The Competencies of Public Leadership
Richard A. Couto, Carlotta Amaduzzi, Hur Hyunkang, and Niklaus Welter
Burns Academy of Leadership
Summary
In the 1990s, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) set out to refine its set of
Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs). These provide guidance for the selection, training, and
evaluation of executives, team leaders, managers, supervisors and staff members of federal
agencies. This paper describes the development of the 27 competencies of the ECQs; explains
the template of each competency; relates the OPM’s competencies to other scholarship on
leadership competencies; and offers observations on some of the hidden dimensions of the
competencies of effective public leadership—personal mastery, global awareness, systems
thinking, and the interdependence and interrelatedness of competencies.
The Formation of OPM’s Leadership Competencies
In 1992, OPM conducted a survey of a sample of executives and managers of federal agencies to
learn their views of the necessary leadership competencies required to lead agencies
successfully. The 10,000 responses helped shape MOSAIC (Multi-Purpose Occupational
Analysis Inventory Closed-Ended). Further work between 1996 and 1998, compared the results
of OPM with the Competency Consortium, a group of Fortune 100 companies, and with
literature on leadership. In 1998, factor analysis helped group 27 competencies into
metacompetencies and focus groups refined the latter into five Executive Core Qualifications:
Leading Change; Leading People; Building Coalitions/Communications; Results Driven; and
Business Acumen. The 27 competencies were distributed across the ECQs. Leading change, for
example, included the six competencies of “creativity and innovation,” “external awareness”
“resilience,” “flexibility,” “strategic thinking,” and “vision.” Expert panels, drawn from people
throughout the federal government, generated examples of effective behavioral components for
each of the competencies.1
This work developed concepts and operational definitions of competencies of effective
public leadership. The metacompetencies that ECQs represented had operationalized definitions
as well. Leading change, involves the ability to bring about strategic change, both within and
outside the organization, to meet organizational goals. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to
establish an organizational vision and to implement it in a continuously changing environment.
An assumption about personal growth under girds the competencies. Leadership begins with
managing oneself and then moves to the management of other realms—project, people,
programs, and organizations. The steps of this “leadership journey” correlate to specific
competencies in one version of OPM’s work.2
1
Brigitte W. Schay. Development of a Leadership Curriculum Competency Model. Assessing Managerial
Competencies. U.S. Office of Personnel Management (n.d.).
http://www.napawash.org/pc_human_resources/OPM.pdf Retrieved from the worldwide web October 27, 2007.
2
Schay. Development of a Leadership Curriculum Competency Model. Assessing Managerial Competencies.
The Competencies of Public Leadership--2
Table 1
OPM’s Leadership Journey*
External Awareness
Vision
Strategic Thinking
Entrepreneurship
Technology Management
Manager
Managing Programs
Financial Management
Creativity and Innovation
Partnering
Political Savvy
Human Resource Management
Supervisor
Managing People
Leveraging Diversity
Conflict Management
Service Motivation
Team Building
Team Leader
Managing Projects
Customer Service
Technical Credibility
Accountability
Decisiveness
Influencing/Negotiating
Integrity/Honesty
Core
Managing
Resilience
Competencies
Self
Flexibility
Interpersonal Skills
Oral Communication
Problem Solving
Continual Learning
Written Communication
*Adapted from Brigitte W. Schay. Development of a Leadership Curriculum Competency Model. Assessing
Managerial Competencies. U.S. Office of Personnel Management (n.d.), p. 40.
Executive
Leading
Organizations
Competency Curriculum Dictionary
Beginning in 2000, Sandra Newkirk, formerly at FIPSE and now with OPM, and Celeste
Simpkins, formerly with the American Council on Education, sought to develop a curriculum
that would shape training sessions to develop each specific competency and their behavioral
components. To identify the curriculum elements of competency, Newkirk and Simpkins
operationalized each behavioral component further into its five contributing parts—knowledge,
skill, ability, outlook, and emotional intelligence. Each of the twenty-seven competencies had
four to ten behavioral components and each behavioral component was associated with one or
more of five pedagogical areas. They arranged the component behaviors of each competency on
a scale from entry level to senior executives—tadpoles to frogs. The curriculum thus anticipates
“growing” the competencies across positions—all employees, team leaders, managers, and
executives; each competency has behavioral elements specific to different levels of
responsibility.
The detail of this work and the effort to operationalize the competencies with behavioral
components explain the use of the word “dictionary” to describe it.
The OPM’s Competency Curriculum Dictionary item, Public Service Motivation, is appended
and illustrates the breakdown of a competency, its operational elements and their distinguishing
The Competencies of Public Leadership--3
behaviors, which are associated with knowledge, skill, ability, outlook, and emotional
intelligence. This one competency description provides the template for the other competencies.
By 2007, the competencies had grown to 28 with the temporary addition of emotional
intelligence but shortly thereafter returned to 27. Metacompetencies, ECQs, increased from five
to six by separating communication competencies from building coalitions and taking other
competencies and grouping them in to Core of Foundational Competencies. Figure 2 gives the
current ECQs and their constitutive competencies.
Figure 2
ECQs and Constitutive Competencies
ECQ’s Twenty-Seven Competencies
Leading People
Leading Change
1. Creativity and
Innovation
2. External Awareness
3. Flexibility
4. Resilience
5. Strategic Thinking
6. Vision
1.
2.
3.
4.
Conflict Management
Leveraging Diversity
Developing Others
Team Building
Business Acumen
1. Financial Management
2. Human Capital M anagement
3. Technology Management
Results Driven
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Accountability
Customer Services
Decisiveness
Entrepreneurship
Problem Solving
Core Competencies
Building Coalitions
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Interpersonal Skills
Oral Communication
Continual Learning
Written Communication
Integrity/Honesty
Public Service Motivation
1. Partnering
2. Political Savvy
3. Influencing/Negotiating
An Interrelated and Interdependent Network of Competencies
OPM’s work stops short of making competencies into a pre-flight check list for high flying
federal executives. It suggests that any competency relates to other competencies with
interdependence. This relationship and interdependence safeguard reducing public leadership
competences, including interpersonal skills and integrity/honesty, into techniques. Effective
financial management, for example, is connected to thirteen other competencies, some of which
are “softer” rather than technical: accountability, continual learning, customer service
decisiveness, entrepreneurship, influencing and negotiating, integrity and honesty, interpersonal
skills, oral and written communication, problem solving, service motivation, strategic thinking,
and vision. Thus each competency has multiple facets entailing other competencies of other
ECQs. To stay with the financial management competency for an example, it is listed within the
The Competencies of Public Leadership--4
Business Acumen ECQ. Its related competencies fall within four other ECQs—Core
Competencies, Leading Change, Building Coalitions and Results Driven.
Just as we may portray an individual competency with many facets, we may also describe an
ECQ not only as a multi-itemed competency but as a web of inter-related competencies. Figure 3
diagrams the ECQ, its component competencies, and their inter-relationship among themselves
and with other competencies. It portrays the interrelations of the three competencies within the
ECQ Building Coalitions. When all other competencies are related, the Building Coalition ECQ
entails not only it three specific competences—political savvy, influencing and negotiating, and
partnering—but 16 of the other competencies from all five other ECQs. Four of those 16 related
competencies--conflict management, emotional intelligence, oral communication, and
interpersonal skills—are part of all four competencies of Building Coalitions.
Figure 3
The Interrelated Competencies of Building Coalitions
Corroboration and Challenge of Competencies
A recent analysis of empirical studies of competencies, qualitative and quantitative, public and
corporate, reinforces the work of the OPM on competencies of effective leadership. Mary Ellen
The Competencies of Public Leadership--5
Joyce, of the Brookings Institution, compared OPM competencies with those of 24 other studies.
She found that 19 of OPM’s competencies and their distinguishing behaviors recur frequently in
the other studies. Eight of them did not appear with regularity—mention in more than two-thirds
of the other studies. She also identified two competencies that occur regularly in the set of 24
studies but go without mention in the OPM 27 competencies—global awareness and selfmastery. 3 These findings of her study are represented in Figure 4.
Figure 4
The Competencies of OPM and Other Recent Research Compared
OPM-Emphasis Only
Financial Management
Technology Management
Emphasis in Recent
Competency Research
Conflict Management
External Awareness
Global Awareness
Self-Mastery
Problem Solving
Technical Credibility
Written Communication
HR Management
Common
Competencies
Nineteen Competencies Common to OPM and Recent Research
Vision
Continual Learning
Creativity/Innovation
Flexibility
Service Motivation
Resilience
Strategic Thinking
Team Building
Leveraging Diversity
Integrity/Honesty
Decisiveness
Entrepreneurship
Accountability
Customer Service
Oral Communication
Partnering
Interpersonal Skills
Influence/Negotiating
Political Savvy
Source: Joyce, Developing 21st Century Public Leaders: Competency Based Executive Development.
While providing corroboration of the importance of the 19 common competencies and
distinguishing behaviors, Joyce’s work should not be interpreted to say that eight competencies
are redundant or that two other competencies—global awareness and self-mastery—are
neglected. Technology management and financial management, which are listed among the eight
competencies without frequent mention in other competency studies, find mention in two-thirds
of the eight studies, which Joyce used, that deal specifically with public competencies. Conflict
management and external awareness find mention in one- to two-thirds of the public competency
studies; more than the other studies. Technical credibility and written communication find few
mentions in public competency studies. Human resource management is absent from the studies
of public competencies. The infrequent, less than one-third, mention of problem solving in other
3
Mary Ellen Joyce, Developing 21st Century Public Leaders: Competency Based Executive Development.
Dissertation, School of Business, George Washington University. Joyce used 27 competencies omitting emotional
intelligence to create comparability of sets of competencies at the time of her study.
The Competencies of Public Leadership--6
competency studies seems somewhat of a puzzle. It may be a consequence of respondents
conflating creativity/initiative, a frequently mentioned competency, with problem solving. Thus,
we make a case for the eight competencies highlighted by OPM but not other studies.
Joyce finds global awareness and personal mastery missing from OPM’s competencies
although mentioned with frequency among other studies of competencies. A search of the
competency dictionary reveals, however, the frequent mention of both global awareness and
personal mastery. The importance of global awareness finds mention among 10 competencies
most notably external awareness, strategic thinking, and leveraging diversity. The international
dimensions of effective public leadership, including communication and collaboration with
international organizations, find mention in an additional five OPM competencies. Personal
mastery receives extensive consideration under emotional intelligence, the competency omitted
from Joyce’s study, as might be expected. Self-awareness and self-mastery are discussed within
the emotional intelligence competency. Self-development and self-responsibility, in a variety of
terms, are two other aspects of personal mastery that find frequent mention and attention among
24 competencies in total. The central place of self-mastery in the OPM model emerges clearly
upon re-examining Shay’s outline in Table 1. At one time, OPM described core competencies as
managing self and envisioned it as a necessary base from which to manage projects, people,
programs, and eventually leading organizations. Managing self incorporated resilience,
flexibility, problem solving, interpersonal skills, integrity/honesty, oral and written
communication, and continual learning. The last five of these competencies remain within the
new ECQ of Foundational or Core Competencies where they are joined by public service
motivation.
Competencies and the Field of Leadership Studies
Not surprisingly, the ECQs and competencies reflect a range of approaches to leadership within
the field of leadership studies. Some of them are technical skills—the ECQ Business Acumen,
for example, includes Financial Management and Technology Management. Increasingly, the
research on scholarship associates these forms of competencies as expertise and managerial
skills. In addition to the familiar technical skills associated and expected of responsible
leadership with authoritative positions, there are competencies that portray leadership as an art of
adaptive work4 for public problem solving.5 These latter forms of leadership require the use of
influence rather than authority, participation rather than command-and-control, networks rather
than hierarchies, and learning rather than expertise.
Most of the 27 competencies are leader-centric; they suggest a style or trait of a person—
creativity, flexibility, resilience, etc., and leader-centric foci. Other competencies reflect the
recent emphases in leadership research on the reflexive nature of leadership—Developing
Others, Team Building, Problem Solving, for example—and values-centric foci—Vision, Public
Service Motivation, and Leveraging Diversity, for example. Thus the Competency Curriculum
Ronald Heifetiz, Leadership Without Easy Answers. Cambridge, Mass. Belknap Press, 1994; “The
Scholarly/Practical Challenge of Leadership” in Richard A. Couto ed. Reflection on Leadership. University Press
of American, 2007, pp. 31-44.
5
Barbara A. Crosby and John M. Bryson. Leadership for the Common Good: Tackling Public Problems 2nd ed. San
Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2005.
4
The Competencies of Public Leadership--7
Dictionary (CCD) holds a range of recent and traditional approaches to leadership including the
array of leader-, relation-, and values-centric models and theories in leadership research.
By its attention to all levels of employees, the CCD also reflects another current emphasis in
leadership studies, distributed leadership. Eschewing traditional distinctions of superiors and
subordinates this work explains the importance of people at all levels of an organization
developing and using competencies.6
Conclusion
What guidance can we take from the work of OPM and others about leadership competencies?
 Leadership is a way of being as well as doing. It entails personal competencies of leading self
that provide for a foundation of leading others, programs, and organizations effectively.
 Openness to learning is central to effective leadership.
 Leadership entails myriad perspectives—leader-, relationship-, and values-centric.
Competencies of effective leadership entail these perspectives as well as attention to tasks
and authority.
 Technical skills are necessary but not sufficient for leadership which entails adaptive work. A
well-developed competency extends beyond technical skills to incorporate elements of other
competencies across a range of ECQs.
 Any one competency appears to be a network of many interrelated and interdependent
competencies.
 The work of the OPM finds corroboration in a metanalysis of other studies of competencies.
 The competencies of public leadership overlap with the competencies of the corporate sector.
 The competencies of the OPM and the Competency Curriculum Dictionary permit us one
light to shine with the black box of leadership and other to operationalize the distinguishing
behaviors associated with any individual competency.
6
Unfortunately some of this work clings to misleading terms such as followership when its intent is to emphasize
shared responsibility for the achievement of common goals regardless of position or authority; cf. Riggio, Ronald,
Ira Chaleff, and Jean Lipman-Bluman eds. The Art of Followership: How Great Followers Create Great Leaders
and Organizations, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2008. For a classic in this area see Hirschman, Albert O. Exit,
Voice, and Loyalty. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1970.
The Competencies of Public Leadership--8
Resources
Sources cited in Brigitte W. Schay. Development of a Leadership Curriculum Competency
Model. Assessing Managerial Competencies. U.S. Office of Personnel Management (n.d.).
http://www.napawash.org/pc_human_resources/OPM.pdf Retrieved from the worldwide
web October 27, 2007.
Corts, Daniel B. & Gowing, M. (1992). Dimensions of effective behavior: Executives, managers,
and supervisors.(PRD-92-05). Washington, DC: U.S. Office of Personnel Management.
Gregory, D & Park, R.K. (1997). Occupational study of federal executives, managers, and
supervisors: An application of the multi-purpose occupational systems analysis inventory –
closed ended. (PRD-92-21). Washington, DC: U.S. Office of Personnel Management.
Eyde, L., Gregory, D., Muldrow, T., & Mergen, P. (1999). High-performance leaders: A
Competency model.(PRDC-99-02). Washington, DC: U.S. Office of Personnel Management.
Sources cited in Mary Ellen Joyce, Developing 21st Century Public Leaders: Competency Based
Executive Development. Dissertation, School of Business, George Washington University, 2006.
PRIVATE SECTOR, QUANTITATIVE STUDIES
Bikson, Tora K., Gregory F. Treverton, Joy Moini, Gustav Lindstrom. 2003. New Challenges for
International Leadership: Lessons from Organizations with Global Missions.. Rand
Report. http://www.rand.org/pubs/monograph_reports/2005/MR1670.pdf
Buckingham, Marcus and Curt Coffman. 1999. First, Break All the Rules: What the World's
Greatest Managers Do Differently. New York: Simon & Schuster.
Dalton, Maxine, Chris Ernst, Jennifer Deal, and Jean Leslie. 2002. Success for the New Global
Manager: How to Work Across Distances, Countries, and Cultures. San Francisco:
Jossey-Bass Publishers.
The Competencies of Public Leadership--9
PRIVATE SECTOR, QUALITATIVE STUDIES
NOT INCLUDED
PUBLIC SECTOR, QUANTITATIVE STUDIES
EMPTY SET
PUBLIC SECTOR, QUALITATIVE STUDIES
Goldsmith and Eggers, 2004. Governing By Network: The New Shape of the Public Sector.
National Academy of Public Administration.
The Competencies of Public Leadership--10
Center for Leadership Capacity Services
Office of Personnel Management
Competency Dictionary
SERVICE MOTIVATION—Definition, Importance, Significant Elements, and Behaviors with Tables
SERVICE MOTIVATION (LEADING CHANGE) Definition: Creates and sustains an organizational culture which
permits others to provide the quality of service essential to high performance. Enables others to acquire the tools
and support they need to perform well. Shows a commitment to public service. Influences others toward a spirit of
service and meaningful contributions to mission accomplishment. .
SERVICE MOTIVATION—Importance: Service Motivation is at the core of the term “Public Servant” and epitomizes
what the citizenry seeks from government employees. It is evidenced in unwavering integrity and honesty,
outstanding customer service that is delivered to both internal and external customers, and in commitment to the
mission and role of the Agency in advancing the security and welfare of the citizenry. It is of critical importance to
recommit to the core values of service motivation since public trust in the government’s ability to “do the right
thing” has eroded from 63% during the Kennedy administration to only 38% in 2004. Part of that erosion is due to
the perception that government is controlled by special interests. Thus a vital element of service motivation is
personal responsibility on the part of all civil servants to enhance trust in the government. Civil servants must
provide outstanding service that is above ideological conflict, displays continuity, spurns the undue influence of
special interests, and functions effectively despite the polarization of partisan politics.
SERVICE MOTIVATION—Elements
A. Understand, practice and exemplify a commitment to public service including personal responsibility
(accountability), outstanding customer service, unwavering honesty, high ethical standards, and a
commitment to the mission and role of the Agency in advancing the security and welfare of the citizenry.
(E-O) (E-S) (E-A) (EI)
B. Inspire and enable others to be service oriented. (EI) (E-O) (E-A)
C. Demonstrate responsiveness to the needs of the citizens of the U. S., both internal and external customers
of the Agency, and public and private stakeholder. (E-K) (EI) (E-A) (E-S)
D. Take personal responsibility for providing friendly, cheerful, helpful service. (EI) (E-A) (E-S)
E. Be responsible stewards of the nation’s welfare and resources.
F.
Work with internal and external stakeholders to create a shared vision of service. (EI) (E-S)
SERVICE MOTIVATION—Developmental Descriptions
 Employees at every level must demonstrate loyalty to the Government and citizenry by fulfilling the highest
obligations of service; “meet the mission” of the Agency by providing effective, responsive, and timely service
to a wide variety of constituents under conditions that may be stressful and/or lacking in special recognition;
and hold themselves accountable for meeting objectives, keeping commitments and following through. They
must demonstrate belief in the concept of human dignity, treating all with respect and fairness; and pursue to
completion all public inquiries, requests and complaints in a timely manner. All employees should understand
the role of taxes and appropriations in the funding of operations and act as “good stewards” of all public
resources; correct problems promptly and non-defensively; provide helpful information to others both within
and outside the government; and act in a manner that welcomes questions, inviting others to seek help.
Foundational: All Employees Must:
A. Demonstrate
B. Inspire others to
C. Demonstrate
D. Take personal
E. Be responsible
commitment to
be service oriented.
responsiveness to
responsibility for
stewards of the
public service, . .
the needs of the
providing friendly,
nation’s welfare and
commitment to the
citizens of the U.S.,
cheerful, helpful
resources.
security and welfare
internal and external service.
of the citizenry.
customers, and
public and private
stakeholders.
Distinguishing
Distinguishing
Distinguishing
Distinguishing
Distinguishing
Behaviors
Behaviors
Behaviors
Behaviors
Behaviors
The Competencies of Public Leadership--11
Understands,
fulfills and
personifies the
special mandate of
public service.
Demonstrates
loyalty to the
Government and
citizens of the U.S.
by fulfilling, “well
and faithfully,” the
highest obligations
of service.
Embodies the
integrity and ethics
expected of a public
servant.
Serves out of
concern for the wellbeing of others and
the good of our
nation and
communities.
Finds a sense of
purpose in the larger
mission; can
sublimate personal
need for recognition
and to satisfaction in
the intrinsic rewards
of service.
Understands the
larger context of
one’s job, its
implications, and
consequences.
Serves as a
personal model of
service to others.
Is trusted by others.
Is a good citizen in
the workplace, of the
U.S. and of the
global community.
Demonstrates belief
in the concept of
human dignity;
treating all others
with respect and
fairness, and openly,
consistently
challenging bias,
intolerance, and
incivility.
Defends what’s right
with courage and
fortitude.
Is involved in
activities and groups
which enhance the
quality of the
workplace; is
involved with
Agency-sponsored
community projects;
takes a leadership
role in own
community.
Acts in a manner
that welcomes
others’ questions
and invites others to
seek help; takes
responsibility for
mentoring junior
colleagues and new
employees.
Neither participates
in nor condones
offensive or
discriminatory
behavior.
Takes on a fair share
of the work.
Leaves customers
feeling they have
been heard,
understood,
respected and well
served.
Demonstrates
empathy for
customers.
Understands and
responds
appropriately and
flexibly to the
differing needs of
diverse internal and
external customer
groups.
Gives clear
explanations; Uses
plain language to
clarify needs and
interests with
customers.
Ensures that
referrals of requests
or issues are made to
most appropriate
organizational
resource and that
contact instructions
are clear and
accurate.
Understands that
offering the same
service, or service
delivery does not
ensure equality of
treatment or
effectiveness across
circumstances.
Goes the extra mile
to satisfy demand
within the scope of
own skills and
authority.
Provides effective,
responsive and
timely service.
Holds self
accountable for
meeting objectives
and keeping
commitments;
follows through.
Takes personal
responsibility for
dealing with and/or
correcting customer
service issues and
concerns; is efficient
and responsive.
Follows through on
customers’
questions, requests,
and complaints.
Gains customer
confidence through
competence, good
communications and
trust.
Corrects problems
promptly and
without becoming
defensive.
Uses own time and
other resources
prudently and
appropriately to
further the goals of
the Agency.
Understands the role
of taxes and
appropriations in the
funding of
operations and acts
in general as good
stewards of all
public resources.
Practices efficient,
effective
procurement,
management,
application,
utilization and
monitoring of
resources (including
property, people and
financial) to achieve
effective service.
Understands
accountability in
terms of results, not
rules. Measures
work done in output,
not seat time.
Actively maintains
high quality skills
and cutting edge
knowledge.
Seeks out
opportunities to
maximize resources.
The Competencies of Public Leadership--12
Service Motivation Links for all Employees: Accountability, Customer Service, External Awareness, Financial
Management, Integrity and Honesty, Partnering, Political Savvy,. Strategic Thinking, Vision,

Team Leaders and Supervisors must demonstrate in word and deed that public service has an ultimate
responsibility to the customer, rather than the institution; practice servant leadership within the organization,
helping employees to get beyond obstacles, and enabling employees to focus on and fulfill service
commitments. They create a workplace culture that fosters performance, pride and purpose; maintain clear nonbureaucratic communication with customers; support training, procedures and technology that lead to
competent, reliable and appropriate service and products; actively address the roots of employee burnout,
disillusionment and cynicism; and address poor performance among team and group members.
Team Leaders and Supervisors Must:
A. Demonstrate a
B. Inspire and enables others to
C. Demonstrate
E. Be responsible
commitment to public
be service oriented.
responsiveness to the
stewards of the nation’s
service,
D. Take personal responsibility
needs of the citizens of the welfare and resources.
…commitment to the
for providing friendly, cheerful,
U.S., both internal and
security and welfare of helpful service.
external customers of the
the citizenry.
Agency, and public and
private stakeholders.
Distinguishing
Distinguishing Behaviors
Distinguishing Behaviors Distinguishing
Behaviors
Behaviors
Communicates, and
acts in concert with
the understanding
that public service
has an ultimate
responsibility to the
customer, rather
than the institution.
Assumes personal
responsibility to
engender trust in
government.
Regularly, clearly and
enthusiastically
communicates to
employees high
expectations for good
customer service.
Does not sacrifice trust
and integrity to
expediency, even
under pressure.
Does not make
inappropriate
decisions for personal
gain, to include career
advancements.
Uses legal and ethical
standards to help
Practice “servant leadership”
within the organization and
encourage employees, and work
groups to practice a similar role
in their relationships with
internal and external customers.
Helps employees get beyond
obstacles. Does not allow the
shortcomings of policy or
resources to halt the work of the
team.
Actively combats the roots of
employee burn-out,
disillusionment, and cynicism.
Does not confuse service with
workaholism.
Counsels and assists others to find
a balance between commitments
to the Agency and to their
community and family.
Enables employees to focus on
and fulfill service commitments
by finding and allocating
resources and other needed
support.
Ensures that rewards are allocated
for outstanding service to the
public.
Develops effective ways
of consulting with
internal and external
customer groups to
ensure service meets
needs, to poll feedback,
to develop
understanding of needs
and changing
requirements/uses.
Understands and
communicates how the
agency interacts with the
external world; relations
with the community,
stakeholders, etc., and
uses this knowledge in
achieving results.
Supports personnel-,
training-, procedural- and
technology strategies that
ensure competent, reliable
and appropriate service
and products to others.
Maintains clear
communications with
customers.
Gets beyond bureaucracy,
jargon and red tape in
service to the customer.
Measures the risks of
innovation and testing
against the public
good, and
Constitutional rights.
Addresses poor
performance among
team and group
members.
Ensures the integrity of
accounting and
performance data
through good data
collection and analysis
systems.
Ensures appropriate
oversight and control
over hiring practices,
procurement and
contracting.
Practices decision
making tools that are
proven to help
distinguish among
choices in ethical
dilemmas and in
weighing risk.
Assumes
responsibilities for
The Competencies of Public Leadership--13
resolve issues of
fairness, equality, and
appropriate scope of
services and
approaches.
Maintains
confidentiality and
protect the privacy of
employees, customers,
and other members of
the public.
Sets unit goals and develops
procedures and standards
dedicated to serving internal and
external customers.
Is able to convince others of the
need for change in order to fulfill
the service mission.
Creates a workplace culture that
fosters performance, pride and
purpose.
Uses input and feedback
from customers and team
members to anticipate and
make improvements in
customer service.
risks taken and actions
embarked upon when
direction is ambiguous.
Suggests different
approaches for customers
with diverse needs.
Works closely with
internal and external
customers and
Focuses all employees on
stakeholders to ensure that
improving service.
all perspectives and
interests are understood,
Helps all employees connect the
and to encourage them to
organization’s mission to public
make their own
service.
contributions to policy and
process.
Service Motivation Links for Team Leaders and Supervisors: Accountability, Communication, Customer Service,
External Awareness, Financial Management, Human Resources Management, Influencing and Negotiating,
Integrity and Honesty, Partnering, Political Savvy,. Strategic Thinking, Technical Credibility, Technical
Management, Vision

Managers must conduct research to determine the needs of the customer; share the research findings to ensure
that resources are aligned to support initiatives, and adjust approach, plans, policy, selections and resources
accordingly; and align policies and programs with the true needs of the public, They must demonstrate
expertise and commitment to common goals and be recognized as a trusted advisor and partner to the customer;
develop and apply metrics to monitor customer satisfaction; apply lessons to improving services; and partner
with internal and external customers to enable them to see long term benefits and to identify initiatives that best
fulfill the agency’s mandate of service to them.
Managers Must:
A. Demonstrate a
B. Inspire and
C. Demonstrate
E. Be responsible
F. Works with
commitment to
enable others to be
responsiveness to
stewards of the nation’s
internal and
public service, . .
service oriented.
the needs of the
welfare and resources.
external
.commitment to
D. Take personal
citizens of the U.S.,
stakeholders to
the security and
responsibility for
both internal and
create and
welfare of the
providing friendly,
external customers
implement a shared
citizenry.
cheerful, helpful
of the Agency, and
vision of service.
service
public and private
stakeholders.
Distinguishing
Distinguishing
Distinguishing
Distinguishing
Distinguishing
Behaviors
Behaviors
Behaviors
Behaviors
Behaviors
Sets high
Through
Strives to
Looks for long-term
Takes full account
personal and
demonstrated
understand at the
benefits to the
of appropriate
organizational
expertise and
broadest level the
customer and adjusts
issues, their
standards for
commitment to
changing issues,
approach, policy and
interrelationships
integrity and
common goals, is
needs, and
resources accordingly.
(also across
Is able to focus the
service.
recognized as
perspectives that
organizations) and
Does not yield to
trusted advisor and impact the welfare efforts of the
their implications
pressures from any partner to the
organization on the
of the citizenfor achieving the
quarter to act in
needs of the ultimate
customer.
customer.
Agency’s mission
ways counter to
Cascades strategies
Discovers the needs customer, rather than on to the Public.
the spirit and letter to employees and
of the customers
issues or tasks that seem Works to establish
of the laws of the
teams to build shared through research
urgent, but which, given and make clear
U.S. or against the understanding of the
and study. Goes
the customer focus, are
connections
The Competencies of Public Leadership--14
best interests of the links between policy, beyond” handedless important, or even
between and
Public.
programs and public
down” knowledge
counter-productive.
common interests
Implements sound, service.
and assumptions.
Takes a long-term
among effected
research-based,
Rigorously monitors
Looks for
perspective and weighs
groups and to help
program policy,
customer
information about
true value for the citizen the discussions get
programs and
satisfaction, and
the underlying
added against mere
beyond positional
service that
applies these lessons needs of others,
efficiency.
understandings of
support the true
to improving
beyond those
needs and wants.
needs of the
services.
expressed or
citizens.
recognized initially.
Service Motivation Links for Managers: Accountability, Communication, Continual Learning, Customer Service,
Decisiveness, Emotional Intelligence, External Awareness, Financial Management, Influencing and Negotiating,
Integrity and Honesty, Interpersonal Skills, Partnering, Political Savvy, Strategic Thinking, Technical Credibility,
Technical Management, Vision

The Federal Executive has ultimate responsibility to ensure that policies and programs work toward the best
interests of the citizens of the U.S. and must demonstrate service motivation with integrity, wisdom, knowledge,
fortitude, tact, and persuasiveness. The Executive must engender high levels of public trust in the government
by personally embodying service to the U.S. and its citizens, and employing open, transparent, and broadly
participatory processes in decision making. They do not yield to pressure to act in ways counter to the spirit and
letter of the laws of the U. S. or against the best interests of the Public. The Executive should use a systems
approach to be fully cognizant of appropriate issues, their interrelationships and their implications for achieving
the Agency’s mission; focus all employees on improving service by clearly communicating the relationship of
the organization’s mission to public service; identify, develop, execute, and assess policies, programs and
services that support the broad objectives of the Agency and the true needs of the customer; and champion those
issues most likely to make significant contributions to public service
Executives Must:
A. Demonstrate a
B Inspire and
C. Demonstrate
E. Be responsible
F. Works with internal
commitment to public enable others to responsiveness to the
stewards of the
and external
service, including
be service
needs of the citizens of
nation’s welfare
stakeholders to create
personal
oriented.
the U.S., both internal
and resources.
and implement a
responsibility,
and external customers
shared vision of
outstanding customer
D. Take
of the Agency, and
service.
service, unwavering
personal
public and private
honesty, high ethical
responsibility
stakeholders.
standards, and
for providing
commitment to the
friendly,
security and welfare
cheerful,
of the citizenry.
helpful service
Distinguishing
Distinguishing Distinguishing
Distinguishing
Distinguishing
Behaviors
Behaviors
Behaviors
Behaviors
Behaviors
Works to engender
high levels of public
trust in the
government by
exemplifying civic
leadership, and
employing open,
transparent, and
broadly
participatory
processes in decision
making.
Works to ensure the
citizens service that is
above ideological
Communicates
the public
service vision
of the
organization.
Rewards
service to the
public, to
include
championing
and supporting
employees who
volunteer in the
community.
Uses a systems approach
to make policy and
program decisions
which are aligned with
the needs of the public,
and are made only after
considering the full
impact of these
decisions on the public.
Exposes the implications
of choice to all
stakeholders in an
unbiased fashion.
Selects to champion
Shares insights
and research
findings in tactful,
but persuasive
ways to ensure
that resources are
aligned behind
initiatives that
truly benefit the
citizens of the
U.S.
Expends resources
to ensure an
adequate evidence
base is available
Sees service from a
systems perspective
and works to align all
stakeholders’ efforts
towards integrated
programs, shared
knowledge, and
mutual
understanding of
common interests.
Partners with internal
and external customers
in a way that enables
them to see long term
benefits and to find
The Competencies of Public Leadership--15
conflict, and undue
influence of special
interests.
Buffers important
civic goals against
political polarization.
Ensures that plans,
resources, priorities,
and human capital
strategies reflect the
organization’s focus
on citizen-centered
service.
those issues most likely
to make the most
significant contribution
to Public service.
Acts on independent, but
factually-based opinion,
e.g. recommends
approaches which are
new and different from
those requested by either
sponsors or even by the
customer, if these
approaches seem to
better meet the
customer’s actual and
long-term needs.
to support plans
and decisions.
initiatives that best
fulfill the Agency’s
mandate of service to
them.
Promotes policy,
programs and
perspectives serve the
best interests of the
people of the U.S.,
rather than serving the
organization.
Is willing to go out on
a limb personally to
persuade policy
makers to support the
direction most likely
to achieve the mission
of the Agency and the
greatest Public good.
Service Motivation Links for Executives: Accountability, Communication, Continual Learning, Customer Service,
Emotional Intelligence, External Awareness, Financial Management, Human Resources Management, Influencing
and Negotiating, Integrity and Honesty, interpersonal Skills, Partnering, Political Savvy, Strategic Thinking,
Technical Credibility, Technical Management, Vision