YWLC Leadership Competency Framework 2.0: Introducing the Leadership Development Toolkit

We've been thinking about what it really means to grow as a leader – and how we can keep improving the tools we offer our community to do that.

If you've ever wondered whether you're growing in the right direction, felt unsure how to articulate where you want to develop next, or wanted a clearer language for what leadership actually looks like in practice, this is for you.

This issue, we're introducing two aspects the Leadership Development team has been working on: a refreshed Leadership Competency Framework, and the Toolkit we built to bring it to life.

Why a framework, and why now

Framework 2.0 has its roots in work YWLC began in 2022, when we first introduced a Leadership Competency Framework centred on two dimensions: Leading Yourself and Leading Others. Framework 2.0 expands on that with a third pillar, “Leading With Impact” and pairs the framework with a practical Toolkit for the first time. Here is why that matters.

Leadership Development has always been one of YWLC's four core pillars. We run masterclasses, leadership roundtables, and community spaces because we genuinely believe that every woman here has the capacity to grow as a leader, at any stage, in any context.

But growth needs a reference point. Without one, it's easy to collect experiences without knowing what to do with them, or to work hard on the wrong things, or to feel like you're moving without really knowing where.

That's what the Leadership Competency Framework is for. It gives our community a shared language for leadership, one that's grounded in what we've seen our members navigate, built for the realities of modern workplaces, and designed to stretch with you as you grow.

The Framework

The Leadership Competency Framework organises growth across three interconnected pillars. They build on each other, but you'll find yourself moving between them throughout your journey.

Leading Self

Everything starts here. Before you can lead a team, a project, or a community, you lead yourself. This pillar is about developing the self-awareness to know how you show up, the emotional intelligence to work skilfully with what you're feeling, the resilience to recover well from setbacks, and the confidence to trust your voice even when the room feels uncertain. It's the inner work that makes everything else possible.

Leading Others

Leadership was never meant to be a solo act. This pillar is about the quality of your relationships and the strength of your influence. It covers how you communicate clearly and with care, how you move people without relying on authority, how you make good decisions under pressure, and how you create space for every voice to genuinely shape outcomes. The women who lead others well don't just get things done. They make the people around them better.

Leading With Impact

This is where self-knowledge and strong relationships translate into something the world can actually feel. Leading with impact means thinking strategically, challenging the defaults, anchoring your work to a purpose bigger than any single task, and building things that last beyond your direct involvement. It's the shift from doing good work to leaving something behind.

The Leadership Development Toolkit: how the framework comes to life

We always wanted the framework to be something you could actually pick up and use in your day-to-day. So alongside it, we built a Toolkit.

The Toolkit is a self-guided companion structured around all three pillars. For each competency, it maps out three stages of development: Emerging, Practising, and Embodying. This is a way to locate yourself honestly, see where you are right now, and identify one concrete next step.

Each section includes reflection prompts to make the content personal, and a practice column with one specific thing you can try this week. Not a project. Not a programme. One thing.

Our recommendation: start with Leading Self, even if another pillar feels more urgent. The inner work tends to make the rest stick. Then use the reflection prompts honestly, the way you'd answer a question at the end of a long day when nobody's watching. Come back to the Toolkit as you grow. Your answers will shift, and that's the whole point.

"Every woman here has the capacity to lead with clarity, influence with integrity, and create impact that lasts. When we're given the right tools and space to reflect, we don't just grow as leaders, we transform the spaces around us. My hope is that you walk away with self-knowledge, clarity on the competencies you want to build, and practices you can bring back to your role today. This is your starting point. I'm rooting for you."

— Maxine Mak, Director of Leadership Development, 9th Executive Committee

“At YWLC, defining what good leadership looks like has always been central to who we are and that thinking continues to evolve. Framework 2.0 reflects where we are today; leadership does not stop at personal growth or how we bring others along, but extends into the lasting positive impact we leave behind. The Toolkit brings that to life – deeper, more actionable, and designed to travel with our members across every stage of their journey.”

— Adreena Lau, Vice Chairperson, 9th Executive Committee.

A heartfelt thank you to Ho Zhi Hui , Jiayi, Alyssa and Maxine Mak for the effort and thought they put into making this happen.

Accessing the Toolkit

The full Leadership Development Toolkit is available exclusively to YWLC members. Not a member yet? This is a good reason to join. Find out more at ywlc.org.sg.

Find out more about YWLC’s Leadership Competency Framework (2022) here.