Requisite Leadership Inventory

Understands the big picture

Businesses and organizations have overall steering documents. In these one can find headings such as mission, vision, business strategies, etc.
A manager should understand and act in accordance with the overall steering documents of the company/organization. Differing from those who may not understand, acts in a short time perspective or maybe only "do their own thing".

Does his/her own work

Every manager is responsible for the output of their unit. This means that the main task of a manager is to define the task of their own unit and to provide their employees with context, frameworks and the prerequisites for them do their work and handle their task.

Explains and gives tasks to others

A manager can lead his/her employees in many ways. One can micromanage, describe routines, methods and activities or manage by describing contexts and giving tasks and frameworks in such a way that the employee can use his/her own knowledge, experiences and judgment when handling tasks. The questions below are about giving tasks and frameworks. The next section is about micromanaging.

Allows staff discretion in using their judgment, when solving their tasks

A manager should describe contexts and give tasks as well as frameworks, so that each employee can use their knowledge, experience and judgment so handle tasks. This means that the manager is to allow the employee discretion and the possibility to, within the framework, exercise their judgment and take their own decisions. If the employee has understood the task and the context, there is no need for the manager to micromanage. It can be necessary to have opinions about details when they do not fit with the whole.

Relations to individuals

Build and develop groups and teams as well as building relations between teams

In most organizations employees work together in groups or teams. A manager can be in charge of one or several groups. This means that the manager ultimately is responsible for shaping and developing groups. In some organizations work follows processes, touching over several groups. The statements below also is about teams and groups responsible for processes.

Initiate, drive and evaluate change

A manager is responsible for daily operations as well as long-term development. This means that a manager has to initiate change, drive the change and then evaluate it.

Interpersonal relations

A manager needs the ability to
build climate and organizational culture
handle different persons
build relations between individuals and groups
handle conflicts before they become unmanageable

Personal capabilities

Being a manager is not only about accountability, personal work, judgment etc. In addition to this personal skills such as decisiveness, drive, personal learning etc also are important.

Important knowledge and skills

Finally some important knowledge and skills, such as:
Writing steering documents.
Making presentations.
Operational competence.

Copyright Paul Holmström 2005