What Stage of Leadership Competence?

What stage of leadership competence are you at?

Great leadership is easy to recognize—after it happens. But where does it start?

In my Leaders program, a group of non-competing business leaders comes together to:

• Solve problems collectively.
• Engage in focused leadership coaching.
• Build a sense of belonging—away from the constant pressure of being in charge.
• Hone leadership skills—because what we focus on improves.

But how can we measure and track the progress of a leader?

I’ve adapted a powerful framework based on the Four Stages for Learning Any New Skill by Noel Burch (1970s) and a fifth stage introduced by David Robson in The Intelligence Trap.

Here’s the breakdown:

1. Unconscious Incompetence You don’t know what you don’t know. There’s a gap in skills, but it hasn’t been identified yet—or its importance isn’t recognized. Moving beyond this stage requires motivation and the hunger to learn.

2. Conscious Incompetence You’ve identified the gap and its significance. Mistakes are common here, but they’re essential for learning. This stage demands resilience, a willingness to fail, and the courage to keep going.

3. Conscious Competence You’re actively applying new skills. Execution requires focus, effort, and step-by-step processes. Mistakes decrease, and achievements grow—but the energy required is high.

4. Unconscious Competence You’ve mastered the skill to the point where it feels like second nature. Tasks flow seamlessly, and you can often teach others. However, this stage risks complacency.

5. Reflective Competence Even experts can plateau or fall into bias traps. Reflective leaders recognize these risks and embrace the wisdom of doubt, exploring options and controlling impulses to reach better decisions.

This model shares some parallels with the Johari Window, particularly in uncovering blind spots and building self-awareness.

At Band of Leaders, we climb this ladder together, using tailored frameworks, and group/1-to-1 problem-solving strategies.

Are you ready to elevate your leadership journey?

Let’s talk.