Episode 04: Why "Soft" Isn't a Thing in Leadership Skills
Words Matter
In this episode, I talk about why the terms “soft skills” and “hard skills” are not useful when describing leadership skills.
Enjoy!
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(The notes below are only a brief summary of what is discussed in the podcast. Be sure to listen to get all of the goodness! If you would like a full transcription of the episode, please send an email request to: angie@angie-robinson.com. We’d be happy to provide that!)
I am on a mission to remove the term “soft skills” as a descriptor for a set of leadership skills. Traditionally, leadership skills have been categorized into these two buckets:
Soft Skills - things like interpersonal skills, communication, empathy, curiosity, listening, self-awareness
Hard Skills - things like budgeting, scheduling, problem-solving, interviewing, analysis, project management
I’ve never been a fan of this terminology.
To be clear - the skills that generally fall into this “soft skills” category ARE important. Fundamental even. I’m not challenging the skills themselves. I challenging that term “soft” being used as the descriptor.
Here are a few problems I see:
“Soft” and “hard” are in opposition of each other - giving the sense that one is 'better’ than the other.
Soft implies ‘lightweight’ - requiring little effort and no special knowledge.
There is an implication that they are supplemental, a second tier of value after the ‘vital’ hard skills.
There is a gender bias, seen as touchy-feely and more suitable for females or those with female tendencies
Hard skills tend to get the focus. It’s where the money is made and where the results show up'
The truth is - there is nothing about those skills that are “soft”.
Being a leader is about DOING the job and BEING a better human.
This quote by Walt Disney depicts how ALL of the skills are important:
“You can design and create and build the most wonderful place in the world. But it takes people to make the dream a reality.”
So what should we call them?
How about just “leadership skills”? Or - if there is a need to categorize - we could try “human skill"s” and “technical skills”.
We need to create an environment where ALL of the skills are a part of leadership development, accountability, and result measurement.
I believe that the human skills are the foundational, critical skills. They should be developed and infused in the teaching of all the other skills.
Labels Matter
What we call things matter. Labels create an expectation to the brain. If we continue to use the word “soft” as the descriptor, these vital skills will continue to have the reputation I’ve described and will continue to not get the air time they deserve.
What do you think?
How do you categorize leadership skills? How does your organization?
Do you agree or disagree with my thoughts?
Does this even matter?
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