Core Competencies Glossary

All core competencies can be assigned into one of four categories: Values, Skills, Stewardship, and Results. Click the relevant tab below for more details on the competencies within each category.

Values | Valores

Competency	Description	Performance Indicators
Practice entrepreneurialism	Passionate about new ideas and emerging possibilities, and willingness to show up to meet needs	Is passionate about possibility and recognizes paths for emergence of new ideas and processes Takes ownership across levels of work, approaching administrative, operational, and strategic needs as essential steps in realizing possibility
Exercise creative courage	Act with curiosity and bravery, share bold ideas, and embrace both experimentation and the inevitable mistakes that come with trying something new	Cultivates and demonstrates a personal ethos of curiosity and courage to think, feel, share and act creatively Sets clear, but kind boundaries Invites sharing and celebration of wild ideas along with the mistakes that will come when trying them
Take action to learn	Pursue learning through deliberate action, balance reflection with progress, and work steadily toward long-term goals despite challenges	Designs a personal learning pathway; co-creates opportunities for learning Balances quick action with thoughtful reflection
Empathize	Listen deeply to others’ experiences, and create opportunities that center the voices of the people and communities you are working with	Actively seeks insight from the experience and perspective of others Empathizes from a place of love, respect and curiosity
Embrace vulnerability	Step into uncertainty with openness, ask for support and feedback, and own your learning and growth with honesty and courage	Seeks help, feedback and collaboration Owns where they are and what they need to learn
Work with adaptability	Embrace change, pivot with intention, and stay open to evolving paths and outcomes	Shows an ability and willingness to pivot and course correct, and stay open to what the process and results look like

Skills | Habilidades

Competency	Description	Performance Indicators
Bring vision to life | Dar vida a la visión	Passionately co-creates an inspiring vision, translate it into clear agreements and goals, and follow through with disciplined prioritization and daily execution	Passionately co-creates an inspiring vision, shares the big picture, and follows through to execution of vision Creates clear team agreements, goals, expectations, and co-constructed narratives Demonstrates ability to prioritize, organize, calendar and manage tasks and key milestones
Candid communication | Comunicación sincera	Speak and write openly, honestly, and with compassion, keeping messages clear, timely, and accessible	Adapts language, tone, and style to different audiences and contexts to connect effectively across differences Communicates with authentic candor and compassion, sharing truth while owning their impact on others Shares information consistently and in a timely manner to maintain alignment, and when out of alignment to name it and address it in real time Models excellent writing skills and professional email correspondence Expresses ideas clearly and concisely, making complex concepts accessible
Distributed leadership | Liderazgo distribuido	Step up to lead where opportunities arise and create space for others to lead, share power, and break down top-down structures through collaboration	Actively creates space for others to lead and contribute, recognizing diverse strengths Identifies need and steps into leadership, taking initiative to move work forward Shares decision-making to distribute authority and fosters shared ownership Delegates thoughtfully, assigning tasks and responsibilities in ways that build skills, empower others, and foster shared accountability
Systems Thinking & Synthesis | Pensamiento sistémico y síntesis	Seek diverse perspectives, connect insights across sources, and generate questions and conclusions to understand how systems work.	Identifies patterns and root causes by questioning assumptions and analyzing complex problems across systems Transforms complexity into clarity by integrating diverse data and perspectives into actionable insights and decisions
Progressive technology | Tecnología progresiva	Profficient in utilizing various technological tools and platforms, both current and emergent	Open to learning and exploring new technological tools, systems, and processes Utilizes technological tools and platforms efficiently and effectively to fulfill the objectives at hand

Stewardship | Fortalecimiento

Competency	Description	Performance Indicators
Active listening | Escucha activa	Stay fully present, ask open-ended questions, listen for story and possibility, and build on others’ ideas while centering voices that are often unheard	Actively listens to, demonstrates understanding and builds on the thoughts and ideas of others Asks open ended questions, not leading questions Embraces the silent space
Move at the speed of trust | Muévete a la velocidad de la confianza	Build mutual respect and understanding by meeting people where they are, investing in relationships with intention and patience, and recognizing that collaborative processes are nonlinear	Is transparent and authentic about realistic process and outcomes, and follows through on commitments Holds a safe space and facilitates continual engagement Recognized and embraces nonlinear nature of the work including forward and backward steps
Embrace complexity | Abraza la complejidad	Sit with uncertainty and discomfort, avoid quick fixes, and create space for thoughtful sense-making before acting	Builds comfort with the mess and avoids the quick fix Creates opportunities for sense making before decision making
Work to transform power | Trabaja para transformar el poder	Reflect on system dynamics, co-create ways to shift imbalances, and design spaces that share power rather than concentrate it	Creates spaces and structures that distribute power rather than concentrate it Pauses to reflect on team and system dynamics, and personal power and influence
Build capacity in others | Potencia las habilidades de otros	Share knowledge openly, co-create goals and agreements, and mentor and support others to strengthen collective leadership	Practices transparency and non-attachment when sharing with collaborators Engages others in designing processes and solutions, building shared ownership Shares instead of sells. Shares as an opportunity to learn with our team Invests in next generation leaders and offers mentorship and support

Results | Resultados

Competency	Description	Performance Indicators
Deliver high quality results | Entrega resultados de alta calidad	Produce work that meets high standards and take accountability when outcomes fall short	Content, deliverables and design are high quality Completes tasks accurately and on time, ensuring records, documentation, and processes are organized, accessible, and support smooth organizational operations Takes accountability where results fall short
Drive cycles of continuous improvement and evolution | Impulsa ciclos de mejora continua y evolución	Release what’s done, stay curious about what’s next, and iterate openly with team to keep evolving	Demonstrates ability to let go and liberate what comes next Maintains open communication and reflection with team. Iteration
Tell the story | Comparte la historia	Celebrate successes, share key learnings, and capture work in ways that inspire learning, replication, and broader impact	Celebrates the successes Identifies, models and share key learnings Builds models and documents work for wide-spread recycling, learning and use
Ensure belonging, access and opportunity | Garantiza pertenencia, acceso y oportunidad	Ensure an experience of belonging, access and opportunity externally and internally	Shares credit and recognition broadly, ensuring contributions are visible across all levels and identities Team members and partners consistently report feeling valued, included, and able to contribute fully Barriers to participation (structural, cultural, or logistical) are reduced or eliminated, resulting in broader and more diverse engagement
Achieve progress towards goals, mission and vision | Logra avances hacia las metas, misión y visión	Achieves large-scale goals that integrate a collective of diverse interests over time	Collective priorities are translated into clear milestones, and measurable progress toward long-term goals is consistently demonstrated