On January 16, 2025, Dr. Ann Strahle, Interim Associate Dean at the University of Illinois
Springfield’s College of Public Affairs and Education and Associate Professor of Communication and Media, delivered an insightful talk on the evolving role of soft skills in leadership. This event shed light on the origins, misconceptions, and modern applications of soft skills, reframing them as essential tools for effective leadership in today’s dynamic professional landscape.
The Origins and Importance of Soft Skills
The term “soft skills” traces back to military terminology, where it distinguished interpersonal and communicative abilities from technical, task-oriented skills. Today, these skills encompass a broad range of competencies: communication, empathy, adaptability, managing office politics, handling feedback, and navigating diverse personalities.
Dr. Strahle highlighted the vital role communicators often play in the workplace, frequently
going beyond their formal job descriptions to mediate, translate, and facilitate understanding.
From "Soft" to "Smart" Skills
Dr. Strahle proposed rebranding soft skills as “smart skills,” emphasizing their critical role in
fostering emotional maturity and interpersonal effectiveness. Key components of smart skills
include:
Emotional Maturity: Extending beyond emotional intelligence (EQ), emotional maturity
involves managing emotions to prevent conflicts, balancing empathy with rationality,
and feeling emotions without becoming overwhelmed by them.
Managing Up: Anticipating challenges, solving problems, and empowering others to
perform at their best.
Validation: Affirming and recognizing the feelings of others as valid and important.
Adaptability: Embracing new technologies and teaching new skills across generations
and contexts.
Productive Inclusion: Creating awareness and inclusion for underprivileged and
historically excluded groups in social and economic activities.
Followership: Knowing when to step back, actively participate, and support leadership
efforts.
Multiple Perspectives: Understanding cultural, strategic, and political differences for
well-rounded decision-making.
Humility: Recognizing the value of lifelong learning and honoring contributions of those
before us.
Listening: Practicing active, empathetic listening.
Cognitive Readiness: Building the knowledge and skills necessary to adapt to constant
change.
The Hybrid and Virtual Era of Soft Skills
In an increasingly hybrid and virtual work environment, soft skills take on new dimensions.
From self-presentation and humor to navigating generational differences and fostering
creativity, leaders must develop emotional intelligence and interpersonal dexterity to thrive in this new context.
Transitioning Soft Skills into Today’s Age
Dr. Strahle also addressed challenges with the term “soft skills,” which can imply these abilities are less critical than technical skills. She advocated for repositioning them as essential leadership tools, particularly in a world shaped by rapid technological advancements and complex interpersonal dynamics.
Her discussion offered actionable insights for leaders to reframe and invest in these "smart
skills;" empowering teams and organizations to navigate today’s challenges with emotional
intelligence, adaptability, and humility.
For further exploration, Dr. Strahle recommends the book The Job is Easy, The People Are Not, which dives deeper into the interpersonal complexities of leadership.
This thought-provoking event reminds us that leadership is not just about tasks—it’s about
people. By prioritizing these skills, we can foster stronger, more inclusive, and more resilient
workplaces.