The soft skills of leadership

Why do people and companies do things the way they do? The best answer I have found is “That’s how we’ve always done things around here.” That seems to be how the discussions are going when it comes to explaining and educating everyone on soft skills.  It’s not the way it’s been done before…but does that mean that’s the way it needs to stay? Are soft skills just for women? Why do we need to understand this…We don’t do it that way.

Job-related expertise is essential in any profession and in many careers. However, over the last twenty to thirty years, studies have been done that have shown that soft skills may ultimately be more important in determining levels of success.

The hard skills are a basic minimum necessary in order to operate in a particular workplace. Whether or not you are successful in your career may depend on how you relate to other people and to work…the so-called soft skills.

If you need some hard evidence of why the soft skills are ranking high in conversations today, how about these?

  • 77% of employers believe soft skills are just as important as hard skills
  • 94% of recruiting professionals believe an employee with stronger soft skills has a better chance of being promoted to a leadership role than an employee with more years of experience and weaker soft skills
  • 58% of recruiting professionals believe soft skills are more important for leadership and management positions than for entry-level positions

The question is, do we need only soft skills? Hard skills are like your technology: anyone can acquire them, with training, and they are necessary. Without them you will not be able to operate in the workplace. Soft skills are your unique selling point and give you a competitive edge in the workplace, and perhaps even in life.

When it comes to most positions, especially in leadership, a mix of soft and hard skills is what will truly matters. It’s one of the best ways to set yourself apart from others who tend to be weak in one area. Imagine having a conversation with someone on your team or another team, a vendor or colleague, your technical knowledge is much more helpful if you can communicate it to others.  Being book smart will only take you so far. Think about the difference between being brilliant and sharing your brilliance. It is on opposite sides of the spectrum. Leadership is not any different.  You can lead or you can manage.  One takes technical skills and one takes people skills.  Which team are you on?     

There are seven essential qualities in leadership that we have that may be obvious to some and not so much to others. Where do you see yourself?

  1. Passion– We tend to be passionate about things we are good at; we enjoy activities that come naturally to us. Whether you are the CEO of your company or the CEO of your own business, your passion will shine through and the results will be more than you had hoped for.
  2. Authenticity– I define authenticity as being the real you. Being authentic requires that we are self-aware and honest. It asks that we accept our strengths as well as our limitations. When you are authentic, you also have integrity. Who you are, what you do, what you say, and what you believe are all in alignment. You can trust yourself to make intelligent decisions when you are genuine and true to yourself. In turn, this leads to higher self-confidence and self-esteem.
  3. Courage– Whether we are accomplished leaders or moving in that direction, fear and self-doubt will occasionally emerge. Courage requires us to face our concerns, address them as best we can, then keep moving forward. We must mindfully keep putting one foot in front of the other.
  4. Communication– It’s such a strong and powerful word and yet it’s one of the qualities that most men and women find difficulty with. Do all men do this, do all women think like that? Does it make one better than the other or right vs. wrong? Definitely not but…we tend to feel better when we are on the “winning” team. Communication is the umbrella that covers speaking, asking questions, body language, building relationships and so much more. Men and Women are different in everything they do and communication is probably the biggest piece.
  5. Decisiveness– The average working adult makes roughly 12 decisions first thing in the morning and at least 70 decisions throughout the day. While these statistics vary considerably depending on each person and their respective responsibilities, we all face numerous decisions daily.There is an old saying that goes like this, “If the first thing you do each morning is eat a live frog, you can go through the day with the satisfaction of knowing that is probably the worst thing that is going to happen to you all day!” Your “frog” is the one thing you are most likely to procrastinate on if you don’t do something about it now. It is also the one task that can have the greatest positive impact at the moment.
  6. Resilience– Resilience- according to Merriam-Webster, resilience means “an ability to recover from or adjust easily to misfortune or change.” Are we ever truly prepared? There are those that say you should always have a Plan B while others say there are 26 other letters in the alphabet so not to worry if A or B don’t work out. Being resilient is our ability to adapt and bounce back when things don’t go as planned.  If you are resilient you acknowledge, learn and move forward.,Resilient people look at a difficulty as challenge. They are opportunities to grow and learn.  Resilient people have made a commitment to their goals both personally and professionally and they don’t take those lightly.
  7. Generosity– Anne Frank said, “No one has ever become poor by giving” and that comes in many different forms. The greatest example of generosity is giving back. It doesn’t have to be a financial gift. It can be your most expensive asset-your time. Think about mentorship. Did you know that sixty-five percent of women who have been mentored will go on to become mentors themselves?  Mentors are always in your corner.  They want the best for you and share lessons that are not always the easiest to hear but will guide you going forward.  Mentors can push you into directions that you may have thought impossible and help shatter those limiting beliefs you have set. A mentor helps you become a better leader. You learn to set goals and exchange experiences.  Remember, you are both learning from each other. The impact on both the mentor and mentee is significant.  A mentor is your partner who shares your wins and losses and will not only celebrate with you, they will call you out when necessary.

It seems that the future of leaders is moving and continues to move in the direction of soft skills.  Have you seen yourself in any of the examples?

Judy Hoberman

Judy Hoberman

Judy Hoberman is President of Judy Hoberman and Associates, a company focused on empowering professional women. Her company combines Sales and Leadership for Women using the philosophies of her best-selling ... Web: www.sellinginaskirt.com Details