Leadership Skills is one of the 19 functional FM knowledge areas that are categorized into four key knowledge domains.

Definition: Leadership refers to the ability to influence the actions of others. It often involves a process of recognizing issues or problems, developing a goal or desired end state, assembling the right team to accomplish the goal, supporting a collaborative team approach, and then gathering feedback to start the cycle again. Leadership skills are the traits exhibited by good leaders that help to guide and motivate a group of people to act toward the common goal.

As the strategic business environment has changed, and as facilities and how they are operated have changed, the role of the facility manager has also changed. With this change was borne the need for facility managers to be good leaders in order to be truly effective in their position.

Leadership involves inspiring others to manage themselves toward the shared goals the leader sets. Followers choose to follow a leader, so leadership is not the same as controlling or impelling by force of authority. It is rather a process of discovering what followers need and then giving them that customized support. It requires consistency and fairness because followers follow for the long term only if they trust and respect their leaders. Facility managers must be able to win management support for initiatives, build stakeholder teams around the goals for these plans, and then lead a facility management team to get the work done. This requires persuading others in the organization about the value of FM and its initiatives and building a network of organizational allies.

Key Concepts:

• FM role in the organization.
• Demonstrating the added value of FM (nine value dimensions).
• Theories of leadership.
• Action-centered leadership model.
• Leadership styles.
• Aspects of organizational culture.
• Elements of successful approach to cultural intelligence.
• Ways leaders influence organizational culture.
• Workplace conflict.
• Conflict management.
• Modes of conflict resolution.
• Ways to minimize conflict.
• Principled negotiation technique.

Leadership Skills Proficiency Indicators (Task Statements)

• Demonstrates knowledge and ability to move from the operational (the who and when of things getting done) to the tactical (what we do) to the strategic (why we do what we do).
• Strategically allocates all forms of “capital” – human (people), physical (facilities), economic (money), and environmental (land and resources).
• Provides decision makers with better information about the total long-term costs and consequences of a particular course of action.
• Demonstrates knowledge and understanding of different leadership styles.
• Identifies opportunities to improve FM operations that better align with and support the strategic vision of the organization.
• Develops an organizational culture that defines the critical role of FM.
• Serves as an advocate for the organization to influence and ensure advancement of strategic goals and objectives.
• Builds credibility as an FM expert within and outside the organization.
• Acts as a mentor in the facility management team or organization.
• Applies an understanding of the needs, interests, issues, and bargaining position of all parties in negotiation agreements.
• Mediates or resolves escalated conflicts.

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