The construction of leadership practice: Making sense of leader competencies

Abstract

The notion of leadership competencies is a much-debated issue. In this article, we propose that how the leader makes sense of his or her competencies is key to leadership practice. Specifically, we look at how leaders reconcile discrepancies between the self-perceived proficiency of various competencies and their corresponding importance. Empirically, we study leaders within the music domain – how choral conductors make sense of their competencies in the shaping of their professional practice. We investigated how choral leaders in Scandinavia ( N = 638) made sense of their competencies in the face of demands in their working situations. A mixed methodology was used, comprising a quantitative survey with qualitative comments and in-depth interviews with a selection of the respondents. The results show that when choral leaders shape their practice, they frequently face competency gaps that compel them to act or adjust their identity. The key to this sensemaking process is how they move competency elements they master to the foreground and wanting elements to the background. The concept of ‘sensemaking affordance’ is introduced to account for how various leader competency categories are negotiated to safeguard overall efficacy.

Identifying and developing effective post‐2020 conservation bridging leaders

“…Moreover, since leaders are only as effective as their ability to positively influence others, evaluations should be inclusive. In addition, effective leadership requires leaders able to critically self‐evaluate, and constantly develop their leadership competency (e.g., Jansson et al., 2021 ).…”

“…However, a leader's effectiveness will influence and be influenced by the process and their ability to produce results. Not surprisingly, leadership characteristics are insufficiently understood because the complexity of what constitutes effective leadership requires an understanding of not only the leader but also how leadership is socially constructed through relations (Jansson et al., 2021 ). I refer to leadership characteristics throughout as the overarching values, competencies, skills, and behaviors that enable a leader to positively influence others to contribute toward a shared objective to conserve or restore a social‐ecological system (Englefield et al., 2019 ; Webb et al., 2021 ).…”

“…Ospina and Foldy ( 2010 : 303) describe bridging leadership as “the leadership work that connects different perspectives … to facilitate collaboration, but in ways that value those differences and maintain them for the sake of the broader vision.” Therefore, bridging leadership considers a leader's ability to effectively develop relational capital within diverse multistakeholder groups to promote required collaboration, resolve conflict, and achieve greater collective action (Ospina & Foldy, 2010 ; Jansson et al., 2021 ). Consequently, bridging leadership is central to CBC interventions that require collaboration among IPLCs, governmental and nongovernmental partners, and others.…”

Inescapably Les Misérables? Understanding the Sensemaking of the Artistic Precariat

“…Hence, mixed work arrangements are both a cause of precarious economic conditions and a solution for overcoming them, at least during a lockdown. A wider work portfolio offers a richer sensemaking affordance (Jansson, Elstad, and Døving 2021), that is, more opportunities for not only blending activity types but also more fluid shifting of identities, which could also be seen as shifting between multiple callings such as musician, composer, and teacher. This concords with Berg, Grant, and Johnson (2010) proposition that people with multiple callings are somewhat protected from dissatisfaction.…”

“…Although the concept was originally developed for organizations where the unit of analysis is the collective of individuals in a well-defined entity, it has also been found applicable to individuals in more open-ended structures such as a professional practice (Boggess 2018;Ng and Tan 2009;Sturges et al 2019;Jansson, Elstad, and Døving 2021;Weick 1976). Performing artists operate within fuzzy organizations of peers and fellow practitioners.…”