (F4)
Competence:
 The ability to do something successfully or efficiently.
 Is defined as knowledge, skill and specifications which can cause one person to act better,
not considering his special proficiency in that job.
 Capable of performing a task or job effectively.
Scorns:
 To ignore in a disrespectful manner.
 To dislike strongly.
 Synonyms: Despises, Disregards, Flouts
Shoddiness:
 The quality of being badly and carelessly made, using low quality materials.
 Of poor quality or inferior workmanship.
 The property of weakness by virtue of careless construction.
 The quality of being cheaply imitative of something better.
 Synonyms: inferior, shameful, poor, cheap, disgraceful, dishonorable, disreputable,
trashiness, worthlessness.
Philosophy:
 A theory or attitude that acts as a guiding principle for behaviour.
 The study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, and existence, especially
when considered as an academic discipline.
 Is the study of general and fundamental questions about existence, knowledge, values,
reason, mind, and language. Such questions are often posed as problems to be studied or
resolved. Comes from the Greek word: φιλοσοφία, Philosophia – love of wisdom
 Is a way of thinking about the world, the universe, and society. It works by asking very
basic questions about the nature of human thought, the nature of the universe, and the
connections between them. The ideas in philosophy are often general and abstract.
 Synonyms: Doctrine, Principles, Values, Theory, Thought, Viewpoint, Knowledge,
Reason.
Leadership Competencies
Leading the organization:
- Managing change
- Solving problems and making decisions
- Managing politics and influencing others
- Taking risks and innovating
- Setting vision and strategy
- Managing the work
- Enhancing business skills and knowledge
- Understanding and navigating the organization
Leading the self:
- Demonstrating ethics and integrity
- Displaying drive and purpose
- Exhibiting leadership stature
- Increasing your capacity to learn
- Managing yourself
- Increasing self-awareness
- Developing adaptability
Leading others:
- Communicating effectively
- Developing others
- Valuing diversity and difference
- Building and maintaining relationships
- Managing effective teams and work groups
Global Executive Competencies:
- Open-minded and flexible in thought and tactics
- Cultural interest and sensitivity
- Able to deal with complexity
- Resilient, resourceful, optimistic and energetic
- Honesty and Integrity
- Stable personal life
- Value-added technical or business skills

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C O M P E T E N C E:

Competence goes beyond words.

____ John C. Maxwell

The society which scorns excellence in plumbing

____ John Gardner, Author

The society that looks down on quality in plumbing

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