Powerful: Grateful for a New Way to Define Soft Skills

I’ve never been a fan of the term "soft skills." It gives the impression that leadership skills like communication, empathy, and gratitude are optional for leaders rather than essential. It implies that these skills are not as important as “hard skills,” such as technical proficiency in a job.

Soft skills have been associated with the gentler side of leadership. Executives are reminded to be kind, listen attentively, empathize, and don’t shy away from showing vulnerability. For some leaders, the term “soft skills” brings to mind the image of people joining hands and singing Kumbaya.

What those critics are missing is that soft skills are really people skills, and the most exceptional leaders possess extraordinary people skills. These successful leaders have skills that are far from soft—they are powerful. I urge you to shift your mindset from thinking of people skills to thinking of them as “power skills.”

Let me share an experience I had this week with an incredible restaurant group called Snooze. They currently operate about 60 locations, so you may not have heard of them yet. However, they are rapidly expanding, and their power skills are remarkable.

I was asked to keynote at their annual conference, which had a theme of "Moments Matter."

This emphasized the importance of creating memorable experiences for every guest.

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Snooze is a morning eatery, opening its doors at 6 a.m. and closing at 3 p.m. Many of their guests begin their day at Snooze, and the company’s mission speaks about starting each visit with excellent food and enough positivity to last the entire day.

Everything Snooze does revolves around their compass, which guides their interactions with guests, their team members (they affectionately call their employees Snoozers), and the communities they serve. Their compass illustrates their passion for their business, encourages individual expression, helps them strive to be the best, and focuses them on creating meals that people love. From what I could see after two days with the group, I can attest they are fully committed to upholding every point of that compass. Spending time with the leaders of Snooze was one of the most invigorating conference experiences I’ve had. This is a group of people who live and breathe their guiding principles.

Here's my point: A leader can't kindle enthusiasm for work solely with good “hard skills.” Having technical skills and a focus on financial metrics are important in any business, and I recognize their importance. However, your competitors can replicate your products, your pricing, and your operational structure. What they can’t replicate is the passion and dedication that emerge within a team when a leader leads with power skills. When your people believe in the impact of their work, they make a difference; and when they make a difference, they deserve feedback and recognition. That’s leading with gratitude.

At Snooze, gratitude permeated the entire conference. Every leader I spoke with felt acknowledged, heard, and supported in their roles. From the CEO, David Birzon, to the HR team, including Brianna, Jeremy, Tiphani, and numerous others, the few days we spent together was a celebration of people. It was power-ful.

Watch for a Snooze location coming to your town and experience it firsthand. It’s a culture of goodness where people do truly matter and everyone feels supported and empowered. It doesn't get any better than that.

As for us, let’s shift the thinking that people skills are soft skills and embrace them as must-have power skills. Your people will love you for it, and you will have greater success and a lot of fun doing it.

I’d love to hear from you: What power skills do you most admire in a leader?

With gratitude,

ANXIETY AT WORK PODCAST

Each week, my co-author and dear friend,?Adrian Gostick, and I get to talk to leading authorities on mental health and explore the causes of workplace stress and anxiety, along with practices that are proven to reduce tension and cultivate calm.?

What you will learn

• Why Employee Development is Essential for a Healthy Work Team
• Importance of mistakes as an opportunity to learn
• 4 Ways that mentoring and curiosity increase engagement and retention

With us is our dear friend?Laine Joelson Cohen, global head of learning for Citi, responsible for leadership development for more than 200,000 associates worldwide. At Citi, one of the largest banks in U.S., she pairs a proven track record of operational excellence with her ability to set a strategic vision for highly impactful, global initiatives.

Visit?The Culture Works for free resources including

• videos,
• podcast episodes,
• and more

to help you build an "all in"?#culture?of?#gratitude