Focusing on soft skills, here is a rundown of some of the skills that will prove to be necessary for any leader.

1. Which soft skills will a leader
most need to make it?
By David Kiger
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ffaalumni at
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2. A leader must have an array of skills, and of course many of these will
depend on the industry the leader is in, but at the same time most of
them will be independent of this. In fact, some will not have to do with
a particular field, but instead are soft skills that any leader in any
industry will need to be successful. By analyzing some of the most
successful leaders out there, you can see that they not only mastered
their technical skills, but also their soft skills. These skills can also be
called people or interpersonal skills, so you’ll find qualities like
negotiating, building morale, or even maintaining healthy
relationships. Most business journals and experts agree that it is worth
more for a leader to have soft skills than it is if they have technical
skills simply because they won’t be able to execute them correctly
otherwise. Another important consideration is that companies have
moves away from the authoritative decision-making style to a more
team work and collaborative working environment. This means that
most of the time leaders must lead through others and this will not be
possible if the leader only has technical skills. Although there are many
traits that will make you a great leader, which you can take a look at on
David Kiger Slide Share. But focusing on soft skills, here is a rundown
of some of the skills that will prove to be necessary for any leader.

3. Listening
One of the most important, especially since traditional
leaders were used to just giving orders, today leaders need
to really listen and pay attention to their teams. When
trying to become a good communicator the key will not be
getting your own ideas across to the other person, but
instead it will be understanding the importance of listening
to those around him or her and making sure to take note
of their ideas and thoughts. Remember that being the
loudest voice in the room does not make you a good
communicator. To improve on this practice giving speakers
your undivided attention, wait until the very end to make
suggestions or opinions, so be sure to take notes during
their turn to remember everything you may want to say.

4. Humility
The level of modesty of a leader will say a lot about how
willing he or she is to share the spotlight, to let others
shine for their work, and to leave their ego at the door for
the sake of their team’s success. Humility will come down
to how humble a person is, to their modest opinion of
their own rank or level of importance. Today’s work
environment needs a lot more than a leader who can be
authoritative and powerful, it needs someone who can put
their organization and team before them and allow others
to grow at the same time.

5. Communication
It may seem like something that doesn’t need to be
mentioned, but way too often do we find bosses
communicate with their teams with a lack of courtesy, or
using ambiguous language that does not give their teams
the confidence they need to grow. If communication is
handled correctly the result will most certainly show in
their relationships. If a good leader is able to exchange
ideas, it will lead to a productive work environment.

6. Nonverbal communication
Nonverbal communication will be as important as verbal at
times, especially when you have very telling body
language. Nonverbal communication could change the
perception of what’s being said, and the listener’s
interpretation. A good way of ensuring there is no
misunderstanding is to maintain eye contact with the
person, thus showing respect and sincerity. This
accompanied with good posture, while avoiding distracting
postures, or any kind of posture that could convey
disinterest like crossed arms or fidgeting with clothing or
jewelry. Finally, of course always make sure that what you
are saying is completely aligned with your facial
expressions.

7. Know when to say no
Any leader will need to know when to say no, and stand by
his or her decision when they truly believe it is for the
greater good. But saying not, is not easy or comfortable, so
a good leader has to know, not only when to say no, but
how to say no. A leader has to be able to turn them down
with sensitivity and being aware of their investment and or
loss with your response. The best way to naturally do this
is by empathizing with them, so that even though
unfortunately you have to say no, you understand their
situation. Always give your reasons, and try to end the
conversation on a positive note trying to see how else you
can offer help.

8. Negotiating
This is usually a given as a leader, but even though
negotiations will take up most of your time, you have to
remember to basics. Being fair and considering all of the
parties’ arguments and reasoning, will have to be a
constant. Try to always be considerate to what the others
are requesting and the reasoning behind it. When
negotiating, a good leader should try to reach a solution
that will benefit at least in some part all of the parties
involved. Try to offer several options, to demonstrate that
you have header them out and see how you can be of
help.