You’ve likely had THAT boss. You know the person – promoted to manager because they knew how to do all the technical work but didn’t know how to lead their team. Or, maybe you are that boss (ouch). A leader’s lack of soft skills, or what is known now as power skills, negatively impacts team morale, employee engagement, absenteeism, turnover and even the bottom line. Research and employee experience note that communication skills are the key to effective leadership and successful teamwork. For years, these skills have been labeled soft skills. Recently, that term has evolved to power skills as they are the true impetus that powers organizational and employee success.
Rachel Wells of Forbes noted, “Power skills—the new soft skills—are what enables organizations, their leaders and managers and even those in non-leadership positions, to thrive. Many businesses fail, not because they lack the infrastructure or technology, but due to a downfall resulting from their low prioritization of these essential skills that power the economy.”
To begin our journey through the importance of soft skills, we first must ask ourselves ‘What are power skills?’ ‘Why are they important?’ and ‘What can they do to benefit my work and employees?’
Power skills, in a sense, can be summed up into the following skills: interpersonal, empathy, negotiation, listening, leadership, communication, collaboration and conflict management. From knowing when to speak or listen, to understanding the value of a leader, these power skills can help you become the manager you want to be.
If you’re a new manager or hope to someday be a manager, there are several ways that you can acquire these skills:
Executive Coaching
The International Coaching Federation defines Executive Coaching as, “partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential.” I have had an executive coach and it was a great growth experience. The coach was an experienced executive who had worked for years in the field of higher education. He parlayed his leadership experience into helping others discover more about themselves and refine their leadership skills. I would share with him challenges in my leadership skills and perceived weaknesses. He would give me objective feedback and ideas on improving my approach to situations. Having someone to bounce ideas off of and to help me objectively examine my leadership tendencies, helped me refine my approach to leadership.
To find an Executive Coach, ask co-workers if they know of a coach with experience in your field. You could ask your connections on LinkedIn if they might recommend a coach. Once you find someone, they will typically do a free consultation to determine your objectives and to share their coaching style as well as costs. The average hourly fee for a coach is $350 but that number can be lower or higher depending on the coach’s experience and the area of work. For many of us, that cost can be high. But, consider asking your supervisor if there are budgeted monies for professional development. Your organization’s investment in their employee’s development will have long-term dividends for your company.
Reading Topical Books
Another way to expand those power skills is to read books on the topics. Then, your goal is to practice and utilize these skills in your work. Some suggestions include:
- Getting Together: Building Relationships As We Negotiate by Roger Fisher and Scott Brown
- Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership: Seeking God in the Crucible of Ministry by Ruth Haley Barton
- The Speed of Trust: The One Thing That Changes Everything by Stephen M.R. Covey
- An Everyone Culture: Becoming a Deliberately Developmental Organization by Robert Kegan and Lisa Laskow Lahey
- First, Break All the Rules: What the World’s Greatest Managers Do Differently by Donald Clifton and Marcus Buckingham
- The 6 Types of Working Genius: A Better Way to Understand Your Gifts, Your Frustrations, and Your Team by Patrick Lencioni
- Emotional Intelligence 2.0 by Travis Bradberry and Jean Greaves (EQ development)
Of course, there are many other books worthy of your time. Ask leaders you admire what they are reading. Once you choose a book commit to spending time every week absorbing and practicing what you learn.
360 Assessments
Known as holistic reviews, these multi-source assessments are a great way for co-workers to share their anonymous feedback on your performance. Qualtrics noted that the 360 helps, “people to develop their skills and pinpoint areas of improvement, as well as encouragement to keep on doing the things that they may not have realized made a positive impact.” Direct reports, peers, customers, etc. could give feedback on various power skills to help you pinpoint areas that you could improve and where you are already excelling. We tend to give ourselves the benefit of the doubt on these power skills. ‘I’m a great listener.’ ‘My communication is always clear and decisive.’ ‘I know my employees believe I’m empathetic.’ However, with a cloke of anonymity, it might be surprising what your co-workers perceive as your areas of weakness and strength.
Online Courses
There are several online options of free or paid courses that can help you improve your power skills. Harvard Business Review (HBR) Online offers leadership, communication and decision-making articles and courses that can give you some insight into what makes a leader, great communicator or problem solver. You can also find learning opportunities on Coursera & LinkedIn Learning by searching for leadership development, coaching, active listening, emotional intelligence and conflict resolution materials. Plus, ACU Online offers students free access to LinkedIn Learning.
If you would like a deep dive into power skills, a B.S. in Organizational Communication from ACU Online might be the best one for you! Designed to empower students to practice and refine these very skills, the program offers a wide variety of courses related to Interpersonal Communication, where we explore how communication strategies can improve relationships and refine our interactions with others, Leadership and Communication, where we examine how transactional, transformational and situational leaders impact their teams and the Intercultural Communication, where we examine how to navigate our increasingly diversified world to positively impact our work – all with the intent of helping you focus on improving your power skills and practicing what it means to be a good employee.
No matter how you decide to pursue the improvement of your power skills, remember this is not an overnight process. Any skill worth having takes practice and refinement. You’ll make mistakes, you’ll have moments of being uncomfortable, but you will also experience growth. The more you commit to improving yourself in these areas, the more it benefits you and those around you.
Interested in taking your professional development skills to the next level? Have you considered how ACU Online can help you achieve your dream career? Visit our website today and learn how our B.S. in Organizational Communication can be the key to making you the leader you were meant to be.
