Popular 3 Soft Skills Every Great Leader Needs Michelle TenzykJenna ArcandJuly 19, 2024 Bigstock

Soft skills get a bad rap. Yet more organizations are requiring development on the softer side than ever before. So, what's the deal?

"Companies have moved away from the 'command and control' decision-making style," says Marie Holmstrom, the Charlotte, N.C.-based director of talent management and organization alignment with Towers Watson. "Managing day-to-day decisions takes away [leaders'] perspective and capacity to focus. Leaders must lead through others. You don't accomplish that only with technical skills. You have to have [those skills], but to achieve the next level of success, you have to be able to lead through others."

Research from HBR states, "Once people reach the C-suite, technical and functional expertise matters less than leadership skills and a strong grasp of business fundamentals." In a nutshell, soft skills.

Female traits are winning.

There are a lot of experts jumping on the bandwagon of the evolving leadership model. Soft skills have always been at the heart of great leadership. With the research that John Gerzema and Michael D'Antonio have published in their recent book, we need to take note that two-thirds of survey respondents felt that "the world would be a better place if men thought more like women."

I always associate the softer side with female traits. However, I can't tell you how many times I have been told I wasn't "warm and fuzzy" enough as an HR leader. That's insulting, to say the least, as I am sure a man in a similar position would not be given that feedback. However, I did embody loyalty and intuitiveness—both feminine traits and in the category of soft skills.

I am relieved of this renewed focus on the softer side. It allows women to lead as authentic women, and men to exude some of their innate qualities that otherwise might stay hidden.

Here are three soft skills every leader should be demonstrating on a daily basis to raise their game, lift up their teams, and help their organizations reach their goals.

1. Strong Communication Skills

Bigstock

Whether in speaking or in writing, communicating up, down, and across is always important. How you communicate is even more crucial.

Those who know how to articulate their point with influence, directness, and compassion are demonstrating a real ability to raise their organization's game.

2. The Ability To Influence

Bigstock

In order to influence your customers, vendors, board of directors, team, and other management, you need to be savvy. Influencing takes a soft touch, time to understand your audience, and the ability to bring them to your side of the table.

3. Humility

Bigstock

Yes, I put this in the top three. Humility can be defined as the quality or state of being humble; a modest opinion of one's own importance or rank.

In today's environment, leading with power and authority, albeit effective at times, is going by the wayside. Leaving your ego at the door and allowing others to lead with you is paramount to the future growth of your team and organization.

This, my friends, is humility.

There's nothing warm and fuzzy about these skills. They're just the softer side of the skills we all need to be a game-changing leader. If you want to be a great leader, focus on developing and practicing these three skills on the job today. The success of your team depends on it!

Need more help with your career?

Become a member to learn how to UNLEASH your true potential to get what you want from work!

From Your Site Articles

• 10 Ways To Become A Better Leader ›
• 7 Ways To Stand Out As A Leader At Work - Work It Daily ›
• 6 Key Leadership Skills All Successful Managers Need - Work It Daily ›
• How To Improve Leadership Skills And Climb The Ladder - Work It ... ›
• 7 Ways To Tailor Your Resume For A Leadership Position - Work It ... ›
• How To Communicate With Your Board Of Directors - Work It Daily ›
• How To Present Updates To C-Suite Members - Work It Daily ›
• What Your Decision-Making Style Says About You As A Leader - Work It Daily ›
• How To Be A Better Boss - Work It Daily ›

Related Articles Around the Web

• 15 Soft Skills You'll Need to Be a Dynamic Leader - Wilmington ... ›
• How Strong Are Your Leadership Soft Skills? ›
• 21 Soft Skills for Leadership Success | Indeed.com ›

leadership Partner Boost 11 Ways To Enjoy Summer When You’re Working A Full-Time Job Ariella CoombsJenna ArcandJune 13, 2024 Bigstock

There you are: sitting on the beach, covered in sunscreen, reading your favorite book, drinking your favorite drink under the cool shade of an umbrella. Life doesn't get any better than this. Suddenly, a door slams, a phone rings, a printer turns on. You jolt back into consciousness. You're at work, sitting in your cubicle, without even a hint of sunshine streaming in from outside.

When you're working a full-time job, finding time to enjoy the warm, bright summer weather can be a challenge. This is especially true for young professionals, as many of them are used to having summers off (or, at the very least, having a flexible summer schedule). But there's no need to feel trapped behind your cubicle walls. Go out and enjoy summer!

Here are a few tips for making the most of your summer while working full time.

1. Grab Some Foldable Chairs

Bigstock

Keep a couple of foldable camping chairs at the office so you and a co-worker can catch some rays during lunch—whether it's in the park or the parking lot.

2. Keep A Beach Bag In Your Car​

Bigstock

Keep a bag full of summer supplies for your favorite summer activities. Having a bag (or, in my case, a backseat) full of towels, sunscreen, and swimwear keeps you prepared for anything. Friends hitting up the pool after work? You're covered. Once the clock strikes five, you can head to your destination of choice immediately.

3. Plan An Office Outing

Bigstock

Plan an office field trip to the beach, the park, or the pool. Just do something fun so your brain can recharge and refresh!

4. Organize Group Walks

Bigstock

Get a bunch of co-workers together and go on regular walks around town during lunch. (Or you could suggest a quick jaunt over to the ice cream shop.) This is a great way to get some fresh air, sunshine, and exercise.

5. Eat Lunch At The Park

Bigstock

When you find yourself eating out, hit up places with a deck, porch, or patio of some sort. Obviously, eating out every day isn't really a feasible option for most of us, so look into alternative ideas as well. Pack a lunch and hit the park for your own little picnic.

6. Organize Office Sports

Bigstock

Whether it's setting up an official office sports team or just hanging out with your colleagues a few times a week, playing sports is a great way to get out and enjoy the weather. Have a field nearby? Try setting up some slow-pitch softball games. Or see if you can get a basketball hoop for the office so you and a few co-workers can shoot some hoops at lunch.

7. Join A Professional Group

Bigstock

During the summer, professional networking groups often have fun events like harbor cruises, pub crawls, and outdoor mixers. Find a professional group in your area and make networking fun this summer.

8. Have An Office BBQ

Bigstock

Get your grill on! Talk to your boss about setting up an office BBQ. Ask everyone to contribute their favorite dish, side, or drink. Fire up the grill and relax! Hey, it's summer after all.

9. Wake Up Early

Bigstock

Yes, yes, I know...waking up early is an incredibly painful and unbearable experience for some of us, but waking up even an hour earlier has its benefits—especially in the summer. Go for a morning run, putter around in the garden, or watch the sunrise with a loved one. Talk about starting the day off right!

10. Strategically Use Your Time Off

Bigstock

Strategically use your vacation days around holidays. This way, you can make a potentially long weekend longer without having to use too much of your precious vacation time. Half days are also pretty awesome. It's amazing how much you can do with four extra hours! If you want an early weekend but don't want to burn up your vacation days too quickly, try taking a half day on a Friday instead of using a full day off.

11. Bike To Work

Bigstock

If you're one of the lucky few who live within walking or biking distance of work, take advantage of it! Not only will you get plenty of fresh air, but you'll also save money on gas, which is always a plus!

There are plenty of easy ways to enjoy summer when you work a full-time job. So this summer, try out a few of these ideas and make the most of the sunshine and warm weather—while they're still around!

Need more help with your career?

Become a member to learn how to UNLEASH your true potential to get what you want from work!

Read moreShow lesssummer Featured 3 Soft Skills Every Great Leader Needs Now Hiring: Remote SysOps Engineer 3 Important Career Lessons Learned On And Off The Field How Ex-NFL Player, Chris Gronkowski, Is Using Social Media To Change Careers