Part #1: Introduction to Lominger Competencies

31 May 2026, Singapore: Hyperlink to Part 2 - Lominger Competencies List & Definition; Hyperlink to Part #3 - Mapping Lominger Competencies to 4 Levels of Leadership Pipeline

Lominger Competencies: The Leadership Framework That Actually Scales

Most competency models are either too vague (“be strategic”) or too academic. The Lominger Leadership Architect® is different. It was built from data, not theory — and that’s why it’s still the backbone of succession and development in Fortune 500s 30 years later.

What is it?

Developed by Mike Lombardo and Bob Eichinger at Lominger Limited (later Korn Ferry), the framework started with a simple question: what separates people who succeed as they move up from those who stall?

They interviewed thousands of executives, studied performance data, and codified 67 observable behaviors — called competencies — that predict success across roles, functions, and industries.

Each competency is defined in one sentence, has clear “skilled vs unskilled” behaviors, and comes with development tips. No fluff.

The 67 sit in 4 clusters: 

Why it stuck

1. It’s behavioral, not trait-based. You’re not rated on “charisma.” You’re rated on “34. Managerial Courage: provides direct, actionable feedback.”
2. It scales across the pipeline. The same 67 work for an IC, a first-line manager, a manager of managers, and a CEO. What changes is which ones matter most.
3. It includes the dark side. Lominger added 19 “Career Stallers and Stoppers” — derailers like Arrogant, Overmanaging, Betrayal of Trust. These explain why talented people fail.
4. Development is baked in. Every competency comes with on-the-job learning tactics (70-20-10), not just training courses.

How companies use it

1. Hiring & Assessment

Instead of “5 years of experience,” job profiles pick 6-8 competencies. Ex: a Product Manager might need 14. Creativity, 51. Problem Solving, 31. Interpersonal Savvy, 16. Timely Decision Making.

2. Performance & 360s

VOICES® 360 asks raters to score the 67. You get a heat map of strengths, gaps, and hidden derailers.

3. Succession

Map competencies to leadership levels:

• Leading Self (IC): 24. Functional/Technical Skills, 53. Drive for Results, 29. Integrity and Trust
• Leading Others: 18. Delegation, 19. Developing Direct Reports, 34. Managerial Courage
• Leading Leaders: 59. Managing Through Systems, 58. Strategic Agility, 5. Business Acumen
• Leading Organization: 65. Managing Vision and Purpose, 38. Organizational Agility

4. Development

Lominger’s research showed 70% of development happens on the job. So each competency includes “stretch assignments.” Ex: low on 8. Comfort Around Higher Management? Present to the exec team quarterly.

The big insight: Success changes as you move up

The trap most companies make is promoting people for what made them great at the last level.

• The best engineer (high on 24. Functional/Technical Skills) often fails as a manager if they never build 18. Delegation.
• The best manager (high on 20. Directing Others) often fails as a director if they stay tactical and never develop 58. Strategic Agility.
• The best director often fails as a VP if they can’t let go of control — 59. Managing Through Systems.

Lominger makes that shift visible.

Limitations to know

• It’s comprehensive, which can feel like 67 things to fix. Good practice: focus on 2-3 per year.
• It was built in a US corporate context in the 1990s. Some language feels dated (“Command Skills”), but the behaviors hold.
• It’s not a personality test. It measures what you do, not who you are.

Bottom line

The Lominger Competencies Framework gives you a common language for talent. Instead of saying “she’s not ready,” you can say “she’s strong on Drive for Results and Customer Focus but needs work on Delegation and Developing Direct Reports before leading a team.”

That clarity is why it’s lasted — and why it still powers Korn Ferry’s assessments today.