We often promote individuals based on their "hard skills"—their knowledge and ability to meet performance metrics. They've mastered the latest management philosophies, from MBO to OKRs, and consistently hit their targets. But does excelling as a "worker bee" truly prepare someone to lead the hive? The alarming rate of leadership failure suggests a deeper issue: a pervasive oversight of the crucial "soft skills" that genuinely differentiate a manager from a truly impactful leader.
I have rarely met a leader who does not have the “hard” skills (knowledge, and ability to meet performance measurements) to do the job. Most people are promoted because they have shown they have the “hard” skills to do the job. They have shown they can be successful, responding to the latest management philosophy and performance measures. That could be Management by Objectives (MBO), Balanced Scorecard (BSC) and Objectives and Key Results (OKR), KPIs (Key Performance Indicators or another trendy management philosophy. But is that performance an indicator of great leadership? Would a beehive consider a great “worker bee” to be the next future leader?
Why do so many new leaders fail (it is believed that 67% of CEOs fail within 18 months). I believe too many new leaders are measured by “hard skills” – knowledge of the product, knowledge of project management, advertising creative, following a hierarchy in communication, staying in your lane whatever performance can be measured. People are hired because they have the hard skills to do the job. Too many times, “soft” skills are overlooked, minimized or ignored.
Think about this, would a person in product development who is a perfectionist, very structured in their thinking, persistent in organized thought and not creative be successful? Probably not. Do you fire them? Or maybe put them in quality control. This thinking is not based on the hard skills of performance. It is a sign of a person using soft skills. Terms for this are thinking outside the box, pivoting from prior perceptions, seeing opportunity, LEARNING from what is in front of them, not being rigid in their decision-making and NOT being afraid to make a change if something is not on the right track or just not working.
If you are a leader in an interview you ask about the management structure, management philosophy, how responsibility is allocated, what is the direction of the company, what are the company’s strengths and weaknesses, and what are its aspirations. True leaders look at their staff based on the ability, passion and need to perform. The military axiom is apropos “it is not the size of the dog in the fight, it is the size of fight in the dog” that is important! This is a telling sign when selecting a leader.
A leader understands their performance is measured by company success; workers are concerned about how their individual performance is measured.
What are the critical “soft skills” leaders possess? The ability to communicate, connect, empathize, trust, display passion, encourage other points of view, disrupt an office politics mindset, to lead and get people to follow because they want to not because they must follow blindly. They are people who understand their strengths and weaknesses, understand their teams’ strengths and weaknesses. They recognize that “soft” skills are much harder to learn and generally have a coach or mentor developing them. Most companies hire new people and then show them how we do it. If that is your focus, “soft” skills is the area that must be identified in an interview first if you want a team that is more than “worker bees”!
Too many companies don’t evaluate a person’s soft skills and ensure it balances and supports their team members and subordinates. More executives fail not because they can’t do the job, it is because they lack the “soft” skills to fulfill the leadership role. True visionary companies reduce individual performance measures at higher levels in the organizational chart.
When evaluating a person for a leadership role, their soft skills should be the first thing on the agenda.
Ready to Redefine Your Leadership Approach?
If you're ready to look beyond the measurable and cultivate leaders who truly inspire and empower, it's time to prioritize what really matters. Evaluate your current leadership development strategies: are you focusing on the right skills? Share your thoughts in the comments below, or reach out to learn more about how understanding and developing crucial soft skills can transform your organization's leadership pipeline and drive sustainable success.
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About Coach David Phife
David Phife is a serial entrepreneur who has launched multiple businesses that operated throughout the US and around the world.
He has excelled as an advisor to leadership teams, guiding small businesses to think strategically and pivot based on market changes as well as helping larger businesses become innovative and nimble. He assists executives to be better leaders by understanding and taking advantage of their strengths while managing weaknesses.
He utilizes his years of experience to assist smaller firms and executives to make the change to a larger, more structured organization while maintaining a nimble business model. David can advise on how to consistently calibrate and realign businesses, accelerate innovation while exiting nonstrategic ventures, and provide stabilizing leadership during challenging periods.
Great coaches, whether in sports or business, are the most successful because they can identify the talent of their personnel and maximize their skillset to build a winning team. An executive must add to the company’s current abilities and increase the company’s capabilities. Talent alone is not a measure of fit.
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