A quick legal and ethical note: The original Competence at Work book (published by Wiley) is copyrighted. While many "PDF" versions floating around are unofficial (and often low-quality scans), the value isn't just in the list—it's in the behavioral indicators (the "What does this look like in real life?").
You can find legal summaries and adapted versions of the Spencer & Spencer model via:
The dictionary is derived from the authors’ seminal 1993 book, Competence at Work: Models for Superior Performance. Unlike job descriptions that list tasks or technical skills, the Spencer and Spencer model focuses on underlying personal characteristics—motives, traits, self-concepts, attitudes, and knowledge—that predict exceptional performance across various roles.
The dictionary categorizes competencies into clusters and provides: Spencer And Spencer Competency Dictionary Pdf
Focuses on leading and managing groups.
These separate top performers from average ones. They are the focus of the dictionary and include:
Helping and Human Service Cluster
Impact and Influence Cluster
Managerial Cluster
Cognitive Cluster
Personal Effectiveness Cluster
Focuses on influencing and impacting others.
The Spencer & Spencer model organizes competencies into two main categories: A quick legal and ethical note: The original
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