Competence

I just loved the quote form General John Pershing, “A competent leader can get efficient services from poor troops, while on the contrary an incapable leader can demoralize the best troops.”  Wow, that’s a powerful statement but it’s so true.  I enjoyed reading Oscar’s story of trying to incorporate technology in the business but never owned a computer of his own.  Oscar knew competence isn’t always knowing everything, but being able to 1) listen, observe, reflect, and analyze, 2) Find a reliable, knowledgeable person to teach you what you don’t know, 3) Expect to make mistakes and understand that they clarify the next steps to take, 4) Embrace the changes that could improve performance and increase company success, even if it meant giving up the way he had always done if before, and 5) Take the extra time and do the hard work it would take to develop his skills.    People respect leaders more if they admit they don’t have ALL the answers but are willing to look “in to it” or learn by going to different resources.    It is important however leaders not to copout by using “I don’t know” and walking away from the sticky situation.   Clarify what you need to know and gathering relevant information. Use this information to make sound decisions then taking the appropriate action.  Once complete…..move to the next challenge and you will be more prepared to handle it.