By Lyndsay Dowd
In the ever-evolving landscape of leadership and organizational success, one thing remains constant – the importance of skills. But in recent years, there has been a remarkable shift in how we perceive and prioritize these skills. Today, we stand at the crossroads of a transformative journey, where soft skills are undergoing a metamorphosis into what I call POWER SKILLS.
There is nothing soft about soft skills and yet people still refer to these critical leadership tenets as something less important than other leadership skills. By the time you read this article, it is my hope that you will retire the words “soft skills” and replace them with power skills.
Modern leaders understand that the old-school style of leadership; intimidation, belittling, embarrassment, exclusion, and aggression are no longer viable ways to lead. They also understand that micromanagement, blame, and radical candor can be risky ways to build their own reputation. Despite these truths, many leaders are struggling with how to bridge the gap between the old-school style they experienced and this heart-centered approach that yields results. Can you be heart-centered and still be firm? Can you create psychological safety and breed innovation? Can you build trust and still provide difficult feedback? The answer is yes to all of those questions.
So what qualifies as power skills? This list is not all-encompassing but there are some that pack the biggest punch and help you transform your culture the quickest.
Building Trust
Trust is your currency. Without trust, your people merely go to work, do their job, and leave. There is no skin in the game. When you create an environment of trust, you are in a better position to advocate for your team, support their career aspirations, and ultimately be a better leader.
When you have trust, feedback becomes a 2-way street. Your 1:1s will improve and this starts with a simple question that will derive a myriad of answers. “How can I be the best leader for you?” This is a humbling question but it is a foundational way to build trust.
Leveraging psychological safety to drive innovation
Hand in hand with trust comes psychological safety. Make no mistake, this is not creating space for your team to mail it in and be mediocre. It is exactly the opposite. When you create psychological safety, you make room for new best practices and innovation. Your team understands that failure is a part of the process and something to learn from. When done well, you will see increases in communication, collaboration, ideation, and fun.
Vulnerability and authenticity
Vulnerability and authenticity are two of the most talked about leadership tenets today. However, to be told that this is the way you need to lead when you have never done it before can be difficult. What you need to remember is that nobody knows everything. A new leader cannot possibly know everything about their job yet they put expectations on themselves of exactly that. When they share that there’s a lot they have to learn and that they aren’t the smartest person in the room, they invite others to relate to them and share their experience.
Delegation
Delegation is generally looked upon as a way to get things off one’s plate. However, it can be a marvelous culture-building tool. When a leader has taken the time to get to know their team members including their talents and expertise, they are in a position to offload some of their work in a way that allows their team members to shine. When you assign someone a task like analyzing a report for example, and you let them deliver the results, you are giving them an opportunity to grow. Be forewarned, if you delegate to your team, you as the leader are responsible for the mistakes made. There will always be mistakes so how you handle them will dictate who will raise their hand to take on more responsibility.
Communication
Effective communication has always been a hallmark of leadership. However, in the world of power skills, it transcends mere conversation. It now encompasses the ability to tell compelling stories, engage diverse audiences, and leverage multiple communication channels effectively. As an avid storyteller myself, I’ve seen how the power of storytelling can inspire, influence, and unite teams toward a common goal. Most importantly, how you deliver your message is as crucial as the message itself.
Sharing the spotlight/recognition
Leveraging recognition is one of the quickest ways to change the tone of your organization. When you are consistently praising folks on your team and those who support your team, you will have a reputation as a generous leader. This is also a modeling tool so you can easily share the way you would like work to be done. The least inspiring types of leaders are the ones who claim all of the ideas as their own. That is a surefire way to break trust and encourage disengagement.
Building your personal brand
There is no such thing as job security, there is only career security. Building your personal brand is a way to differentiate yourself from the sea of others. The reason I consider this a power skill is you are yet again, modeling behavior. You are showcasing your expertise in a way that shows credibility. When you encourage your employees to optimize their LinkedIn profile, for example, any content you provide them will immediately look better than if they did nothing to their profile. Additionally, when clients, partners, and prospects look at you or your team, they will have a better understanding of who they are and lots more reasons to connect.
The evolution of soft skills into power skills is a valuable journey for any organization to undertake. This transformation signifies more than just a shift in terminology; it signifies a change in mindset and a dedication to nurturing exceptional leadership. The aim here is to empower individuals and organizations alike to realize their fullest potential through this transformation. By working together, we can unleash the genuine potential of leadership and cultivate a culture that fosters outstanding outcomes.
About the Author: Lyndsay Dowd is an acclaimed business coach with 25 years in sales and leadership, recognized as a Top 10 Coach by Apple News. Winner of the 2023 Award for Innovation and Excellence, her groundbreaking book, “Top Down Culture,” underscores her expertise in leadership development.