leadership
The Softer
Side of
Leadership
SOFT SKILLS ARE CRITICAL ELEMENTS
THAT ANYONE CAN MASTER
By Kelly Brown
In many cases, people fall into leadership, rather than being born
with an inherent ability to lead. They find themselves in leadership
positions and then either sink or swim. Many people end
up figuring out how to swim – yet, even then, only a few become
really good swimmers. What makes them different from the rest is
that they’ve learned to lead not only with their heads, but also with
their hearts.
In business, people sometimes think that leadership comes from
mastering the hard skills – a deep understanding of facts, strategy
and results. But that’s only partly true. Good leaders know they also
need to master the soft skills: connecting with people and inspiring
them so the team can achieve great things together.
Good leaders are also purposeful and mindful about how they
are going to lead. They recognize that leadership is revealed in every
interaction they have with others, whether in meetings, in the
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HRPATODAY.CA ❚ OCTOBER 2016 ❚ 41