We often speak about “skills” or “competencies” as if they’re interchangeable. But they’re not, and treating them as such leads to vague goals and shallow development plans.
This simple model breaks it down:
↳ Knowledge is what someone knows.
↳ Skills are what someone can do.
↳ Abilities are what someone is naturally equipped to do.
↳ Competencies combine all three — plus behaviors, attitudes, and context.
If you want to build true leadership capacity, focus on competencies.
Because great leadership is rarely about just knowledge or skill. It’s about applying them with judgment, in pressure-filled, people-rich environments.
That’s why our new Big 5 of Strategy coaching certification program focuses not on generic strengths or traits, but on strategic competencies.
The ones leaders actually need to grasp, shape, move, deliver and adapt.
We’ve built a full self assessment and development process around them.
Now we’re training the first 100 Certified Big 5 of Strategy Coaches.
Building Blocks of Leadership
Kenrick Vaz 