DUCO™ Leadership Competency Model & Interview Questions

Leadership, Defined by How It’s Actually Practiced. ‍

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Duco comes from Latin, meaning to lead. The DUCO™ Leadership Competency Model, developed by Duco Talent, is built on that premise: leadership is not a title, a mindset, or a set of aspirations. It is a pattern of decisions and behaviours that consistently move people and organizations forward. Most leadership models describe what leaders should value. DUCO defines what leaders must do.

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1. A Complete 9-Competency Leadership Model

A modern leadership framework defining nine core leadership competencies, each written in clear, observable, behaviour-based language:

• Driving Ownership and Accountability
• Leading Through Change and Uncertainty
• Mobilizing Commitment
• Developing People and Capability
• Ethical Leadership and Trust
• Strategic Direction and Alignment
• Leading with AI and Intelligent Technologies
• Sound Judgment and Decision-Making
• Inclusive Leadership and Diverse Perspectives

Each competency includes:

• A clear competency definition
• Behavioural descriptions grounded in real leadership contexts
• Language designed for consistent use across roles and levels

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2. Structured Interview Question Bank (80+ Questions)

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A comprehensive bank of behaviour-based interview questions mapped directly to each competency, designed to support:

• Leadership hiring and promotion decisions
• Executive and high-potential assessments
• Consistent, defensible interview practices

Questions are structured to:

• Elicit real examples, not theoretical responses
• Surface judgment, trade-offs, and decision quality
• Reduce bias and increase consistency across interviewers

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3. Dozens of Scenario-Based Multiple Choice Questions

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A growing set of scenario-based multiple choice questions designed to introduce objectivity into leadership assessment.

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These questions:

• Present realistic, enterprise-grade leadership scenarios
• Force trade-offs rather than obvious “right” answers
• Are mapped directly to DUCO™ competencies
• Support consistent, scalable assessment

They are ideal for:

• Early-stage screening
• Leadership readiness checks
• Complementing interview-based assessment

4. Enterprise-Grade Leadership Scenarios

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Detailed, complex leadership scenarios reflecting the realities of large organizations (10,000+ employees), including:

• Operational and transformation pressure
• AI adoption and ethical decision-making
• Regulatory and stakeholder constraints
• Cultural and leadership misalignment

These scenarios are designed for:

• Executive assessments
• Development programs
• Facilitated discussions and simulations

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5. A Model Designed to Evolve

Unlike static consulting frameworks, the DUCO™ Leadership Competency Model is updated every three months to reflect:

• Emerging leadership challenges
• Advances in AI and intelligent technologies
• Shifts in organizational and workforce expectations

You are not buying a one-time artifact.
You are adopting a living leadership model.

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6. Built for Practical Use, Not Shelfware

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DUCO™ is designed to be used across:

• Hiring and selection
• Leadership development
• Succession planning
• Performance and capability discussions

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The language, structure, and tools are intentionally practical, consistent, and defensible.

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One quiet but important promise

You will not find this framework inside your competitors’ organizations.

DUCO™ is not recycled consulting IP.
It is developed, maintained, and evolved by Duco Talent.

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What the DUCO™ Model Is Designed to Do

The DUCO™ Leadership Competency Model is a practical, research-informed framework designed for organizations operating in complexity: large enterprises, public-sector institutions, and regulated environments where leadership decisions carry real consequences.

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The model defines leadership through observable, assessable behaviours that can be used across:

• Hiring and selection
• Leadership assessment
• Development and coaching
• Succession planning
• Workforce transformation initiatives

This is not a theoretical model. It is an operating model for leadership.

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The Nine DUCO™ Leadership Competencies

The DUCO™ model defines leadership across nine core dimensions:

1. Driving Ownership and Accountability
2. Leading Through Change and Uncertainty
3. Mobilizing Commitment
4. Developing People and Capability
5. Ethical Leadership and Trust
6. Strategic Direction and Alignment
7. Leading with AI and Intelligent Technologies
8. Sound Judgment and Decision-Making
9. Inclusive Leadership and Diverse Perspectives

Each competency is intentionally written to be:

• Behaviour-based
• Context-neutral
• Assessment-ready
• Applicable across industries and leadership levels

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Why DUCO™ Is Different

Most leadership frameworks struggle in real-world use because they are:

• Overly abstract
• Difficult to assess consistently
• Disconnected from decision-making under pressure

The DUCO™ Leadership Competency Model was designed to avoid those failures.

It is:

• Behavioural, not aspirational
• Defensible, not trendy
• Modern, explicitly addressing AI, judgment, and complexity
• Built for use, not for presentation

DUCO™ gives organizations a shared language for leadership that holds up when stakes are high.

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Built by Experience, Not Theory

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Developed by Emrah Eren, MA

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The DUCO™ Leadership Competency Model was developed by Emrah Eren, Founder & President of Duco Consulting Ltd. and the driving force behind Duco Talent, with over 20 years of experience in enterprise talent strategy, competency development, and organizational effectiveness.

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Emrah has worked extensively with Fortune 100 organizations, the Canadian public sector, and defence and security institutions, helping leaders and organizations define, assess, and build capability where it matters most.

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His background includes:

• Personnel Researcher at the Department of National Defence (DND)
• 12 years as a defence contractor with Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC)
• Author of 150+ applied reports on leadership, workforce capability, and competency modeling
• Advisory work supporting organizations such as the RCMP in role profiling and talent frameworks

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Emrah was also a contributing member of the IEEE Standards Association and received a Certificate of Outstanding Contribution for his role in developing IEEE Standard 1484.20.2™ (2022), a global recommended practice for defining competencies.

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This work has shaped international best practices in competency modeling and assessment methodologies.

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Why Duco Talent

Duco Talent exists to help organizations lead with clarity, not convention.

The DUCO™ Leadership Competency Model reflects Duco Talent’s philosophy:
leadership must be defined, measured, and developed in ways that reflect modern organizational reality, not legacy HR thinking.

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