15 (must have) soft skills.
Forbes recently tapped into the wisdom of their Coaches Council—a diverse panel of experts in leadership—and compiled a list of 15 essential soft skills for thriving in today’s competitive workforce:
Empathy – Truly understanding and relating to others’ perspectives.
Influence – Motivating peers and driving results without formal authority.
Emotional Intelligence – Building strong relationships and fostering collaboration.
Curiosity & Positivity – Embracing continuous learning and uplifting the energy around you.
Active Listening – Giving focused and intentional attention to others.
Humility – Recognizing your own strengths and weaknesses to prioritize others.
Communication Skills – Articulating thoughts clearly, concisely, and memorably.
Creative Problem-Solving – Thinking adaptively and divergently to overcome challenges.
Resilience – Sticking to your plans and seeing them through, no matter the obstacles.
Observation Skills – Perceiving what’s not immediately visible or audible.
Contextualizing – Aligning daily actions with the broader company strategy.
Willingness to Ask Questions – Staying teachable and open to learning.
Courage to Offer Solutions – Speaking up with innovative ideas and solutions.
Relationship Building – Networking effectively and gaining others' buy-in.
Self-Awareness – Deeply understanding yourself and your impact on various situations.
Marketing expert Seth Godin said that, “soft skills are the new hard skills”, particularly in our knowledge-driven economy. The beauty of these skills is that they can all be developed with the right support, feedback, and practice.
Among these, I believe that self-awareness, emotional intelligence, empathy, effective communication, and relationship building are especially crucial for leaders. Mastering these five will naturally lead to improvements in the other areas.
I’d emphasize starting with self-awareness. True leadership begins with understanding oneself. Without the ability to lead ourselves, influencing others becomes much more challenging. This is a lifelong journey of continuous growth and evolution.
I encourage you to reflect on which soft skill resonates most with you right now.
Dive into some self-reflection, read relevant material, seek feedback from trusted colleagues or friends, and start experimenting.
Document your progress, and don’t hesitate to seek further guidance or accountability from those you’ve engaged with.
If you need help getting started or feel stuck, I’m here to offer some ideas and support.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. I hope it sparks some introspection and action. Remember: personal and professional development go hand in hand.
Share this post with your inner circle and support each other’s growth.
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Steve Knox | Kansas City, MO
\\\ Thanks as always for reading. Paper airplane this around the office, or send a copy to your boss. It’s a conversation worth having. Don’t you think? Whatever you do, be honest. Be you. Much love.