Integrity ranks #1
I recently participated in a survey rating the most important leadership competencies in a successful organization and asking about current leaders’ strongest and weakest competencies. I thought I’d share the results with you and wondered if the results would be consistent with your experience.Top Five Key Findings: 1. The competencies that respondents felt were important for their leaders included Integrity (70.71%), Communication (66.67%) and Vision/Strategy (65.66%).
2. The top competencies that current leaders possess included Problem‐Solving and Decision‐Making (57.89%), Knowledge (50.88%), Integrity (50.88%) and Customer Focus (50.88%).
3. The three weakest competencies in the current leadership included Conflict Management (56.14%), Communication (52.63%) and Identifying and Developing Talent (50.88%).
4. This competency of integrity is aligned between what is seen as important and what current leaders possess.
5. Communication was the second most important competency for successful leaders to have, but this competency is rated as the second weakest competency for current leaders. This competency has one of the biggest gaps between what is seen as important and what current leaders possess.
Since Integrity ranked number one as the most important competency, I was curious if Integrity is a competency that can be developed or is it instead a characteristic or driving value one possesses? Integrity is defined as follows: Possession of firm principles, the quality of possessing and steadfastly adhering to high moral principles or professional standards
The LOMINGER Leadership Architect defines a person with Integrity as follows: Is widely trusted; is seen as a direct, truthful individual; can present the unvarnished truth in as appropriate and helpful manner; keeps confidences; admits mistakes; doesn’t misrepresent him/herself for personal gain.
I am currently going through the Hogan certification process and during my recent feedback session we reviewed the MVPI (core values and motivators for leadership roles). The feedback coach indicated that based upon Hogan's research the majority of CEOs score 65% or higher on Power as a driving value.
The MVPI defined Power as a value and described it as follows: “Being perceived as Influential, driving to achieve results, control resources and gain responsibility”. The dictionary’s definition of Power is: Control and influence over other people and their actions, the ability to influence people's judgment or emotions.
This data stimulated my thinking in connection to the outcome of the leadership survey results. If someone is driven by Power would that make Integrity a more difficult competency to achieve? Do Integrity and Power compete for attention or priority? If so, is that why it continues to be identified as important and a priority for development?
Reflecting on some of the decisions made by persons in leadership roles in corporations and government that have negatively impacted employees, customers and citizens, it appears the drive to succeed, win, gain power and control might have subjugated integrity. Often time’s comments like "they were blinded by their ambition" or “they sold their souls to win" makes the argument that power as a main driver could make integrity more difficult to achieve.
I would love to hear your thoughts and reactions to the questions posed.
For those of you interested in learning more about the survey results you can contact Marcie Levine with Survey Connect at mlevine@surveyconnect.com or (303) 449-2969 ext.223 or (800) 945-0040 ext.223.
