The idea of soft skills originated in the late 1960s and early 1970s with the military.
The U.S. Army realized that soft skills — attributes that encompass how one works and relates with others — were important to effectively lead tactical teams. Technically speaking, they were defined as skills that did not involve using machinery.
“Soft” is a misleading descriptor, of course. These traits are just as useful as technical skills, and they’ve been redefined as power skills in recent years. Skills like communication, empathy, problem-solving and adaptability are just some of the soft skills that all employees, no matter their title or tenure, need to succeed. They’re highly valuable, too — interpersonal skills are in the top 10 most in-demand characteristics for job candidates according to a 2022 report by Questionmark, a professional services platform.
Leading an effective and productive team requires high levels of soft skills, according to leaders at West Monroe, Enfusion and Mixlab. But they’re not easy to learn — there’s no manual outlining steps to develop empathy like there is to writing source code.
Built In NYC found out how these leaders hone and develop their communication, empathy and adaptability skills and just how these traits help them build trust, solve problems, make decisions and lead their teams with respect.
Leaders at West Monroe believe digital is a mindset and a way of being; not just a project, team or outcome. West Monroe’s teams are diverse and multidisciplinary. They blend management consulting, digital design and product engineering to help companies transition to digital operating models.
What are the most important soft skills for you as a leader?
Empathy is essential. Being an empathetic leader ensures your team feels appreciated and respected, which boosts engagement, productivity and motivation. This in turn helps build an inclusive and safe environment for sharing ideas.
Sharing your point of view is an important skill, too: Leaders are expected to share their perspectives. Coming prepared to conversations with your own perspective moves discussions along and brings ideas that your team or client may not have considered to the table. Also, leaders make uncomfortable and tough decisions. But having a strong point of view can help you feel more prepared to make those decisions.
Lastly, trust your team to execute their goals. Building trust in your team starts with granting them autonomy. Your job as a leader is to guide and assist your team, so providing them space but stepping in when needed will make a huge difference in team morale.
What made you recognize the importance of those soft skills, and how did you develop them?
When I was promoted to manager, I started to recall traits from past leaders who inspired me. I used this inspiration to uncover what soft skills I already had and needed to tap into. I developed them over time and with practice, and I am still learning and trying to improve where I can. Well-rounded performance feedback has been instrumental to my growth as a leader.
Building trust in your team starts with granting them autonomy.”
Which soft skills did you find it hardest to develop when you first started in a leadership role, and why?
Decision-making and sharing my perspective were difficult for me at first. I had to shift from being the doer and accomplishing tasks to being a leader and communicating the bigger picture to my team. When it comes to decision-making, I thought I needed to be 100 percent confident and sure of things. But I don’t need to know everything as long as I can back up my point of view and ask for help from the team when needed.
Enfusion’s investment management SaaS platform removes information boundaries to unite front-, middle- and back-office teams on one cloud-native system. Its software, analytics and managed services creates data-driven intelligence that boosts agility and powers growth.
What are the most important soft skills for you as a leader?
Interpersonal communication, having and demonstrating empathy and problem solving are without a doubt the three most important skills. Without all three, there’s no way that a team could function effectively, especially in the fast-paced world Enfusion operates in.
It is hard to have strong problem-solving skills without effective communication.”
What made you recognize the importance of those soft skills, and how did you develop them?
I recognized that these three soft skills are often present together. It is hard to have good communication skills without empathy, and it is hard to have strong problem-solving skills without effective communication.
I am by no means perfect, but I have found success in practicing and implementing these as building blocks for my team. I try to make an effort to emulate leaders who have inspired me and recognize that being a leader in and of itself is an iterative process.
Which soft skills did you find it hardest to develop when you first started in a leadership role, and why?
Developing soft skills differs from learning technical skills like JavaScript because everyone develops soft skills as a byproduct of life and their career. What I have found most challenging in this leadership role is not necessarily developing communication, empathy and problem-solving skills from scratch, but rather figuring out when to apply different amounts of the three. People encounter different problems throughout the day and in their role, so there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Early on in this leadership role, I had not implemented weekly one-on-ones with my team members. Making the time for this forced me to slow down and check in on people. Sometimes, it’s a space for someone to vent; sometimes it’s to figure out how to remove a roadblock in the problem they are solving; or sometimes, it’s listening to their feedback on how I can best support them.
Mixlab is a tech-enabled pet pharmacy that creates custom medications and personalized care experiences for pets, pet parents and veterinarians. Nearly every staff member is a pet parent, too, and they bring that perspective and understanding to their communication with customers.
What are the most important soft skills for you as a leader?
Strong communication helps me build trust and good relationships with my team. Providing my team with the information they need, like clearly-defined goals and expectations, also empowers them to perform well. Problem solving and decision making are important soft skills, too. To be an effective leader, my team needs to trust me to analyze a situation and make the appropriate decision.
What made you recognize the importance of those soft skills, and how did you develop them?
I started at Mixlab as an entry-level customer representative, and learned early on that I needed to be quick on my feet when making decisions and problem solving. Our clients rely on us to help keep their pets happy and healthy. And to do that, we must communicate all necessary information clearly, listen to any questions or concerns they may have and solve problems. As a manager, I realized that these same skills still apply to how I manage my team. There was trial and error in the beginning, but recognizing my opportunities and accepting feedback as a leader has helped me improve my leadership skills.
To be an effective leader, my team needs to trust me to analyze a situation and make the appropriate decision.”
Which soft skills did you find it hardest to develop when you first started in a leadership role, and why?
I found it a bit difficult to be adaptable in the beginning. I felt comfortable with the way the company operated and the processes that were in place. At a fast-growing company, change is inevitable. If an uncomfortable change was instituted, I did not hesitate to express my thoughts and maybe even resist the change. But I learned that this behavior was not conducive to a positive work environment. Any negative feelings I had about change or new policies trickled down to the team and lowered team morale, which is not always easy to rebuild. I learned to work with senior management and realized the importance of showing solidarity to support company goals and initiatives. Instead of facing change with negativity, I flipped my outlook and instead, learned to motivate and build confidence within my team so we are willing to take on new challenges.
