Leadership Competencies

At Govern For America, we define leadership according to 9 competencies that effective leaders consistently demonstrate. We believe that utilizing and developing these competencies are especially important for public sector leaders who are working to uplift those who have been marginalized, change the status quo, and lead our country forward into a better world.

One

Vision

Public Sector Leaders create a vision for a better future and the way that their department fits into that future. They identify a focal point or “north star” for this vision and develop strategies to set the team on a path towards this better future. Someone who displays this characteristic is able to take a step back from the day to day to see where they and their team are headed and is willing to course correct to make sure that their team is moving towards that vision.

Two

High Emotional Intelligence

EQ or EI is defined as the ability to recognize, understand, and manage our own emotions and the ability to recognize, understand, and influence the emotions of others. EQ includes having a growth mindset, or the belief that you are in control of your own ability, and can learn and improve, as well as a desire to constantly improve oneself. This is a critical skill for aspiring leaders and is especially important in the public sector where there will be competing interests from constituents, policymakers, co-workers, and other stakeholders. This work can be stressful and having command of your emotions and understanding those of people around you will help you get things done.

Three

Collaboration

Every Public Sector role requires some type of collaboration - across a team, with managers, with constituents, with outside organizations, with other fellows, and more. Being able to effectively work with others and build teams is key to being a leader. This can take many forms - working on projects with others, serving as a connector between those who have and those who need information, seeking to work with people with different perspectives, and demonstrating willingness to listen to and actively invite in voices from others on your team. Strong leaders can also build teams by bringing together people with complementary skills. Being collaborative means that you put your team first and that you actively try to build community within the team.

Four

Communication

& Storytelling

Good Public Sector Leaders are able to effectively tell the story of why they are doing what they are doing, how it connects to the overall mission and vision of their agency or government, and how their team can contribute. There are lots of ways to communicate effectively, including active listening. One of the most effective ways we tell stories about our work in the public sector is through Public Narrative.

Five

Equity

Public Sector Leaders apply an equity lens to their work to reflect upon and leverage their influence to identify and remedy racial, gender, economic, and other types of problematic oppression taking place around them. These leaders work to dismantle individual, institutional, and systemic causes of oppression with the goal of increasing opportunities and outcomes for vulnerable or marginalized populations. This includes an emphasis on decision fairness and transparency inside their organization.

Six

Character

People want to follow Public Sector Leaders who they know will do the right thing when no one is paying attention to them. Character can mean lots of different things and can manifest in many and varying instances. For GFA, we think about a character-based leader as displaying the highest integrity, trustworthiness, openness, and inclusiveness. Leaders demonstrate good moral character by their consistent, daily actions and choices more than the words they use.

Seven

Planning

A good leader plans for different possible outcomes and scenarios to make sure that what is in their control is covered, while remaining flexible and nimble to changes that need to happen. It is critical for leaders to have foresight about how decisions will impact others and to think through as many unintended consequences of their actions as possible.

Eight

Mobilizing Others

Effective leaders know they cannot make meaningful change alone. They are able to convince and mobilize other people to follow them, often by displaying these 9 competencies. Public Sector Leaders often use their story and passion to get people excited about their work, they build coalitions of people who are striving towards the same goal, and they are willing to be vulnerable to convince others to follow or lead with them.

Nine

Courage &

Risk-Taking

Great leaders are willing to push themselves and their teams to think of new ways to do things, to innovate, and give power to those who can make the most informed decisions. Excellent Public Sector Leaders actively go out of their way to change the status quo and seek better ways to accomplish their goals.

Govern For America

Govern For America (GFA) is a nonpartisan 501(c)(3) working to build the next generation of public servants to create a more responsive government that better reflects and serves our communities.

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