 Undoubtedly, there are those who question the need for soft skills. They often think their own technical prowess, together with mere hard work, will make them valuable. What they fail to understand is that technical proficiency is only being half-competent. Proficiency in dealing with people is what makes one a well-rounded, fully competent individual.
Great people skills make you a commodity. People who get along with others, especially in high performing teams, are extremely valuable. They promote camaraderie amongst team members and keep productivity robust by keeping everyone’s morale heightened. Unfortunately, people who lack soft skills can actually become a liability. Professional sports are littered with athletes who have incredible talent, but are poison when it comes to team morale. A particular wide receiver in America’s National Football League is currently ranked among the most talented in that position. Unfortunately, he is also unemployed. Notorious for his narcissistic attitude and strained relationships with teammates, no team wants this guy. He publicly criticizes management, coaches, and players and makes outrageous comments regarding salaries, corporate decisions, game losses, and opponents (and, generally, anyone who bothers him). The fact that he was among the fastest and most agile receivers with some of the best statistical ratings no longer matters. His negative, accusatory, complaining attitude, ruins teams by dividing teammates. He makes practices unproductive, undermines leadership, and turns high performing colleagues into disgruntled employees. The reason why people skills are such a commodity is because they have the exact opposite effect. Instead of a selfish, narcissistic attitude that repels colleagues, these individuals are sensitive and caring toward the needs of others. They are tuned in to the group dynamic and if disunity is present, they have a natural proclivity toward reconciling and bringing people together. They are intuitive when it comes to motivating others and encouraging productivity. As a result, coworkers want to be around them and look forward to what they can accomplish together. As opposed to the narcissist who leaves resentments in his wake, these social healers promote an environment that is life-giving, healthy, affirming, and productive—and these skills are always in demand. Great people skills make you versatile. In other words, soft skills cut across hard skill sets and are desirable in any setting. Though a certain technical expertise may be lacking, wise managers will always want those with strong people skills on their team. Of course, there must be a certain amount of competency when it comes to aptitude, but, many times, I have heard leaders say, “I want her on my team simply because she has a great attitude.” The impact you can have on culture can make you extremely valuable and a versatile commodity that any smart leader would want. Dave Ramsey recently tweeted: “I'd rather have a passionate, unified team of B & C players than a collection of disgruntled superstars. The team wins every time.” Over the next few weeks, I will be posting a series of blogs that will identify effective people skills and explain how they can be developed in our lives. For more information, check out my latest book, UPWARD: Taking Your Life to the Next Level now available on Amazon.  Do you think you’re qualified for the “Next Level” because you have certain special skills? Do you expect to be promoted to a particular job, selected to lead a team, or feel entitled to a position because you have extensive experience or highly developed aptitudes? While certain professional skills are certainly crucial to success, there is an even greater demand for “soft skills”—something more commonly known as “people skills.”
People skills are certain social competencies that allow one to work well with others. It’s what we call a “good personality” or “being a team player” and refers to how well you can interact with the people around you. In today’s competitive professional world, people skills have become a high value commodity. Ask any successful manager what he or she looks for when building a strong team and you will hear the same response: We need a team with strong people skills. In fact, when some leaders are given the choice between a savvy, highly-skilled prospect or a candidate with excellent people skills and less technical ability, they will typically choose the one who can work well with others and bring good chemistry to the team. Skills can be taught, but having good personality and temperament are harder to learn if one lacks them naturally. This is not to suggest that professional skills are not valuable—they are. But what good are professional skills if your attitude is toxic and breeds divisiveness among the people with whom you work? This is why a recent survey conducted by CareerBuilder.com revealed that 77 percent of employers were seeking candidates with highly developed soft skills. Another 16 percent of those surveyed considered the abilities employees have to interact well with other others to be more important than technical skills. Another study done by The Multi-Generational Job Search Study by Millennial Branding indicated that communication skills and the ability to work on a team are the more highly desired qualities in potential job candidates. Clearly, in today’s workforce, technical skills are merely the baseline. What propels people to the next level is their people skills. Over the next few weeks, I will be posting a series of blogs that will identify effective people skills and explain how they can be developed in our lives. For more information, check out my latest book, UPWARD: Taking Your Life to the Next Level now available on Amazon. |
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It was concerning King Saul that David said, “How the mighty have fallen, and the weapons of war perished.” His was a life that began with great promise and celebration, but ended in miserable failure and humiliation. His life is an example of how the mightiest of leaders fail.
Why do great men and women fall? How do leaders, quick to ascend with such promise of unparalleled success, find themselves awash in disastrous failure and disgrace? More importantly, can the path toward one’s downfall be discerned before it’s too late and be avoided? It is the premise of my newest book, How The Mighty Have Fallen that such a decline can be detected and reversed. The life and leadership career of King Saul, Israel's first king, provides us with a treasury of examples of "what not to do." The below blog post is the first in series of excerpts from the book to examine and avoid Saul's mistakes and find a successful path through leadership. READ AN EXCERPT |
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