Welcome to the Twelve Skills Blog

If you’re landing here for the first time, welcome! We’re grateful you’re taking time to explore the Twelve Skills world. We created Twelve Skills based on our work with dozens of organizations, scores of managers, and hundreds of students over the past 20 years. Over our careers, we observed a specific set of skills that people need to develop to advance into roles of of greater responsibility. While technical abilities are essential early on in careers, its the skill related to leading people that matter when it comes to moving up.

We tested our historical observations by looking at leadership development programs produced by top tier consulting and human capital firms. We didn’t stop there. We examined a range of business publications that highlighted the skill leaders need to succeed. Or findings led to the development of the six areas and twelve skills found in our ‘dartboard’.

To summarize, as managers climb the corporate ladder, they need to master strategy and its correlate results. They also need to build high performing teams that develop talent. And while the world outside evolves, they must be able to communicate effectively to drive change. Within each of these areas are two specific skills constitute the bulk of what leaders must be able to do as they become more senior.

To ensure we brought the best, most useful thinking to Twelve Skill readers (and users!), we selected content from one of the best known and trusted sources in business research over the past 100 years—Harvard Business Publishing (HBP). As strategy consultants, executive coaches, and Ivy League educators, we’ve not only used—but in some cases helped create—ideas that have shaped how management is practiced today. Twelve Skills provides a concise, curated, and actionable set of tools aimed at helping anyone who practices them become recognized as an effective leader in their role and, as importantly, someone who is ready for greater responsibility.

With that said, take a look around the Twelve Skills site. You’ll find free resources that include a book chapter, a short assessment, links to related videos and articles, downloadable ‘cheat sheets’, a quick start guide and best of all, a comprehensive (and complementary!) workbook anyone can use to improve their skills, their team, and even their entire organization. We also have a Twelve Skills Linked In group—join and connect with like minded colleagues who are traveling on similar development journeys.

Thank you again visiting our blog. Check our Linked In group or this spot for reading and reach out if you have questions or would like any thoughts on how to get the most out of The Twelve Skills!

Laura and Ed