Assuming a leadership position means getting plucked out of the weeds and embracing a much broader view of one’s domain. Instead of exclusively engaging with a specific craft, a leader is guiding others in the execution of it toward a goal.
Accordingly, that requires different skills than what was begged of them at the individual contributor level. Consider someone shifting from athlete to coach: Playing the game is one thing, but orchestrating success from the sidelines requires a whole different toolbox entirely.
“The transition from individual contributor to leader requires a fundamental shift in viewpoint,” said Rachel Berbiglia, director of operations at Vendavo, a pricing software company of more than 500 professionals. “Where the focus had been on task execution within a process, I had to develop a broader and deeper understanding of the business.”
As part of this viewpoint shift, Berbiglia explains that both intra- and interdepartmental relationships became instrumental to success in the role.
Enter the importance of soft skills: those invaluable assets that — without revolving around a specific tool, technology or domain — help managers and leaders succeed by working with, and through, other people.
For example, Ana Arias underscores the need for effective communication in her role as manager of customer success at Conga, a 1,000-plus employee company whose software provides tools for billing, contracts and other areas of managing revenue.
“Without proper communication, the team will not know our end goals, what I expect of them (and myself) and how we'll work together to achieve those goals,” Arias said.
Learning a soft skill might not be as cut-and-dry as a technical skill. But Berbiglia found — despite her own prior notions — she’s been able to round out her own toolbox after investing in the effort to do so.
“Learning to trust my intuition has been one of the hardest skills to develop. I used to think that intuition was something you either had or you did not have,” Berbiglia said. “But I’ve learned that it is a skill a person can develop over time with practice.”
So what are the soft skills that Arias and Berbiglia tap in order to lead their teams? Below, the two professionals shared the intangibles that are instrumental to their success — and how they set about cultivating them.
What are the most important soft skills for you as a leader?
The most important soft skill for me as a leader is communicating clearly; closely after that are demonstrating empathy, being curious and solving problems.
What made you recognize the importance of those soft skills?
Communicating clearly with my team is the key to our success. Without proper communication, the team will not know our end goals, what I expect of them (and myself) and how we'll work together to achieve those goals. Clear and consistent communication also ultimately helps to build accountability with those I work with.
Communicating clearly with my team is the key to our success.”
Empathy is another soft skill that has helped me navigate the complexities of being a people manager while also balancing business and customer needs. Making sure that I treat my team with respect and show them they are valued is a top priority for me.
Being curious is tied into the Conga Way, our values system. Core to our “entrepreneurial spirit” value, one of three statements is: "We’re curious and open to new ideas and ways of doing things." So, as a new leader, I ask a lot of questions and try to learn the 'why' behind the processes we follow. Understanding those things is huge. Here at Conga, the learning never stops, so I want to make sure that I model this for my team.
Problem-solving is a skill required for any leader. When my team comes to me for guidance, I want to be able to understand their issue/question and partner with them on the best path forward.
Which soft skills did you find it hardest to develop when you first started in a leadership role?
Problem solving was a skill that I really had to refine as a leader. It's important to make sure I gather all the information I can to arrive at a well-informed decision. I also empower my team to work on their problem-solving skills so they're more effective, more satisfied and can continue to grow in their own careers.
What are the most important soft skills for you as a leader?
The transition from individual contributor to leader requires a fundamental shift in viewpoint. Where the focus had been on task execution within a process, I had to develop a broader and deeper understanding of the business. As a result, I had the responsibility of mastering system-thinking, or looking at the business as an intertwined system of processes.
For example, a great recruiter has mastered the recruiting process, whereas a great HR leader understands how, where and when the recruiting process links into other organization’s processes to create an operational system.
Due to the nuances and complexities of system-thinking, it is important for leaders to develop the abilities of influence and collaboration and to also learn to trust their intuition.
To me, influence means being able to recognize and tailor my message to another’s personality type in a manner they’ll most likely listen to and engage with.
Collaboration is a fundamental skill because nobody can be successful by themselves. This is true in individual contributor roles, but it becomes even more important and necessary when you work cross-functionally as a leader.
Trusting your intuition is an important quality because leaders often make decisions without all the facts.
Trusting your intuition is an important quality because leaders often make decisions without all the facts.”
What made you recognize the importance of those soft skills, and how did you develop them?
As I began to take on bigger projects impacting departments outside my own, I quickly realized it was hard to get things done in other areas of the business where I didn’t really know someone. I understood I would need to establish relationships with others across my company if I hoped to be a successful leader. I’m a very task-oriented person and so it is not natural for me to ask my coworkers personal questions.
At first, the idea of taking time to reach out to people to build relationships seemed like wasting time; it did not feel like “real” work to me, although I realized that getting to know someone personally creates a better connection. But I continued building those relationships, and those connections gave me the ability to be more productive — someone is more likely to act on my request if we have a relationship.
Then, I was able to take it a step further by adjusting my approach based on what I know about the person I’m working with. For example, if someone is very analytical, I make sure to include sufficient details when I collaborate with them. I adjust my communication style to accommodate the other person, which influences them to take the action I’m asking. Influence has been one of the best secrets of leadership I’ve learned.
Which soft skills did you find it hardest to develop when you first started in a leadership role, and why?
Learning to trust my intuition has been one of the hardest skills to develop. I used to think that intuition was something you either had or you did not have. But I’ve learned that it is a skill a person can develop over time with practice.
To help build my intuition skills, I used a framework I learned about in “The Power of Intuition: How to Use Your Gut Feelings to Make Better Decisions at Work,” written by Gary Klein.
It starts by identifying decisions that are part of my job and zoning in specifically on what made them difficult. This exercise helps you identify your responses to situations so that you see what was successful and what wasn’t. Being a notetaker helped tremendously here because it allowed me to capture nitty gritty details: what went right or wrong, what information or data points or personality conflicts I identified or missed.
Eventually this process became second nature. In fact, others now recognize me for my having identified a business problem, or a success, before my peers can see it. But I can only do this because I intentionally set about learning how to trust my intuition.
