Leading with Character and Competence

Is leadership a question of character or competence? Most leadership training separates these two factors, but Clark shows that anyone at any level can be a superior leader by balancing these dimensions.


Our leadership development programs teach necessary skills, yet we often train individuals who do not have the character to lead, which is a weakness because a leader with skills but no character can be dangerous. But a leader with character but no skills is useless. In this book, author, consultant, and entrepreneur Tim Clark shows how anyone can develop both character and competence.

Clark lays out his model of the "core" (character) and the "crust" (competence) to explain how we can rethink leadership. Most importantly, this model makes no allowance for job title, formal authority, or position. Almost anyone with the right character can learn competence, but Clark makes clear that the formula rarely works the other way around. For each aspect of leadership, he shares a series of mini lessons taken from his research and experience. Clark's book will be a key personal growth tool for anyone anywhere ready to step up, regardless of external labels or job description.