In today’s work environment, where technology automates many tasks and many employees work remotely, it might seem that soft skills are not as necessary as they once were. However, as LinkedIn’s CEO Jeff Weiner points out, soft skills are more crucial than knowing how to code in today’s job environment: “A recent study even found that when managers can’t effectively communicate with their employees or help them accomplish their career goals, workers jump ship.”
While some people may seem to be born communicators who easily relate to others, individuals can learn the soft skills that make successful managers who elevate the performance of their teams. Professionals can develop and enhance the teamwork skills, empathy, compassion and other soft skills that organizational leaders use routinely in organizational leadership.
Each person has unique strengths as a coach and leader. Identifying and developing these strengths is the focus of the online Master of Business Administration (MBA) with a Specialization in Organizational Leadership program at Youngstown State University (YSU).
What Is Organizational Leadership?
Organizational leaders work in various positions, such as operations managers, team leads, project leads, operations supervisors or management consultants. Guiding employees and fostering collaboration are two basic goals of a successful organizational leader. A core competency of organizational leadership is building and leading teams of people to be their most productive, efficient and effective selves. The organizational leader also handles challenges and conflicts while building relationships and motivating team members.
How well leadership sets and communicates goals affects the culture, productivity and strategic direction of an organization. Guiding teams within the organization to harness their potential and achieve common goals also shapes the overall success of the organization.
In today’s business environment, Chairman and CEO of PPG Inc. Robert Logemann notes that managers need to update what they do: “By using automation wisely, leaders can reinvest their time into leading, foster better team communication and cooperation, drive innovation and affect positive organizational change.”
Soft Skills Every Organizational Leader Needs
Becoming more dynamic, empathetic and communicative will help leaders be more successful. Logemann notes that empathetic leadership “involves respecting a team member’s voice, life circumstances and the need to balance work and home.” Professionals can be more empathetic by scheduling one-on-one meetings with team members with no agenda. Effective communication, after all, is as much about being a good listener and interested in your team members as individuals as it is about clearly communicating what you want to say.
A high emotional intelligence quotient (EQ) — which involves self-awareness, self-management, social awareness and social skills — is a leadership requisite. EQ skills include managing your emotions and responding to resistance without getting defensive. Graciously and tactfully handling conflict resolution and difficult employees helps the rest of the team have confidence in your leadership.
Other essential soft skills organizational leaders need include the ability to:
- Negotiate and find solutions that work for everyone
- Adapt to change to provide reassurance and a sense of stability when employees have to make changes
- Clearly delegate tasks helps remove uncertainty
- Build a positive culture that enhances morale and alleviates stress
- Recognizes and praises good work to motivate the entire team
- Make the time and effort to mentor team members
- Foster ethical leadership that is open and transparent
While good communication skills are vital, Logemann encourages becoming “a world-class listener.” Listening requires an active focus and letting people fully share what they want to say, allowing them to finish before responding. Actively listening means that your phone is silent, you are in a quiet space with no interruptions and the person has your full attention.
The Need for Organizational Leaders
A recent McKinsey & Company survey notes that as the workforce transitions to a highly technological environment, most respondents have prioritized reskilling at scale. While this certainly involves teaching new hard skills, developing soft skills is a key element. The authors note that survey “results also point to a shift in the most important skills to develop, which tend to be social and emotional in nature: for example, empathy, leadership, and adaptability.”
These non-technical skills are needed to reskill tens of millions of mid-career, middle-age workers over the next five to ten years. It’s vital to organizations that employees interact effectively and harmoniously in a positive work environment.
Graduates of the online degree in organizational leadership from YSU possess the critical skills to be effective, successful organizational leaders who impact the culture, mindsets, leadership, attitudes and behaviors of their teams. In addition to the core MBA curricula, this program also includes a focus on organizational behavior, managing conflict and the concepts related to developing high-performing teams.
Learn more about Youngstown State University’s online MBA in Organizational Leadership program.
