Training Industry Magazine - March/April 2020 - 57

MICHELLE EGGLESTON SCHWARTZ

LEARNER
MINDSET

NEW LEADER, NEW SKILLS

Making the transition from individual
contributor to manager is difficult on
many levels. It's a shift from managing
tasks and projects to managing people.
This requires new skills, new behaviors
and a new mindset. Training is crucial to
setting new leaders up for success as
they embark on their leadership journey.
Unfortunately, new leaders rarely get
the guidance and tools they need to
successfully delegate work, provide
feedback and address poor performance
- among many other responsibilities.
Leadership requires a multitude of soft
skills, from communication to decisionmaking to critical thinking. However,
Training Industry research shows that
gaps in soft skills exist across all roles and
nearly all functions. These "basic" skills will
only grow in importance as organizations
are required to innovate and remain
competitive in the market. We are living in
an era of technological disruption where
technical skills are critical as automation
and artificial intelligence impact business
practices. However, soft skills are still in
high demand (and arguably always will).
Organizations need effective leaders
to navigate this change. Leaders who
embody strong people skills. Leaders
who can inspire and boost morale in
challenging situations. Leaders who can
creatively solve problems, and leaders
who can authentically connect with others.
The most successful leaders never
stop learning. In 2019, communication
appeared as the number one topic on
LinkedIn Learning across the globe,
based on the 93 million people the

platform reached. This finding indicates
a fundamental agreement on the
importance of effective communication
in business, regardless of geographic
location. Additionally, the data shows
that managers devoted 32% more time
honing soft skills - with an emphasis on
people management - compared with
other colleagues. While this is not exactly
surprising since managers manage
people, and managing people requires
interpersonal skills, it does highlight the
need for training and development in
this core area.

LEADERS MUST
HAVE EFFECTIVE
PEOPLE SKILLS TO
SUCCESSFULLY LEAD
THROUGH CHANGE.
Soft skills are arguably more difficult to
learn than technical skills. While you can
teach the best practices for soft skills like
communication in a one-time training
program, the skill is actually developed
through repeated practice and experience
over an extended period of time. This
requires learning and development
(L&D) to create a wide array of learning
opportunities for leaders to practice
and reinforce the strategies learned in
formalized training.
Here are a few simple ways soft skills can
be developed in the workplace:
* Practice weak skills: Learners must
deliberately practice new skills if they
want them to become engrained
behaviors. Depending on the skill

in need of strengthening, learners
can practice independently or with a
colleague or manager. For example, a
sales rep can role-play with peers to
enhance their sales pitch, or they can
independently rehearse their pitch in
front of a mirror or on a recording.
* Seek out feedback: Let's be honest;
feedback is scary. Having a peer or
manager review your performance and
issue their opinion on your weaknesses
and strengths is nerve-wracking. But
feedback is important. It's what makes
us better. Find a trusted colleague who
will provide constructive feedback that
can improve your performance.
* Self-reflection: The average workday
is busy enough. Finding time for quiet
self-reflection may be a challenge, but
it's worth the time and effort. Reflection
is an integral part of the learning process
and allows you to uncover insights
and pinpoint areas for improvement.
This process can provide leaders
with the self-awareness that leads to
better performance.
SKILLS FOR THE FUTURE
Developing new leaders is a blind spot
for many organizations. With soft skills
emerging as critical to the future of work,
L&D must ensure that all leaders - including
new leaders - have effective people skills
to successfully navigate and lead their
organizations through rapid change.
Michelle Eggleston Schwartz is the
editorial director at Training Industry, Inc.
Email Michelle.

T R A I N I N G I N DUSTR Y MAGAZ INE - MODERN LEADERS 2020 I WWW. T RAI NINGINDU S T RY . C OM/ MAGAZ I NE

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Training Industry Magazine - March/April 2020

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