Principle of Leadership 4: Achieve Professional Competence

The fourth concept in the Principles of Leadership is about achieving professional competence.

This one is fairly straight forward. Keep up or get left behind.

In our practice this means keeping up with marketing trends and tools. I regularly attend webinars and seminars and download e-books or white papers. It allows me to stay current on emerging or evolving trends and tactics and allows me to see different perspectives of the same issues.

Staying current no matter what your industry is allows you the ability to stay at the leading edge of whatever you do. On a corporate level it will keep you at the leading edge helping you to keep and secure new clients. On a personal level it will make sure you don’t fall behind and keeps you more marketable.

The nation’s top employers will often include professional development dollars. If your employer doesn’t, you may want to ask what the policy is for continued learning. 

Read the other leadership principles:

1. Lead by example
2. Make sound and timely decisions
3. Seek and accept responsibility
4. Achieve professional competence
5. Know your troops and promote their welfare
6. Develop leadership potential in your followers
7. Train your troops as a team and employ them to their capabilities
8. Appreciate your own strengths and weaknesses and pursue self-improvement
9. Keep your team informed of the mission, the changing situation and the overall picture
10. Ensure your followers know your meaning and intent and lead them to the accomplishment of the mission