Characteristics of Competent Managers in the Letters of Nahj Al-Balāghah with an Emphasis on Spencer’s Model

SUBJECT & OBJECTIVES: The appointment of executive and administrative officials constitutes one of the most critical and necessary duties of an Islamic government, as the persistence of a system and government is contingent upon the competency of its agents. Should organizations be led by competent managers, the quality of organizational activities will be enhanced, given that appointing competent managers significantly influences the promotion of societal behavior and Islamic values, fosters trust between the populace and the rulers, and facilitates the resolution of social problems.METHOD & FINDING: Reflecting to both the internal and external competencies of managers during their selection is imperative. This study seeks to elucidate the concept of competency, models of competency, and the significance of meritocracy within Islamic management. Furthermore, it analyzes the criteria for appointing competent managers with reference to the letters of Imām ʿAlī to His agents, employing a descriptive-analytical methodology and utilizing Spencer’s model. This process culminated in the design of a logical model of managerial competency derived from Imām ʿAlī’s teachings.CONCLUSION: The results indicate that managerial competencies, from the perspective of Nahj Al-Balāghah's letters, can be categorized into five components based on Spencer and Spencer's model: knowledge, skill, self-concept dimensions, personal traits, and motivation. These competencies were subsequently classified into two dimensions: hard and soft. Hard competencies encompass experience and expertise, reasoning, discipline, consultation, creating welfare, and communication with people. Soft competencies, characterized by an internal aspect in management, include self-control, justice, control and supervision, patience, humility, trustworthiness, honesty, adhering to the rights, and serving.