The Barna study interviewed 1,736 individuals who qualified as leaders. Those individuals were then evaluated in relation to 15 core leadership competencies. The results indicated that the three competencies which leaders struggle with the most all relate to developing the tools needed to succeed.
Specifically, leaders are most likely to have difficulties developing the tangible resources (e.g., funds, personnel, facilities) needed to accomplish plans; developing the skills of other leaders to facilitate more effective organizational performance; and developing the systems required to efficiently complete the tasks at hand. Each of those dimensions encompasses a variety of tasks and efforts.
According to the research, the specific behaviors that leaders do most poorly include:
>Negotiating agreements that maximize benefits at minimal cost.
>Attracting new resources to the organization – especially human and financial capital.
>Developing and implementing individualized developmental plans for emerging leaders.
>Nurturing robust relationships with existing colleagues, demonstrating sufficient care and attention to their needs.
The research also discovered that leaders sometimes perceive themselves to be more effective at specific aspects of leading than their performance suggests.
...Barna noted:
“Many of the master leaders concurred that if you are called by God to lead and you have the quality of character that motivates people to follow you, you can succeed because the competencies required can be learned,” he commented.
“Toward that end, it is invaluable to have one or more proven leaders who take you under their wing and systematically coach you in the kinds of skills you need.”
http://www.barna.org/barna-update/article/17-leadership/319-study-of-leaders-identifies-their-weaknesses
