5 Most underrated soft skills
1.
Leadership skills
2.
Emotional intelligence
3.
Proactive thinking
4.
Open mindedness
5.
Ability to take on feedback
1. Leadership skills
We mention leadership skills here because they are essential for
everyone in your workplace – not just those managing people.
Everyone in your business is leading in some way; whether it’s
influencing others in their team, driving a project forward or
preparing to have a team of their own in the future.
So why are leadership skills underrated? We all know they’re
important in theory, but it’s easy to underestimate the extent to which
these skills actually impact an organization’s bottom line. This
comprehensive study found that the top 10% of leaders were able to
drive double the revenue, compared to their peers who only had
average leadership skills. Those with poor leadership skills, meanwhile,
were found to be incurring losses for the company.
How to recognize it:
Those with natural leadership skills will be good team players and set
the right example for others around them. They are business-minded,
see the big-picture and always think about what’s best for the
organization, while always seeking out the best way to achieve goals.
How to encourage it:
Introducing more responsibility to your team members in small
increments is a great way to help them hone their leadership skills
with limited risk. It also gives you the opportunity to spot any areas
they’re struggling with and could use some professional development
or coaching in.
As a leader, the most significant way you can help your team is
leading by example and helping them adopt your own strengths. In
doing this, be sure to stay self-aware and be constantly working on
your own leadership skills.
2. Emotional intelligence
This one is huge, and although widely spoken about, Emotional
Intelligence (EQ) is still sometimes misunderstood. EQ is not simply
having social skills or being attuned to one’s feelings. EQ helps people
look beyond the black and white facts in front of them, and apply a
level of human understanding to make decisions based on the full
story (not just what is visible on the surface).
Studies have drawn multiple links between Emotional Intelligence
and performance, finding the traits of individuals with high EQ
directly contribute to handling difficult situations, better
communication and higher motivation to achieve their goals.
How to recognize it:
High EQ should not be confused for an over-reliance on emotion in
decision-making. In fact, having high EQ can make an individual
better-equipped to deliver constructive feedback or have difficult
conversations. Emotional intelligence and rationality are not mutually
exclusive. The best decision makers possess both qualities and make
choices accordingly with all the available information. Those with
high EQ will often ask questions that others might not think are
relevant, and look beyond the obvious. Therefore having this soft skill
in the workplace is essential.
How to encourage it:
Encourage everyone, and in particular leaders, to think deeply and get
all the information on a situation involving an individual before
making a judgment call.
Imagine an employee has suddenly become unreliable or is frequently
calling in sick without a serious medical concern. The average
manager might become frustrated with that person or even start a
performance management plan to deal with the situation. A leader
with a higher EQ, however, might think to try having a one-on-one
with that employee to check if they are okay, and if they need extra
support.
Why is this important? Without this extra information, it’s easy to
assume the employee simply doesn’t care about their job anymore,
but by asking the right questions, we might discover they’re actually
being bullied at work, or even experiencing a stressful home situation,
or a mental health issue. Once we understand what’s really going on
we have the power to provide support and help resolve the issue
effectively.
3. Proactive thinking
There are two ways to approach any task; either by continuously
doing things the way they have always been done without question
(even if the process is clearly flawed) or constantly considering if there
is a better way to be doing things, and innovating as you go. Now
don’t get us wrong, obviously, if a process is already at its peak
performance, then there is no need to fix what isn’t broken, but as
technology advances and learnings are made, there are almost always
opportunities to constantly improve our ways of working.
Over the years, there have been multiple studies linking a proactive
attitude with better leadership and job performance, including this
one which found Real Estate Agents sold more houses, attracted more
listings and earned higher commissions when they were thinking
proactively.
How to recognize it:
Proactive thinking also comes into play when we think about having
short-term versus long-term vision. Let’s say one of your team
members has an ongoing task that they constantly feel behind on and
are always rushing to get it done on time. A short-term thinker will be
so caught up in hitting their next deadline that they can’t see beyond
completing what is in front of them right now. A long-term thinker
will recognize this is a pattern, and take the time to stop and consider
if there is a more efficient way to be doing this task even if it takes
them longer the first time. Long-term thinkers know how to prioritize
better long-term outcomes over short-term wins, even if it may
temporarily put them on the back foot.
How to encourage it:
Reward rather than reprimand when team members make
suggestions to improve something, or give feedback on a process that
they feel isn’t effective. You can also help develop this skill in your
team simply by leading by example and encouraging your team to
think long-term.
4. Open mindedness
This skill goes hand-in-hand with proactive thinking. Being openminded is an essential skill for working effectively in a team. It’s the
difference between sticking to inefficient processes, and stopping to
consider new ways of approaching things.
Open-mindedness also allows our team members to listen to their
peers, take on divergent perspectives, and make the better decisions
based on these insights.
How to recognize it:
Open-minded individuals are great team players because they’re
willing to listen to others’ perspectives and truly collaborate on tasks.
They’ll also be generally more receptive to feedback (which we’ll talk
more about soon).
How to encourage it:
When team members come to you with a suggestion, simply hear
them out and show that their point of view is valuable. Over time, this
will help them build confidence in speaking up about concerns.
Allowing you to develop this soft skill in the workplace that benefits
the person and the organization.
Give your team as many opportunities for open face-to-face discussion
as possible, so everyone has a platform to share their ideas, while
listening to others and considering different perspectives. This open
forum for discussion is even more crucial when teams or individuals
work remotely and aren’t exposed to other viewpoints every day. This
gap can be partially bridged by holding video meetings and engaging
in Continuous feedback.
5. Ability to take on feedback
This soft skill is absolutely essential for any employee to be able to
improve and grow. Without this, employees can become isolated and
miss out on opportunities to learn.
We know that building a feedback culture helps organizations reduce
turnover, improve productivity, and ultimately grow profits, so how
can we recognize and encourage it?
How to recognize it:
When people are keen to learn and improve, they will not only be
open to feedback, but actively ask for it! After receiving said feedback,
they will take it on without rebuttal, and be willing to hear your
perspective even if they don’t necessarily agree.
How to encourage it:
Give feedback proactively, so your people can learn that it is designed
to help them.
If someone on your team is struggling to take on feedback graciously,
don’t assume it is simply an ego problem. If an employee is not used
to receiving proactive or constructive feedback, and a past manager
has only ever let problems escalate into a performance management
issue, this staff member will naturally be on the defensive. As leaders
it’s our job to demonstrate proactive feedback and ensure we’re giving
opportunities to improve rather than reprimands all the time.
8 Underrated Soft Skills You Can Practice
Online
1. Active Listening
Mindful communication requires active listening. People don’t openly
voice all their thoughts—you must interpret verbal and non-verbal
cues to understand them. Tone and body language reveal much about
how a person truly feels.
To develop active listening, work on self-awareness. Note how your
mind wanders during conversations and rectify internal listening
barriers, which could include:
Disinterest
 Laziness
 Impatience
 Arrogance
 Self-Centeredness
You can manage these traits by using online meditation tools.
Breathing techniques will calm you down during exciting moments
or heated arguments.

Otherwise, you’ll have trouble following conversations. Overly
emotional individuals tend to impose their beliefs on others instead of
understanding the situation.
2. Emotional and Cognitive Empathy
Empathy makes you an overall genuine, sincere individual. People
will trust you if you pay attention to their feelings, acknowledge their
struggles, and are more vulnerable. Learn to empathize with others in
professional and casual settings alike.
While some people are more understanding than others, empathy
doesn’t disappear altogether. It just diminishes over time. Your
empathic side will resurface if you show compassion and express
yourself more often.
Cultivate empathy naturally by expanding your social circle. You can
sign up for interest-based apps and engage with people from all walks
of life. Expose yourself to new experiences and lifestyles. Remember:
living in a bubble and isolating yourself from society will suppress
empathy.
3. Insatiable Curiosity
The eagerness to learn promotes growth. You’ll broaden your interests,
improve your general knowledge, and understand yourself better.
Despite these benefits, most adults suppress curiosity. They refrain
from asking questions and speaking unsure thoughts to avoid making
mistakes.
To increase your curiosity, change your perspective of failure. Stop
letting fear hamper your growth. The embarrassing mistakes you
commit will serve as excellent learning lessons.
Dive head first into new projects. Look for relevant programs teaching
a subject, sport, skill, or language you’ve always wanted to learn.
There are dozens of online learning communities like Skillshare.
Dedicate an hour a day to upskilling. If you stay curious and hungry
to learn, you’ll eventually gain a massive edge over the competition.
4. Presentation Delivery
Presentation skills are vital inside and outside the workplace. Whether
you’re making small talk or delivering reports, your audience will
appreciate a confident, charming demeanor. Dull speakers rarely get
the point across.
Although several courses teach presentation skills, honing them takes
years of practice. It’s not a one-and-done process. Take every chance
to deliver presentations and try new public speaking techniques.
If you don’t have an audience, talk to yourself. Sign up for online
conferences like TED Talks, watch different presentation styles,
mimic the ones that you find impressive, and record yourself speaking.
Keep rewatching your videos to spot errors.
Apart from public speaking, practice using presentation makers.
Visual aids and strong communication skills are equally important.
5. Giving and Receiving Proactive Feedback
Distinguishing between feedback and criticism enables you to push
yourself and everyone around you to achieve more. Although
synonymous, they have contrasting implications. Feedback provides
proactive, results-driven solutions, while criticism only highlights
weaknesses.
To practice giving and receiving proactive feedback, find an
accountability partner. They should work in the same industry as you.
That way, you can help each other tackle similar goals, challenges,
and workflow bottlenecks. Let’s say you’re a writer. You and your
partner can edit articles, track target word counts, and share relevant
writing resources.
6. Creative Thinking
With the advancement of ML and AI technologies, creative thinking
has become more crucial than ever. Machines can only complete
instructions. Even the latest language models and deep-learning
programs fail to produce unique, innovative ideas.
Creativity will remain an in-demand trait—learn to cultivate it. Of
course, occasional creative blocks are natural. They don’t imply a lack
of imagination or originality. Even globally renowned artists struggle
to convey abstract, cluttered concepts.
Ideation is a process. Instead of forcing inspiration, set aside ample
time for idea generation. Let your mind wander freely. Write all your
thoughts on your notepad or phone, regardless of attainability. Only
scrutinize them afterward. Visualize ideas with a mind map tool,
assess for feasibility, then create a concrete execution strategy.
7. Professional Messaging Etiquette
Communication etiquette varies on a case-by-case basis. The
appropriate tone, sentence structure, word choice, and delivery time
will depend on your chosen platform.
Let’s compare emails and instant chats. Since people typically use
emails in professional settings, email etiquette dictates that you
maintain a formal tone. You must introduce yourself properly, use
emojis sparingly, and observe correct grammar.
On the contrary, instant messaging social guidelines are more lenient.
Depending on your level of closeness to the other party, you can freely
use abbreviations, emojis, and slang. Some people won’t even mind
seeing a few grammatical errors.
No singular course teaches these guidelines. You’ll learn to regulate
your behavior and mannerisms by immersing yourself in different
social situations. Try chatting with new people. Join Facebook,
Discord, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn groups that pique your
interest.
8. Critical Thinking
Critical thinkers rarely take things at face value. When presented with
data, they double-check facts, scrutinize analyses, and consider
opposing sides before making informed judgments.
Although tiring, constant skepticism combats unconscious biases.
You’ll make better career, financial, and personal decisions if you can
logically and objectively assess situations. Poor choices stem from
haphazard, careless assumptions.
To hone your critical thinking, read the current events. Challenge
yourself by questioning arguments, comparing credible news sites,
and studying every story’s intent. Read in any niche you want. With
the prevalence of misinformation in everyday stories, you’ll have no
shortage of fake news and propaganda to debunk.
Develop Underrated Yet Crucial Soft Skills
Don’t worry if you struggle with changing old habits. Developing soft
skills involves repeated effort and consistent follow-ups—some would
even call it a lifelong process. For now, focus on gaining selfawareness. You’ll gradually become a more understanding,
empathetic individual over time.
Apart from building positive traits, study technical skills. Employers
will assess you based on them to see if you meet specific job
requirements. They need quantifiable, industry-specific abilities.
You’ll also attract better career advancement opportunities if you
carry hard skills that AI can’t automate.
Soft Skills in Tech: The Underrated "Hard Skills"
In the tech world, hard skills like coding, system analysis, and
network management often take center stage. They're tangible,
teachable, and easily quantifiable. However, as the industry evolves
and workplace dynamics shift, there's a growing realization that soft
skills — often termed as the 'people skills' — are the real 'hard skills.'
They're challenging to master, essential for growth, and are often the
differentiators between success and stagnation.
Here's why soft skills are the actual hard skills in the tech industry.
1. Collaboration and Teamwork
Technical projects rarely exist in silos. They require cohesive teams
that can communicate, collaborate, and work towards a common goal.
Team members with strong interpersonal skills ensure projects
remain on track, misunderstandings are minimized, and a positive
working environment is maintained.
2. Problem-Solving and Critical Thinking
While coding or system designs can often be binary, real-world
challenges are multifaceted. Soft skills like problem-solving and
critical thinking allow tech professionals to see the bigger picture,
anticipate potential challenges, and devise effective solutions.
3. Adaptability in a Fast-Paced World
The tech sector is notoriously fast-paced. Today's innovation can
become obsolete tomorrow. Professionals who are adaptable and open
to change can pivot quickly, learn on the fly, and remain at the
forefront of industry developments.
4. Effective Communication
It's not enough to have a groundbreaking idea or solution; you must
also communicate it effectively. Whether it's pitching an idea to
stakeholders, writing a project report, or explaining a technical
concept to a non-tech audience, effective communication is
paramount.
5. Emotional Intelligence (EQ)
Empathy, self-awareness, and understanding others' emotions are
crucial in the tech world. Whether it's understanding user needs,
managing team dynamics, or navigating client relationships, a high
EQ can make all the difference.
6. Leadership and Project Management
As professionals advance in their careers, leadership becomes
indispensable. Managing teams, ensuring project delivery, and
mentoring younger colleagues require a combination of technical
know-how and soft skills.
7. Continuous Learning and Curiosity
The desire to learn, ask questions, and remain curious is a soft skill
that fuels innovation. In an industry driven by change, the hunger to
know more ensures professionals remain relevant and ahead of the
curve.
Conclusion from NexGen Networks
While hard skills provide the foundation for any tech role, it's the soft
skills that often dictate how high and how fast one can soar. As the
industry continues to evolve, there will be an even greater emphasis
on these skills. It's time we recognize the value of these so-called 'soft'
skills and regard them with the seriousness and respect they deserve.
After all, in the world of tech, they're the real 'hard skills'
44 soft skills examples to advance your career
My writing skills don't pay the bills on their own—my people skills
pull their weight, too. While I'm always trying to become a better
writer, there's way more that goes into managing work than technical
skills alone. The same is true for almost every other job on the planet.
Streamline work across departments with automation
You can't entirely separate your job performance from who you are
outside of work, and you shouldn't have to. Showing up with humanness is the reason we haven't all been replaced by robots yet, and there
are non-job-specific skills you need to grow in your career.
But the number of soft skills in the universe is basically infinite, so
which ones matter most in the workplace? I asked people what traits
they look for when hiring teammates and what they appreciate in
their peers. These are the important soft skills at the top of everyone's
list.
Table of contents:
What are soft skills?
Soft skills vs. hard skills
44 examples of soft skills
How to improve soft skills
How to choose soft skills for your resume
How to assess soft skills in candidates and employees
What are soft skills?
Soft skills are personal strengths that help you collaborate, lead, create,
and grow in your role. They're the perspectives, reactions, and mental
frameworks you use that aren't exclusive to your job. Don't confuse
the word "soft" with weak: you can lead with empathy and curiosity
instead of ego and cruelty.
You can't be successful in a job without soft skills. The most
competent IT manager in the world won't be good at their job if they
can't communicate processes clearly to their team. The best
copywriter on the planet won't get anything done if they can't manage
their time and end up spending three weeks on a low-priority project
that could have been done in a day.
Megan Kao, an investor at Contrary Capital, points out that technical
and soft skills exist together, not as one or the other.
No matter how much you've honed your craft, it's nothing without
soft skills to support it. And employers know that.
Soft skills vs. hard skills
While hard skills refer to the technical abilities you've acquired
through some sort of training, education, or experience, soft skills are
the less tangible personal qualities that help you succeed on the job. If
hard skills are the base of your career pizza, soft skills are all the
delicious toppings (and yes, that includes pineapple).
If all I had were hard skills like SEO writing, I'd basically be a robot—
and in the age of AI, we have plenty of hard-skill-only robots to go
around. To be a human, you need more. I know how to manage my
time well and communicate empathetically—the soft skills that make
me a well-rounded professional—and (hopefully?) tolerable to work
with.
44 examples of soft skills you need to be successful at work
Here are the soft skills you need on your resume—and in action—in
order to get hired and then be successful in your role.
1. Communication
Collaboration without communication is impossible. What does it
mean to be an effective communicator, though? Everyone has
different preferences, so part of the skill is being able to adapt your
communication skills to the environment. How you speak to a
strategic partner will be different from how you speak to your peer, for
example. It's all about reading the room.
But there are a few things that are pretty relevant across the board.
For starters, get to the point quickly. Stephen Levin, Head of
Business Operations at Zapier, shared:
"I can't count how many presentations I watch in
interviews that set up 10-15 minutes of context in a 25minute presentation before giving any important
information. Business communications isn't telling a
narrative like literature or academic writing with context >
argument > big reveal. You have to state the most
important
conclusion
in
the
first
minute/slide/paragraph. Then rebuild the narrative and
justification."
Nick Polyushkin, the co-founder of Ofirio, similarly values open and
direct dialogue.
"Discussing a subject directly rather than skirting it is
essential in time-sensitive situations when an urgent
response is required. A poor communicator will slow
down your process and cause you to waste time."
If (and only if!) you have something valuable to say, say it quickly.
2. Writing
Communication isn't just about interviews, meetings, and video calls.
The same rules apply to writing:
Take time to self-edit your writing, down to your emails and Slack
messages.
Ask yourself, "Why should they care?" The more succinct you can be,
the better. (And remember, no email should take more than five
minutes to write.)
Especially if you're communicating asynchronously, offer all the
necessary information upfront, so people don't have to ask you a
bunch of questions to get what they need.
Being able to communicate effectively in writing—in a concise, clear,
and engaging way—is a huge boon in a professional setting. No one
wants to read a rambling treatise on Slack or sift through a
nonsensical email to understand the actual ask.
3. Public speaking
While you may never need to deliver an organization-wide
motivational speech, being able to confidently lead a presentation or
speak on a call is an important skill, whether you interact with
customers and clients or just your coworkers.
4. Responsiveness
Don't be the coworker that takes five business days to respond to a
simple message. Just rip the Band-Aid off and reply in a timely
fashion.
5. Empathy
Just because you're a clear communicator doesn't mean you have to
be curt in your interactions. Yes, cold and self-centered people do
sometimes get ahead, but more and more, empathy is winning. One
of Zapier's values is "Empathy over ego"—the value is taken into
consideration during the hiring process to be sure all teammates can
live that value. Plenty of other organizations agree.
"Individuals who listen actively, show respect and empathy toward
others, and collaborate well in a team setting make for great coworkers.
Understanding where others are coming from and considering
different perspectives will help improve team dynamics and problem-
solving abilities," Caitlyn Parish, the founder and CEO of Cicinia,
shared.
Mike Nemeroff, the CEO and co-founder of Rush Order Tees, adds
that empathy is helpful in every kind of business interaction. "Being
empathetic can help you become more compassionate and patient
when dealing with challenging coworkers. Empathy also helps you
relate to people better, which helps you form deeper and more
meaningful connections with coworkers and managers," he noted.
One of the best ways to be more empathetic in your role is to talk to
diverse people across teams. Ask them to tell you more about their
experiences, what they're struggling with, and what they want to
achieve.
6. Emotional intelligence
While you might spend hours imagining the nasty email you want to
send to your boss, it's not the best career move. Emotional intelligence
helps you manage your emotions (and keep your job).
7. Listening
If you want your jokes to land, you have to know your audience. So
before you launch into your workplace standup routine, put your
listening ears on.
8. Cultural intelligence
You know Michael Scott? Do the opposite. Spend time developing
your cultural intelligence, so you can foster a more inclusive
workplace.
9. Growth mindset
A growth mindset views failure as a catalyst for improvement, not as a
personality trait. And while getting constructive feedback might sting,
it's how you react to it—and learn from it—that will make or break
your success at work.
Amy Gray, a business coach, wrote an article on accepting
constructive feedback. She shared that feedback can help you gain
confidence through self-awareness, earn trust from those around you,
and become better at what you do. One of Amy's tips for listening to
feedback without feeling defensive is to ask questions:
"You might be tempted to just listen, say thank you, and
go on about your day. But if you can be truly open to
what you are hearing and ask questions to help you
understand the criticism more deeply, you are more likely
to fully digest it and put it to positive use. Saying 'Tell me
more about that' is a great way to open up the feedback to
understand the other person's perception and feedback."
Related to growing through feedback is the ability to handle a
straight-up "no." Paola Accettola, Principal and CEO of True North
HR, shared that getting back up when knocked down is critical.
"So many people face rejection after rejection during the
job search, and those who are resilient are more likely to
be able to pivot and keep moving forward. This translates
to being successful once you start your career, as you can
be adaptable and face challenges head-on without the
overwhelming fear of failure. Fortunately, resilience is a
skill that can be taught. Unfortunately, however, it is best
learned through experiencing failure."
You'd be hard-pressed to interview for a job and not get a question
related to how you give or receive feedback, or how you handle
adversity. Being able to show your skills in these areas can be a huge
benefit when applying to new jobs.
10. Persistence
If your first shot at a new project is a huge success, kudos to you, but
not all of us can be superheroes. For most people, persistence is
necessary to see growth.
11. Results-oriented
If you've got your eye on that corporate ladder, you're going to have to
produce some results. Even if the results aren't what you'd expected,
showing that you're learning from them is just as good.
12. Goal-setting
If you can set your own relevant goals and develop a plan to achieve
them, you'll always stay a step ahead. You can't be put on a PIP if you
put yourself on one first.
13. Time management
I know this sounds like something a high schooler would say when
applying for their first job, but let's face it: most adults also have
trouble managing their time. It's even more true as people progress in
their careers. When your workload grows but the number of hours in
a workday stays the same, you have to find a way to work smarter.
Instead of a broad "time management" soft skill, you can break this
one down further to be able to demonstrate how you manage your
time. For example:
Determine when and how you work best
Focus by eliminating distractions
Track your time to better understand effort versus impact
Automate tedious tasks so you can focus on important work
n the end, time management is all about prioritization. Mark Pierce,
CEO of Cloud Peak Law Group, shared: "There will always be a few
things going on at once, and it's important to prioritize the most
important tasks without sacrificing work on the others as well. With
good time management, you can split your time wisely between tasks
and not drop the ball."
14. Organization
If your desktop is a dumpster fire of files, I hate to imagine what the
inside of your brain looks like. Clean up your work, so you can boost
your productivity and improve your time management.
15. Planning
Pretend you're the older sibling of your family, and learn how to
plan. Speed matters, but if you go into something without a plan, it's
hard to explain when results are less than stellar.
16. Delegation
It's scary to ask for help. But you know what else is scary? Crying
hunched over a pint of Ben & Jerry's, watching Gilmore Girls for the
20th time because you feel the need to do the job of five
people. Delegation isn't passing the buck—in the end, it'll make your
entire organization more productive.
17. Adaptability
You'll always have restrictions, like limited time, budget, or staffing—
so, you have to figure out how to work within constraints. And with
the pace of change in the workplace (and the world more broadly),
you need to be able to show that you're adaptable.
"Adapting to change and having a positive attitude about change go a
long way to being successful throughout your career," David Watkins,
the Director of Customer Experience at EthOS, shared. "Some
examples could be a shift of strategic company priorities, a change in
your role and responsibilities, or even a change in who manages you.
While nobody can guess what's next, someone who's collaborative,
empathetic, and organized will thrive when change inevitably
comes—and that's the kind of employee companies want to work with
and hire."
18. Resourcefulness
Training? Onboarding? Support systems? Those things are nonexistent in some workplaces. The ability to get crafty and still see
results in not-so-ideal situations is the difference between "meets
expectations" and "exceeds expectations."
19. Acceptance
There are going to be times you don't agree with the decisions your
team makes. Unfortunately, no one appreciates the "I told you so"
person. I know you're right, you know you're right, but no one else
cares. So disagree and commit.
20. Open-mindedness
When you're presented with change, do you lean into it, or do you go
into it kicking and screaming? Being able to go into new situations
with an open mind shows that you're open to growth.
21. Curiosity
Many of the soft skills here involve asking questions—and that's all
rooted in curiosity. Asking the right questions will allow you to see
projects from a new perspective, which will help you contribute better
to your team. Eric Doty, the Content Lead at Dock, shared:
"Asking 'why' and 'how' in every new situation opens so
many doors. You'll learn how things work and how
decisions are made. You'll look for new ways of doing
things. You'll have more interesting conversations. You'll
have more sources of inspiration. You'll have a better
reason to say yes or no to projects or opportunities."
Curiosity is easy to demonstrate during the interview process. Learn
as much as you can about the company you're applying to, and
then ask questions. Not only will it show off your curiosity and
interest in the company, but it can also demonstrate some of those
"hard" skills (and an understanding of your role in particular) while
you're at it.
22. Willingness to learn
Employers understand that you can't possibly know everything going
into a job. As long as you're willing and able to learn, you're an asset.
23. Innovation
If you find a process that could be better, do you scramble to your
boss for a solution, or do you brainstorm a way to improve it yourself?
24. Problem-solving
Figuring out how to navigate complex issues is a massive benefit for a
team. On the flip side, sometimes the best kind of problem-solving is
asking someone who knows the answer, so keep that in mind.
25. Transparency
It's easy to go with the flow and assume the folks around you know
what they're talking about. They usually do—but that doesn't mean
there's no room for improvement. The best workers are ones that
observe what's happening and then push back if they think something
should change.
This can mean everything from challenging outdated workplace
norms to saying no to a request from your manager to pushing back
against a strategy idea.
It's not an easy thing to do, but this kind of communication is
massively important for you and your company:
 It shows that you're invested. You're not just along for the ride;
you want to make things better.
 It demonstrates a deep understanding of company goals, if you're
able to show how your thoughts are aligned with them.
 It demonstrates your autonomy (another soft skill!) and shows off
your expertise.
Of course, don't push back just for the sake of pushing back. That's
the opposite of a soft skill and can indicate ego and a lack of empathy.
Instead, start by observing, listening, and gathering context (there's
that curiosity we talked about). Then, if you truly think something is
off course, it's time to speak up respectfully: ask tough questions,
provide evidence for your opinion, and offer alternative solutions.
If you work somewhere that doesn't value this kind of input, it might
be time to put this soft skill to work for another company.
26. Confidence
It takes confidence to challenge office norms or speak up for yourself.
If you strengthen this skill, everything (and I mean everything) else
will come a little bit easier.
27. Critical thinking
The old trick of pretending to be frozen on Zoom doesn't really work
anymore (did it ever?), so you have no choice but to process
information on the spot. Use those critical-thinking skills your grade
school teachers tried so hard to teach you.
28. Integrity
Integrity means standing firm that you're Team Jacob even when you
know your boss is Team Edward. Stand by your man—and your
workplace convictions.
29. Work ethic
Work ethic is a broad term, but it boils down to doing your job
consistently and doing it well. This soft skill reflects an individual's
commitment to their job and their ability to produce quality work.
Nesha Frazier, SHRM-CP certified recruitment consultant with 10
years of in-house and agency experience, believes it's not enough to
have a good work ethic—you must also be able to demonstrate your
work ethic.
"Work ethic can be subjective. I think it's vital to be able to
understand how your role fits into the organization's goals and
objectives so that you can clearly communicate your value, whether
you're in a direct or indirect revenue-generating role. You need to be
able to show that your activity actually produces value."
30. Self-motivation
Embody a micromanager, and kick yourself into gear. Managers love a
direct report who can run their own ship.
31. Reliability
Aim to be someone your team can rely on to get things done on
time—and done well. Just be sure you don't overdo it and end up
taking on more work than you can manage.
32. Attention to detail
Don't be the person who hits send on a major project with a glaring
spelling error. Instead, be the person who catches mistakes others miss,
making you an invaluable asset to the team.
33. Teamwork
There are two kinds of people: those who played team sports growing
up and those who have "jobs where I don't have to talk to anyone" in
their search history. Teamwork doesn't come naturally to everyone.
"Candidates who position themselves as team players are incredibly
valuable. Good teamwork involves being able to work well with
various personalities, as well as different organizational, work, and
communication styles. The ability to adapt well and collaborate with a
diverse group of teammates is essential to the growth of any
organization," shared Kayla Colbert, hiring specialist at Siege Media.
34. Helpfulness
Are you the kind of person to hold the elevator door or desperately
push the close button while avoiding eye contact? Lending a hand
even when you haven't been asked to will make you a standout team
player.
35. Conflict resolution
You have two options: a) learn how to resolve conflict or b) continue
to avoid Patty in the break room for the rest of time. It's your choice,
really.
36. Collaboration
Workplaces are just a grown-up version of playground sandboxes. If
you haven't figured out how to play well with others yet, it's time to
learn.
37. Professionalism
Being professional might mean something different in each work
setting, but the overall idea is to act in a way that reflects on the
company well. This means being respectful, positive, and
trustworthy.
It may also mean building a professional image for yourself. How do
you present yourself to your colleagues or clients? For some, this
might mean throwing on a blazer, and for others, it might mean
bringing your emoji usage down 20%.
As Yamini Rai, soft skills trainer and HR head at The Viral Pink,
believes:
"Professionalism is vital as it sets the tone for how
employees represent themselves and the company.
Candidates with professional demeanor can help build
trust and credibility with clients, customers, and
colleagues."
38. Positivity
Nobody likes that one coworker who's always complaining that they'd
rather be sipping a piña colada in the tropics right now. A positive
attitude sets the tone for a harmonious work environment, which can
only lead to more job satisfaction and success in your role.
39. Credibility
There's a wide gap between imposter syndrome and someone who
took "fake it 'til you make it" way too far. Find some happy middle
ground and establish yourself as a credible source.
40. Manners
Although it may seem obvious, being polite goes a long way. Mind
your P's and Q's, and practice gratitude whenever you can.
41. Leadership
A leader may be someone who manages a team, but it could also be a
colleague who takes charge of a project or initiative. Regardless of
position, effective leaders create a shared vision and inspire others to
work toward achieving it.
Sean Stevens, director of Immerse Education, says, "Strong leaders
are comfortable with making difficult calls and are experts at keeping
things and people on track. They have the ability to plot a course of
action and inspire their team to work together to achieve it. You may
improve your company's output and morale, and prepare the next
generation of managers by prioritizing individuals who have good
leadership abilities in their job applications."
42. Mentorship
Don't gatekeep how you created a stellar meeting agenda in two and a
half minutes. Share your knowledge with the rest of your team
wherever you can.
43. Initiative
While I also wish someone could just tell me what to do at all times,
being in the corporate world requires showing a little initiative. Don't
spiral—just pick something you could reasonably do, and try to make
an impact on your team.
44. Decision-making
Great leaders can make great decisions without breaking a sweat. But
this doesn't mean acting impulsively—you have to know how to
quickly take in context and feedback to make the best possible choice.
How to improve soft skills
The good news is: you already have soft skills. In fact, you've
been learning them since preschool. But you can continue to practice
the ones you have and hone the ones you struggle with. Here's how.
Talk to your peers and managers. Ask them about your strengths
and areas of improvement. They may notice things you don't or have
advice on what skills your organization needs right now.
Think about what skills leave a positive impression on you. Who do
you like to work with? What is it about those people that makes
them easy to work with or leads to them being valued members of
the team? How can you embody those traits?
Look at job descriptions in your industry. Most employers will list
soft skills in their job postings. See if you can find patterns or trends
in these descriptions to help you prioritize which soft skills matter
the most for your role.
Target one skill at a time. Honestly, growing soft skills can be
exhausting. That's why I recommend targeting one at a time, so you
don't burn out on self-improvement.
How to choose soft skills for your resume
Let's say you're an overachiever, and you've checked off quite a few of
the soft skills on this list. Which ones do you choose to highlight on
your resume?
First, you should consider the specific needs of the job and company
you're applying to. Review the job description to identify skills the
ideal candidate would have to be successful in the position. For
example, if the position requires collaboration with a diverse team,
you may want to highlight your interpersonal and cultural intelligence
skills.
Of course, you should also focus on soft skills you truly excel at. The
soft skills you include might also pop up during an interview. Could
you tell a story about how you've put this soft skill into practice in the
workplace? If not, it may not be your strongest skill to include.
Similarly, the best way to include your soft skills in your resume is to
naturally weave them into your experience bullet points. Show
potential employees how you exemplify that skill—don't just pile
them all into a meaningless list.
How to assess soft skills in candidates and employees
Assessing soft skills in job candidates and current employees is an
important part of the hiring and performance evaluation process. Here
are some tips on how hiring managers and other HR professionals can
assess soft skills effectively:
Use behavioral interview questions: Behavioral interview questions
prompt candidates to provide specific examples of how they've
demonstrated a particular soft skill in the past. For example, you
could ask a candidate to describe a time they had to deal with a
stressful situation. Pay attention to the candidate's response, and look
for evidence that they possess the soft skill you're assessing.
Conduct skill assessments: Skills assessments can help evaluate a
candidate's ability to perform specific tasks related to the desired soft
skill. You could ask the candidate to complete a project requiring
collaboration, communication, or problem-solving. Review their
performance based on the soft skill.
Seek feedback from others: Asking for feedback from a candidate's or
employee's supervisors, colleagues, or clients can provide valuable
insights into their soft skills. Consider using a 360-degree feedback
approach that collects feedback from multiple sources.
Whether you learn new skills to impress your boss or figure out which
existing soft skills to list on your resume to land your dream job,
developing these soft skills can help you become more successful in
your career and build stronger professional relationships.
The Ultimate Guide to Soft Skills in the
Workplace and Your Job Search
Was that one colleague always so excited to dive into a new project
that they motivated others on the team? Did they always speak up at
meetings to point out when someone else was being spoken over? Was
that favorite boss always understanding of people’s lives outside of
work? All of these speak to a person’s soft skills, and they’re vital to
anybody’s career success.
In fact, they’re often just as important as hard skills when it comes to
your job search—and overall career success.
What are soft skills?
What are the most in-demand soft skills employers are looking for in
2023?
50+ top soft skill examples
How can you highlight your soft skills in a job search?
FAQs about soft skills
What are soft skills?
“Soft skills are intangible attributes related to how you work,” says
Muse career coach Jennifer Smith, founder of Flourish Careers.
They’re the traits and qualities you possess that dictate how you’ll
engage with others—also known as interpersonal skills—and how
you’ll perform in the workplace.
You may be more familiar with hard skills, which are often based on
specific knowledge like how to do a certain task or use a specific piece
of technology, but “soft skills focus more on your actual behaviors or
habits in work situations,” says Muse career coach Al Dea.
For example, are you always coming up with outside-the-box
solutions and proposals? Can you give a presentation that makes
everyone in the room sit up and pay attention? Do you always step in
to help when someone on your team needs it? These are
demonstrations of your soft skills—creativity, public speaking, and
teamwork, respectively.
Soft skills are:
More subjective than hard skills: Saying that you know how to
prepare someone’s taxes or upload content using WordPress is fairly
straightforward. Did the taxes get filed correctly? Is the content
uploaded? Then you have those skills. But saying that you’re a good
leader isn’t as clear-cut.
More timeless than hard skills: “Many soft skills will continue to be
needed for the foreseeable future even as the industry and market
evolve,” Dea says. A lot of common tech tools, like those we use for
social media or search engine optimization, didn’t even exist until
recently—and neither did the hard skills that go with them, Dea says.
And technologies will continue to evolve, meaning that the hard skills
you need now might not be as important in five or 10 years. But
working hard and being dependable are unlikely to ever go out of style.
More transferable than hard skills: When you’re just starting out in
your career or if you’re going through a career pivot—no matter how
large—you may not be able to use all of the hard skills you honed in
the past, but soft skills like communication and creativity can serve
you in most jobs.
What are the most in-demand soft skills employers are looking for in
2023?
In May 2022, ZipRecruiter analyzed job listings across their site for
the soft skills that appeared most often throughout 2021. According to
that analysis, the soft skills that were most in demand are:
Communication skills
Customer service
Scheduling
Time management skills
Project management
Analytical thinking
Compliance
Ability to work independently
Interpersonal skills
Flexibility
Problem-solving skills
Attention to detail
Collaboration
Innovation
Mentoring
English
Multitasking
Accuracy
Proactive
Since every employer is going to write job descriptions and identify
soft skills a bit differently, some of these skills overlap, but this list can
still give you an idea of the soft skills employers want most right now.
Also note that while ZipRecruiter listed “compliance” as a soft skill,
it’s more often a job function or a hard skill that means following (a.k.a.
complying with) industry or legal standards. For example, an HR
manager could be responsible for ensuring a company is in
compliance with the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) when
accommodating employees. If a job posting asks for “compliance” as a
soft skill, that could be a red flag.
50+ top soft skill examples
Here are some of the most important types of soft skills and some
examples of the individual skills that fall under each category. This list
isn’t exhaustive, but you can use it to start thinking about which soft
skills you have and which you’d like to develop further.
Communication skills
“Every job involves some types of communication,” Dea says. Having
the ability to communicate effectively is vital for any role and can
affect a number of experiences in the workplace—from how well you
convey your expectations and how well you understand others’
expectations to whether or not you land that big account. Strong
communication skills will mean fewer misunderstandings, clearer
indications of progress toward goals, and better relationships with
coworkers, among other benefits.
Active listening
Giving clear feedback
Negotiation
Nonverbal communication
Persuasion
Presenting
Public speaking
Verbal communication
Written communication
Leadership skills
Don’t skip this section just because you aren’t a manager or seniorlevel employee. “You don’t need to be a leader to demonstrate
leadership!” Dea says. Employees at any level can still demonstrate
their leadership skills on projects and within their teams.
Conflict management/resolution
Decision-making
Delegation
Empathy
Flexibility
Giving and accepting feedback
Management
Motivating others
Project management
Relationship building
Problem-solving skills
A big part of any job is solving problems, and not every problem has a
clear-cut answer, Dea says. The ability to figure out how to approach
new or particularly difficult problems is a key soft skill.
Analytical thinking
Critical thinking
Decision-making
Open-mindedness
Innovativeness
Proactivity
Research
Resourcefulness
Risk management
Troubleshooting
Collaboration and teamwork skills
You need to know how to work with others toward a shared goal or
objective. This can be as small as making sure a presentation gets
done for a team meeting or as big as helping your company hit its
goals for the quarter or year. These skills speak to your ability to
effectively work as part of a team.
Collaboration
Dependability/reliability
Emotional intelligence
Empathy
Disability awareness
Diversity awareness
Patience
Self-awareness
Tact
Trust and trustworthiness
Work ethic and work style skills
These soft skills relate to your particular approach to work. You’ll see
that some of these traits and abilities are opposites of each other.
That’s because there’s no one correct work style, and some work
habits and personal qualities are better suited to different companies
and work environments.
Ability to work well under pressure
Adaptability/flexibility
Attention to detail/conscientiousness
Awareness of the big picture
Creative thinking
Curiosity
Diligence
Enthusiasm
Fast learner
Independence
Integrity
Multitasking
Organization
Perseverance
Prioritization
Proactivity
Self-motivation
Time management
How can you highlight your soft skills in a job search?
First, you need to know what soft skills to highlight. When you’re
looking at a job posting, you might see phrases like “strong
communication skills” or “team player” or “skilled multitasker.” Do
your eyes just jump over these? Or do you note them the same way
you would qualifications such as “must have three years of experience
as a Salesforce administrator” or “must be proficient in JavaScript”?
Well, you should be paying attention, because these are soft skills that
are crucial to the role you're applying for. So always review the job
description, Smith says. Companies aren’t asking for a self-starter with
great attention to detail for no reason. You can also “take a look at
LinkedIn profiles for people who work at the company and see what
skills they have,” Smith says. Or you can talk to people who already
work in a position or at a company you’re interested in and ask them
which soft skills are most vital to success.
How to highlight soft skills on your resume
While many job seekers think of their resume as the prime space to
show off their hard skills, you should also make sure your soft skills
shine. You might include your most important soft skills in a resume
summary. You might even list the soft skills mentioned in or directly
related to the job description in your skills section, Smith says, though
Dea suggests only going this route if you have extra space.
But remember that anyone can say that they have strong leadership
skills or problem-solving abilities. You have to show prospective
employers how you’ve used your soft skills and what you’ve achieved.
This means working your soft skills into your bullet points. For
example, if you wanted to talk about your leadership skills, Smith
suggests something like:
Assumed leadership role for sales team with the lowest worker
satisfaction survey results in the company. Motivated and engaged
employees by encouraging feedback, holding a variety of teambuilding events, and celebrating top performers at weekly meetings,
increasing positive sentiment by 34% in one year.
Or you can combine your soft and hard skills into one bullet point.
For example:
Collaborated with a team of 3 to conduct market research through
one-on-one meetings with customers about their needs and concerns.
Wrote clear and concise questions used by entire team and assigned
tasks and tracked progress in Asana. Presented findings visualized
with Tableau and made recommendations to senior staff.
For
each
of
your
resume
bullets
(which
should
be quantified and achievement-oriented) think, “Which of my soft
skills helped me to accomplish this?” You might also choose action
verbs (collaborated, led, presented, motivated) that speak to the
appropriate soft skills, as in the examples above.
Read More: The Right Way to Add Skills to Your Resume in 2023
(With 250+ Example Skills)
How to highlight soft skills in your cover letter
Cover letters are a great place to expand on your soft skills. Tell a story
that explicitly mentions your experience with the soft skills in the job
description to highlight your fit for the role, Smith says. So if a job
description calls for someone with “excellent organizational skills” and
you wanted to emphasize yours, you could say:
“When I started my current job as office manager for BubbleTech,
supplies were stashed wherever there was room—I found Post-its in
the kitchen and snacks in a cabinet over the printer! So I put my
organizational skills to work, inventorying and rearranging all the
supplies. I also sent around a Google Sheet that told everyone where
they could find each item. In addition to checking the inventory
weekly, I made sure my colleagues could note on that same Google
Sheet when something was running low and I’d know to order more.
As a result, BubbleTech stopped wasting money on extra supplies and
never again found themselves completely out of any item when it was
needed.”
How to highlight soft skills in a job interview
You can and should mention examples of how you’ve used your soft
skills in your answers to interview questions. Think about which of
your soft skills you want to emphasize before your interview, and
come prepared with stories that show those skills in action. You can
structure your answers using the STAR method to ensure that you
include not only how you used your skills, but also what results they
got.
How to highlight your soft skills throughout the hiring process
Your behavior before, during, and after each step of the application
process will also show employers some of your soft skills firsthand,
Smith says. For example, every email you send and each phone call,
video meeting, and in-person interaction you have with someone at a
company you’re interviewing with says something about your
communication skills, Dea says.
Arriving on time for an interview is a given, but speaks to your
dependability and time management skills. Being prepared with
strong, inquisitive questions about the role will show the hiring
manager how curious and proactive you are, and asking your
interviewer questions about themselves and responding earnestly to
their answers will show your empathy and active listening skills
Why are soft skills important?
“The way you get work done and interact with others is a critical
component within the workplace,” Smith says, so soft skills are crucial
to your success and reputation, no matter what your role or seniority
level.
Think about a company you were part of or a team you were on that
really got things done in a way that felt rewarding. Why was that?
Sure, the individuals on the team probably had the hard skills to
complete their work tasks, but that’s just the “what.” The “how”
comes from soft skills. Maybe innovation and creativity flourished.
Maybe communication was very open and direct without ever being
harsh. Maybe the environment was very collaborative and individuals
were never blamed for failures. Maybe the team had a great rapport.
Soft skills make these things possible.
How can you improve your soft skills?
Because they’re not based on specific knowledge like hard skills, soft
skills are often considered more difficult to learn or strengthen. And
there’s a bit of truth to that, but that doesn’t mean you can’t develop
your soft skills. Follow these steps:
Establish where your soft skills stand now. Our experts suggest
looking at past feedback from performance reviews and other sources
and/or asking for current feedback; looking at your past and current
work responsibilities and identifying which soft skills have helped you
succeed in your job and which ones could have helped; or taking a
skills assessment or quiz (like this, this, and this).
Identify one or two areas you want to focus on first. Think about any
areas where you’re often running into problems at work or repeatedly
getting feedback on. These are probably the soft skills you want to
start with. For example, do you always find yourself needing to reexplain what you wrote in an email? Maybe look into improving
your writing skills.
Practice. Smith recommends putting yourself in situations where
you’ll have to stretch your soft skills, but start small. For example, do
you struggle with public speaking? Maybe you can give a short
presentation to your immediate team at an upcoming meeting. Are
your leadership skills lacking? Volunteer to run point on a simple
project. And whenever possible during your practice, ask for feedback.
Consider taking a class. While online classes for soft skills are less
common than classes on how to use a flashy new program, you can
still find courses online that will help you with your interpersonal and
other skills.
Ask your network for help. “Find a mentor who is good at what
you’re trying to improve and ask them to coach you,” Smith suggests.
Or if you have a coworker who’s great at the soft skill you’re trying to
work on, you might observe and evaluate what they do and think
about how you can apply these strategies yourself, Dea says.
11 Soft Skills of Leaders
1. Self-Awareness: Know How You Feel
2. Self-Regulation: How You Project Yourself
3. Approachability: Make Your Team Want to Come to You
4. Openness: Show the Team You’re On Their Side
5. Empathy: Be the Person Who Relates to Everyone
6. Good Humor: Find the Balance Between Being Fun and Professional
7. Self Motivation: Leading From the Front
8. Emotional Intelligence: Knowing How People Will React
9. Filling the Gaps: Recognize What You’re Missing
10. Neutrality: The Art of Diffusing Conflict
11. Empowerment: Make the Team Believe in Themselves
Which Soft Skills of Leaders Are Essential?
The soft skills of leaders are such an important part of being
a successful leader. But they’re also very hard to pin down.
Everyone knows when someone has them, and everyone can
tell when they’re lacking.
The difficulty lies in the fact they can’t be quantified like hard
skills can be.
To learn more about these two distinct groups of skills that
every leader needs, take a look at the age-old hard vs. soft
skills debate.
Some people will argue soft skills are innate, some that can be
learned from scratch, and others a bit of both.
To learn more, take a look at these 11 soft skills that every
leader needs:
1. Self-Awareness: Know How You Feel
As a leader, the onus is on you to set the tone for the rest of
the team. If you’re in a foul mood, then this will create an
uneasy atmosphere.
By knowing how you feel, you can take the necessary steps
needed to get yourself in the right frame of mind to lead.
From there, all else follows.
2. Self-Regulation: How You Project Yourself
This follows nicely from the first skill, and it’s vital if you
want to lead a team through a stressful period.
By controlling the signals that you give off, even when you
feel stressed and overworked, you’ll be able to get the best out
of your staff.
Give off the wrong signals, and the whole team can be drawn
into a spiral of negative thinking.
3. Approachability: Make Your Team Want to Come
to You
When it comes to soft skills, there’s perhaps none more
important than being approachable.
We’ve all had a boss we couldn’t go and speak to, and it
makes the working day so much harder.
By being approachable, you’re offering your staff a way to
vent frustrations or raise issues early so they don’t get out of
hand.
4. Openness: Show the Team You’re On Their Side
Giving the impression that you have something to hide is a
surefire way to kill morale.
By being open and honest at every turn, you’ll become a
leader that people can trust and confide in.
If your team knows you have their best interests at heart,
you’ll find they’re far more productive.
5. Empathy: Be the Person Who Relates to Everyone
Empathy is perhaps the softest of soft skills because you need
a different approach for every single person.
Some people respond to a joke, some people need very little,
and others need to be walked through issues.
By being able to relate to your team without coming across as
overly familiar, you’ll become someone they want to work for.
6. Good Humor: Find the Balance Between Being Fun
and Professional
Teams with writers that have deadlines every single day
require a degree of balance.
By injecting a little humor into proceedings at the right
moment, you’ll be able to motivate your team with very little
time or effort spent.
7. Self Motivation: Leading From the Front
No one wants to do overtime for someone who watches
YouTube in their office all day. If you lead from the front, you
can set an example for your team.
Traits like arriving first, staying onsite for lunch, and saving
your holiday until the big project is signed will all be noticed
by your staff.
8. Emotional Intelligence: Knowing How People Will
React
Your ability to read how people are thinking is something that
many people think you’re born with.
It’s virtually impossible to see how you can learn it, but you
can get to know the people in your team.
Treat them as individuals and accept that they all react slightly
differently.
9. Filling the Gaps: Recognize What You’re Missing
A very underrated soft skill is the ability to notice what’s
missing both within yourself and the wider team.
If you can do it, then you’ll be able to make the changes that
will fill the gaps. The sooner you do it, the better it will be for
team morale and productivity.
10. Neutrality: The Art of Diffusing Conflict
No one likes to feel that their boss is part of a clique. As a
leader, you need to appear impartial even when you may feel
you’re not.
Stay neutral to resolve the conflict. And keep any overt signals
of how you feel to yourself.
11. Empowerment: Make the Team Believe in
Themselves
Whether leadership is learned or genetic, you need to find
a way to make the team believe in themselves.
Once you do that, you’ll have unleashed their creativity and
problem-solving so that they really start to shine.
15 Examples of Soft Skills Every Leader
Needs
1. Coaching
2. Leading Your Team
3. Clear and Open Communication
4. Recognizing and Rewarding Success
5. Good Project Management
6. Learning Continuously
7. Championing Fun
8. Hiring the Right People
9. Resolving Conflict
10. Having Emotional Intelligence
11. Staying Organized
12. Empowering People
13. Possessing Business Acumen
14. Setting High Expectations
15. Analyzing Business Performance
Which Examples of Soft Skills Should Leaders Be Aware of?
These examples of soft skills are important for leaders to excel
in if they want to rise to the top. You might have the capability
to lead a team, or you might be entitled to a promotion
because of your high-grade technical skills, but excellent soft
skills will get you noticed.
It’s important to have the right technical skills to reach
professional success, but it’s also crucial to have “people
skills,” also commonly known as soft skills.
The first step in building soft skills lies in having command
over verbal and non-verbal communication, which is often
misinterpreted with empathy, personality, and inflection.
A leader with strong, soft skills will maximize productive
interactions. Effective leaders have strong emotional
intelligence, which helps them climb up the corporate ladder.
Wise managers know that they require a strong team to
achieve their targeted goals.
Here are 15 essential soft skills for successful leaders:
1. Coaching
Coaching and developing your team is a major task.
The effort put into coaching smooths the path to achieving
goals. Feedback is also necessary for constant development.
So a leader should focus on feedback on a regular basis. Such
feedback, both for and from the team, should be able to
comprise both positive and negative.
A leader must also be inspiring, caring, and rigorous. Having a
strong understanding of what motivates your team members is
essential.
2. Leading Your Team
There are often instances where leadership and management
are considered in a similar approach.
There are vast differences as well as some overlaps. For
example, to be an excellent manager, you must be able to lead
your team, which includes those pep talks for achieving a
performance target on time.
A leader is all about motivation and inspiration. This way, a
leader can help to transform unrealistic goals into reality.
It can be quite easy to be the taskmaster as a manager. But if
one wants to be a leader, one must inculcate a perfect
amalgamation of strategy and vision.
A vision with a perfect strategy is what one needs to have to
strive toward an organization that meets its goals.
3. Clear and Open Communication
In the situation of globalization, we come across various
scenarios where managers are leading virtual teams that don’t
or rarely meet face-to-face.
To cater to the complexities of the situation, one needs
to have strong, consistent communication skills.
Leaders must be efficient in every aspect of communication,
which may be either formal or interpersonal. One must be
specifically clear over any medium of communication,
whether it’s an instant message, e-mail, video, phone, or in
person.
4. Recognizing and Rewarding Success
Recognition is what everyone desires when they put their
heart and soul into accomplishing their work. And even the
most reserved employees wish to be recognized.
A leader needs to take the time to appreciate their team,
especially amidst the stress of work. Learn to show affection
for your team.
5. Good Project Management
Managers are all about managing people and running projects.
One thing that separates leaders from managers taking care of
every aspect, such as organizing projects, planning, scheduling
tasks, and then driving the delivery system.
6. Learning Continuously
As discussed earlier, it is quite important for you to develop
your team. But it is crucially important to render some
importance to your development also.
As a leader, set out new changes for yourself and find new
learning opportunities that will increase your amount of
knowledge.
It will become a lot easier for you to plan out some timing for
yourself, just as you would be planning for your team. Always
schedule a meeting with your inner soul for your development
as a leader in person.
7. Championing Fun
A leader needs to be one of the reasons employees enjoy their
work. As working hours comprise most of our time in the dayto-day schedule, it’s important to make it enjoyable.
The leaders who take out time for themselves and their team
to relax and de-stress have a more productive and
happier team overall.
8. Hiring the Right People
Hiring people simply for the organization’s goal is a common
mistake.
It is tempting to hire someone resembling your skills and your
team. But is crucially important to hire a person who comes
with a new set of skills.
A team with homogeneity in skills could surely bring you a
great number of ideas for a particular topic but tend to slow
down when the varied directional issue arrives.
Some managers may feel threatened or fearful while recruiting
candidates with quite a good amount of experience and talent.
Instead, leaders need only focus on compiling a strong team
and have faith and confidence in themselves.
The stronger the team, the better the quality of work, and the
more you excel.
9. Resolving Conflict
A leader must confront conflicts head-on.
Conflicts need to be addressed as early as possible; otherwise,
they may turn out to be a bigger problem down the road.
A leader must be efficient enough to confront issues fairly and
quickly.
10. Having Emotional Intelligence
Leaders with emotional intelligence are self-aware and
efficiently manage their emotions under stress and pressure.
Leaders with emotional awareness are cognizant of the
feelings of others. Getting emotional turmoil in front of your
juniors is the last thing any leader wants to happen to them.
The skillful art of emotional intelligence can turn out too a
great beneficiary for leaders as they can manipulate their team
members with their thoughts.
This approach can be effectively utilized to tailor your
approach to your team and maximize goals.
11. Staying Organized
Strong leaders remain excellent at organizing tasks and
resources.
The power of reaming organized remains in planning a system
and sticking to it. It is important to stay consistent and sure of
the approach you take.
12. Empowering People
This step involves the aspect of empowering your team with
certain responsibilities.
A leader is one who gives freedom to their employees to
execute their work with their own approach after outlining the
goal and deliverable product.
You can empower their people to make the basic decision on
their own.
The time you empower your people with some power, they
tend to work diligently as they consider it as their own
company.
Empowering people can help in bringing out the best of them.
13. Possessing Business Acumen
As a leader, you must have the approach of a small business
holder. You have staff, budgets, key performance indicators,
and resources at your disposal in order to achieve targets.
Leaders need to have a strong outlook and grasp of the
financial aspects of the organization.
14. Setting High Expectations
To excel, you should set the bar high. Setting low targets may
help you to achieve it quicker and easier, but ultimately it’s all
about achieving maximum targets.
Targets must be set in a calculated form. A leader must always
keep their expectations high because of the willpower of a
leader that thrives team to achieve it.
15. Analyzing Business Performance
Leaders need to analyze and evaluate their teams to assess the
path being followed.
A leader must have strong insights into the metrics of orders
in order to optimize product delivery and team size.
The leader must identify the roots of problems and focus on
solutions.
Building a Foundation For Effective Leadership
An MBA program is an advanced course that not only prepares you in
your core subjects but also prepares you to be a leader. In this article,
we understand the various soft skills and their importance in an MBA
program. Let us take a look at a few soft skills for MBA students.
Communication & Interpersonal Skills
As a student who is aiming to put the hard skills learnt in an MBA
program to good use in a leadership position, it is important to have
exceptional communication skills. Interpersonal skills help you in
putting your points crisply and concisely.
Communication and Interpersonal skills also play a major role in
defining your personality and attitude towards your team. It is very
important to be clear in your conversations with various stakeholders
of your projects for an efficient outcome and hence this is one skill that
is a must-have for everyone.
Emotional Intelligence & Relationship Building
Another crucial soft skill for MBA students is emotional intelligence.
While preparing for projects it is important to understand the
limitations and capabilities of each team member and make decisions
based on that.
Having emotional intelligence helps in relationship building and
creating a rapport with all the stakeholders as you will have an
empathetic view on all issues. This skill is one of the most important
people’s skills that is required to complete an MBA program
successfully.
Adaptability & Resilience
Adaptability is one of the most underrated soft skills to have as an
MBA student. This skill not only teaches you how to be fluid but also
helps you in preparing you to face and cope with unplanned events.
MBA technical skills are important and so are soft skills like resilience,
MBA courses can be challenging at times and a resilient approach
towards your goal is needed. Adaptability and resilience also go hand
in hand with other skills like emotional intelligence and
communication skills which further makes this skill that much more
important.
Problem-Solving & Critical Thinking
Most technical skills for MBA students involve finding solutions to
problems in the most effective method, and this is where problemsolving and critical thinking come into the picture.
It is important to have a problem-solving mind so you can enjoy your
course. This skill and critical thinking together can make you an
effective problem solver which is one of the most important skills
expected from a leader.
Leadership & Team Management
As much as an MBA course depends on how you perform, it also
requires working in teams for a large part. These skills for MBA
students make the difference in determining if you can make use of a
degree that grooms you to be a better leader.
Team management involves many soft skills combined and a true
testament to an MBA graduate is the level of team management skills
the student can showcase in the many projects he is part of.
Ethical Decision-Making & Social Responsibility
These soft skills are something that sets an organisation apart from the
rest. As a lot of corporate social responsibility is required to be
implemented by organisations these skills are crucial in every MBA
student.
Ethical decision-making and social responsibility are not only
required on an organisational level but also a personal level. An ethical
decision not only reassures your moral standing but also brings about
a sense of contentment in the long run.
As one the premier institutions that provides MBA courses in
Bangalore here is why your time with us during our MBA program
will be the best one yet –
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Comprehensive training in core subjects.
Experienced faculty.
Excellent course structure.
Dedicated and advanced placement cell.
Placement Skill Training through the Tie Your LACES (TYL)
program involves training in Language, Aptitude, Core
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Domain,Experimental and Soft Skills which involves holistic
development of the students before placements.
A plethora of certifications from various domains for better
understanding of the practical world.
Hope this blog has helped you understand what soft skills are required
while pursuing an MBA program and how each of them are
important in the successful completion of the program.