What skills should the “ideal” Leader possess?

“What key competencies should an effective Leader have? And is it more about hard skills or soft skills?” – this very question, voiced after the first episode of the “Leadership Podcast” by Ms. Alina, naturally arises for anyone genuinely interested in the “recipes” of Leadership.

And it was precisely this question that inspired the project’s author – the Executive Director of the Center for Leadership of UCU, Andrew Rozhdestvensky – to respond in the form of a full-fledged episode. A detailed analysis of the components of “true” Leadership, reflections on the practical application of various elements, the host’s ability to explain the most complex things in an accessible manner, and excellent visualization from our partners at “Radio SKOVORODA” – this is the combination that makes the second episode of the podcast truly special!

For those in our audience who prefer a text format, the team of the Center for Leadership of UCU has prepared a traditional breakdown of the episode. And it is precisely this analysis that we invite you to read today.

The 3C Model: The Foundation of “True” Leadership?

Every good narrative – whether a work of fiction or a scientific study – requires an intriguing introduction. A kind of epigraph that “hooks” the reader and gives momentum for a virtual journey with the author. Andrew Rozhdestvensky also found such a quote, and it is precisely with it that he began his response to the episode’s key question:

“When you hire people, look for three qualities: Integrity, Intelligence, and Energy. And if they don’t have the first one, the other two will destroy you”,

Warren Buffett, American billionaire, investor, and philanthropist, speaking at Columbia University in 1991.

Why did these particular words serve as a “springboard” for a deeper dive into the episode’s topic? According to the host himself, not only because of the personality of their author. They reflect an intuitive understanding of the essence of “true” Leadership. So it is symbolic that decades later, following the global economic crisis of 2008-2009, these very traits – albeit with slightly modified names – were given “new life” in the 3C Model (named after its components: Competencies, Character, and Commitment):

Born from the joint efforts of the team at the Ian O. Ihnatowycz Institute for Leadership at Ivey Business School – the strategic partners of the Center for Leadership of UCU – this model also became the foundation for our academic research. And its analysis, according to the Center’s Executive Director, will serve as a guide to correctly understanding the “roots” of Leadership.

Competencies: What Are the Hard Skills of Leadership Made Of?

According to Andrew Rozhdestvensky, when we talk about a Leader’s Competencies, we must understand that we are not referring to narrow professional skills but specifically to managerial ones. Only they ensure that a good specialist becomes a truly proficient Leader for their team. The higher you climb in the hierarchy and the more complex the tasks you tackle, the more you rely on new skills. And this is a fact that everyone must grasp.

“For the past twenty years, I have not been directly involved in writing code. This has undoubtedly affected my engineering skills. But it was a conscious decision in favor of development in the managerial field”,

Taras Kytsmey, Ukrainian entrepreneur, scientist, economist, co-founder, and president of the IT corporation “SoftServe”.

What are the components of Competencies according to the 3C Model?

• Business: Finance is the “lifeblood” of any corporate entity. A Leader’s understanding of cash flow management fundamentals is an essential skill for an organization’s successful existence.
• Strategic: These include not only the ability of a Leader to develop ambitious (yet realistic) plans for the future but also “having the talent and audacity” (as the host puts it) to implement them.
• Organizational: Every organization has its own direction, stages of development, and potential for growth or even extinction. Understanding these aspects, as well as the specifics of corporate culture, forms the direct foundation for driving real change.
• Human: The author prefers to divide these into two subcategories:
  –  Direct team management skills: The ability to motivate, delegate, and provide feedback.
  – Viewing the team from an HR perspective: Understanding recruitment principles within the company and approaches to personnel development.

However, are Competencies alone enough to be considered a “true” Leader? The answer to this question leads the podcast audience to the next chapter.

The Leadership Character: What Lies Behind Its Virtues?

As we have already established, the foundation of any Leadership is the competence of the individual. But is it enough for truly effective management? Up until the early 21st century, most business schools around the world believed it was. The ability to generate profit for a company and increase the value of its stock was, in their view, the primary measure of a Leader’s success.

However, according to Andrew Rozhdestvensky, it was precisely their disregard for the component that Warren Buffett called “Integrity” that gave rise to entire generations of ambitious and intelligent, yet often morally bankrupt careerists. And the consequence, in the form of the global economic crisis of 2008-2009, serves as a striking confirmation of this.

These economic shocks prompted Gerard Seijts, Jeffrey Gandz, and Mary Crossan to search for the “missing pieces” in the portrait of the “perfect” Leader – gaps that proved so impactful for most countries. The result was not only the “discovery” of the 3C Model described above but also one of its most crucial components: the Leadership Character. It was to the analysis of its 11 Dimensions – or Virtues, as they are termed by the Center for Leadership of UCU – that the host dedicated the next part of the episode.

What are the components of a Leadership Character?

• Transcendence – the ability to realistically assess both personal and corporate growth trajectories, creating long-term and, most importantly, achievable plans for the future.
• Drive – a Leader’s capacity to find inner energy for themselves and their team to successfully overcome challenges.
• Collaboration – the ability not just to work in a team but to build Alliances and Partnerships (according to John Kotter, whose approaches were discussed in a previous article) to achieve common goals.
• Humanity – above all, a Leader’s awareness of the moral state of their colleagues. And a willingness (especially in the context of modern Ukraine) to sometimes prioritize their team’s well-being over personal perfectionism.
• Humility – a trait best described as the opposite of egocentrism and the ability to acknowledge one’s own potential mistakes.
• Integrity – the willingness to act according to personally declared principles (rather than those dictated by fleeting trends). This is what should be understood as “Integrity” in Warren Buffett’s quote.
• Temperance – the ability to manage one’s emotions (both negative and positive), preventing them from excessively influencing behavior and judgment.
• Justice – a Leader’s ability to evaluate others’ work objectively, regardless of personal preferences or biases.
• Accountability – openness to communication about one’s actions not only with direct management but also with team members.
• Courage – a Virtue that should be seen not as the absence of fear, but as the ability to act despite it.
• Judgment – the central component of Character, which regulates the intensity of other Virtues based on external circumstances.

Summing up this section, Andrew Rozhdestvensky acknowledges: there is no person in whom all Virtues are perfectly developed. However, our task as Leaders is to find the “golden mean” in their expression – one that allows us to achieve our goals while neither harming ourselves nor those who work with us.

Commitment: The Connections That Make Our Work “Special”

In the 3C Model (which the host associates with “Energy” from the initial quote), Commitment consists of three elements, each of which is further divided into smaller components:

1. Aspiration:

• Influence – our desire to change the world.
• Position – readiness to formalize this influence.
• Excellence – determination to perform tasks better than circumstances require.

2. Engagement:

• In the Role – genuine passion for the field we are involved in.
• In the Team – willingness to collaborate with colleagues.
• In the Organization – a sense of belonging to the company we work for.

3. Sacrifice:

• People – in the form of layoffs or unavoidable losses on the battlefield.
• Money – through conscious expenses or forgone profits.
• Time – dedicated to truly high-quality execution of set goals.

And it is precisely the combination of these elements, according to our colleague, that serves as the “secret” to experiencing genuine satisfaction from one’s work.

“[So] what skills are important [for a Leader]? According to the 3C Model, these are: Competencies (Business, Strategic, Human, and Organizational), Character (which includes 11 Virtues), and Commitment (consisting of Aspiration, Engagement, and Sacrifice)”,

summarizes Andrew Rozhdestvensky.

“Is There a Place for Leadership in Peaceful Times?”

This was the question posed by a viewer under the nickname do_something_man, which our colleague – as per tradition – decided to address in the second episode of the “Leadership Podcast”.

In response, the Executive Director of the Center for Leadership of UCU makes the following points:

• “Peaceful times” are rather an illusion, as human perception is inherently subjective.
• The Leader’s role is to anticipate potential turbulence, ensuring that a deceptive sense of security does not lead people to complacency.
• “Easy” times do not eliminate the need for Leadership but require a different set of Virtues than crisis periods: instead of Courage and Drive, a Leader should focus on Humanity, Justice, and so on.
• Finally, different levels of challenges call for different management styles, which remain an integral part of Leadership.

Final Thoughts

What were the key takeaways from the second episode of the “Leadership Podcast” – the authorial project of Andrew Rozhdestvensky, created in partnership of the Center for Leadership of UCU and “Radio SKOVORODA”?

1. Competencies alone (Human, Organizational, Business, and Strategic) are not enough for full-fledged Leadership. According to research from the Ian O. Ihnatowycz Institute for Leadership at Ivey Business School, the most effective Leaders embody the 3C Model, which includes not only Competencies but also Character (expressed through Values, Traits, and 11 Virtues) and Commitment (reflected in Aspiration, Engagement, and Sacrifice).

2. By developing all three components at the right level, a person can evolve into a true Leader – one who not only leads but unites people around a common Idea.

And if this analysis has inspired you to explore the full episode, follow the link or listen on your favorite platform! After all, any growth – even the most ambitious – begins with a clear understanding of the final goal.