Social Skills You Need As A Leader And How To Be The Leader Your Team Needs

Rising through the ranks and landing a top-dog role like Chief Executive Officer isn’t the process it once was. Years ago, leaders who were financially savvy or had profound knowledge of their industry were the ones highly sought after for the top jobs and those with better social skills were seen as weaker leaders. These days the tide has turned and companies are seeking out leaders with strong social skills.

Authors from the Harvard Business Review found that companies are calling for leaders who are adept communicators, relationship builders, and people-oriented problem solvers after analysing nearly 7,000 job descriptions for C-suite roles. Apparently, these changes are due to the growing workforce and the fact that business operations are becoming more complex and tech-centered.

I’m glad to see we are moving past the times where being empathetic, kind, emotional or even taking an interest in your employee’s career development was seen as weak and had no place in effective management or leadership. Today, in order to survive in the current business climate and become a successful leader, leaders not only need to be intelligent and strong decision makers, they need to have excellent social skills.

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Why are social skills so sought after now? Well, the COVID-19 pandemic changed how we view mental health issues, saw millennials be introduced into the workforce and employees have stopped tolerating bad bosses and leaders. Many employees would rather work for someone who is kind and caring, than someone that makes them stress out during work. We spend so much of our lives working, and we shouldn’t have to work in an environment that is toxic.

Here are some of the social skills I believe leaders MUST have in order to be successful. 

1.   Emotional intelligence

For leaders, emotional intelligence is the ability to manage and understand your own emotions, as well as recognising the emotions of your colleagues and team members. Emotional intelligence is comprised of social skills, self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, kindness, empathy and great communication skills.

2.   Gratitude

No one wants to work for an ungrateful boss or leader. Employees and colleagues like their hard work to be recognised and appreciated. Great leaders always motivate their employees by thanking them or even praising them when they do a great job. Leaders who show gratitude find that their employees work harder and are more productive and positive.

3.   Humility

Leaders are human, employees are human, colleagues are human, we are all human. Humans make mistakes and how leaders react to their own mistakes and those of their employees is very telling of the type of leader they are. Humble leaders are more approachable, willing to acknowledge the work of others and take mistakes as a teaching opportunity, rather than an opportunity to get annoyed.

4.   Empathy

Once upon a time, leaders who were empathetic were often seen as being weaker leaders. I’m pleased to say that this has changed, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. More employees want to work for leaders who are empathetic towards them, understanding of mental health issues, are aware of their feelings and understand their needs.

5.   Kindness

Leaders who are kind and understanding get more out of their employees and are more likely to retain and attain employees. Kindness was at one point, like empathy, considered to be a weak skill for a leader to have. This has changed and kindness has become one of the most desired traits in a leader for employees. This is a very welcome change.

6.   Authentic

Authentic leaders are leaders who are themselves and don’t try and be someone they are not. These types of leaders are able to inspire loyalty, motivation, passion and trust in their employees through this genuine and transparent management style. They also encourage a positive environment.

7.   Approachability

Approachable leaders are the ones who have an open-door policy, are easy to deal with and encourage employees to feel safe enough to come to them with any concerns. It’s important to make it clear to your employees from day one to always feel free to come to you if they have concerns about the workplace or a project. This way you will always know what is going on in the office.

8.   Listening and Communication

Great listening and communication skills are essential for the leaders of today, and tomorrow. Good leaders are the ones who actually take the time to sit down and really listen to something a colleague or employee is trying to tell them. Being able to give clear and concise directions to employees is also vital for running a business, which is why great communication skills are also needed.

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This article is republished courtesy of leadershiphq.com.au