Title vs
Competency

Beware the Walking Talking Resume

There is a specific type of leader that causes disproportionate damage in organisations. They lead from their position title — not their competencies. They often don't have competencies to lead from, because the title came before the development.

• Focuses more on self-preservation than unifying progress
• Tendency to micro-manage to cover up for obvious deficiencies
• Creates confusion, then positions themselves as the only solution
• Earns compliance through authority. Never earns loyalty.

What Competent Leadership Actually Looks Like

Competent leaders lead from behaviours, not authority. They don't need to remind people of their position. Their actions make the position irrelevant.

• Leads from competencies instead of position title
• Not afraid to be open, honest, and transparent
• Highlights own failings in lessons to guide others
• Knows how to say 'I was wrong'
• Doesn't hold grudges and moves on with things quickly
• Trust comes from you, not your title.

The Identity Shift Required

The shift from title-based leadership to competency-based leadership is an identity shift, not a skill acquisition. You have to stop seeing the title as the source of your authority and start seeing your actions as the source of your influence.

When Ted put me in that boardroom and told me I was his diamond in the rough, he wasn't responding to my title. I didn't have one yet. He was responding to something he could see in how I operated. That's competency. That's what creates real authority.