Competency in communication and relationship management examines how leaders understand the people they work with and how they use that knowledge to effectively build relationships.5 Leaders build quality working relationships that are characterized by trust, expectations, and support.6 Effective and competent leaders are empathetic, compassionate, and consider the impact of decisions on their direct reports.6 Competent leaders inspire and influence people to work toward a shared goal, gain voluntary commitment rather than compliance, and increase the recruitment and retention of quality employees.6