Soft Skills for Strong Leaders: 10 Steps to Management Success

Article Type: Suggested readings From: Human Resource Management International Digest, Volume 22, Issue 3

Helen Isacke,New generation publishing,2013,ISBN:9781909878822

Helen Isacke’s Soft Skills for Strong Leaders: 10 Steps to Management Success contains exercises, activities, questionnaires and self-assessment tests to apply soft skills to bring out the desired behavioral changes.

The author explains that soft skills define who a leader is rather than what he or she can achieve. The lack of soft skills and of emotional intelligence can derail the most technically knowledgeable leader. It is commonly said that people do not leave organizations, they leave their managers. It is most often these managers who lack the essential man-management skills.

The author highlights the components of emotional intelligence and the traits of high self-esteem. She shares top tips to expand influence and to network effectively. She reminds the reader that lack of communication in organizations is a common complaint, from managers and team members alike. Most problems stem from sketchy and sporadic communication and in particular a failure to set and manage clear expectations.

The author uses the metaphors of drains and radiators. She contends that we all have human drains and radiators in our lives, both in and outside work. Drains are the negative people who focus on all the things going wrong around them. They are only too happy to point out what they disapprove about a person. Radiators are people who generate energy and warmth. Radiators make one feel good about oneself and about life. They fill people with motivation and enthusiasm, in contrast to drains who are usually people to avoid.

Helen Isacke explains that soft skills are more about who a person is rather than what he or she knows. Emotionally intelligent leaders have finely tuned people skills and lead with energy and motivation. To be an authentic leader is to be true to oneself, one’s values and beliefs, which means that a person’s leadership style is unique to him or her.

According to the author, people should refer to their leadership values periodically so that they can reflect upon, and monitor, their own behavior, noticing the impact that it is having on those around them. People with high self-esteem have a strong sense of self; they like themselves, they can recognize and manage their internal state and they have a clear sense of purpose.

People’s internal chatter has a substantial impact on how they feel and how they behave which, in turn, determines the results they can achieve. People get what they expect to get and what they focus their attention on. The author advises leaders to spend 10 minutes at the end of the day reflecting on what has gone well and what they have achieved.

Raising one’s profile is not about bragging, it is about being proud of one’s achievements. The first three months of a new role are critical; this is when behavior, performance and results are being judged.

Leaders should ensure that team members are aware of how their role contributes to the achievement of collective goals. They should constantly look for ways to engage the team, note what works and do more of it. They should also pay attention to what their teams are doing and how they are progressing, take time to listen and help with challenges and concerns.

Good leaders create an environment that shines with energy, enthusiasm and positivity. They are nice and friendly but always remember that the best working relationships are based upon respect and trust. These are rooted in actions and performance, not only words.

How leaders interact with others will depend on their own needs for inclusion, control and openness. The most powerful and quickest way of building rapport is to use similar body language to the other person. Leaders should define and manage their stakeholders and they, in turn, will provide invaluable help and contribute to the successful completion of projects.

Before they handle someone else’s emotions, leaders should ensure that their own are in a healthy state. To manage a difficult conversation effectively, and to get the result they want, they need to ensure that they have a good rapport with the other party at all times.

Managers need to minimize the interruptions that take them away from their core tasks. When they delegate a task, they should ensure that they communicate clearly what needs to be done and give the other person the responsibility of reporting back with progress.

The quality of relationships both inside and outside of work affects how a person feels about himself or herself. People who look after themselves first will be stronger and more able to look after the other important people in their lives.

Soft Skills for Strong Leaders is a basic book that provides valuable takeaways for leaders. The book is useful for trainers, educators and coaches who are keen to acquire knowledge on soft skills.

Reviewed by M.S. Rao, Professor International Leadership Guru, http://speakerpedia.com/speakers/professor-msrao, Msrlctrg@gmail.com