Do you have a sense of how other people view you when they first meet you? Do you really know what others in your professional world think of you, even after years of being in a relationship with them? Do you realize what messages, spoken and unspoken, you are sending every single day? Have you thought about this?

Feeling like something isn’t going well in your daily efforts to manage your organization? Maybe you don’t have enough of one or more of these essential management competencies. If that’s the case, you’re blocking your road to success. Further, you can bet this issue is holding back company growth too.

According to Bradford Smart, author of TOPGRADING, persons in management positions need 50 competencies to do the job right. Yes, 50! That’s a lot of skill. And—that’s why many “managers” aren’t making the grade. That’s why many “managers” really shouldn’t be in that corner office. That’s why many “managers” won’t be there doing the same things five years from now.

Of the 50 competencies, 12 are absolutely critical. Performing poorly in even one of these can result in termination, demotion, or just plain daily struggle and chronic frustration. Let’s take a look at each of the 12: