As innovative leaders who have been shaped by disruptive and ever-changing environments, where technology has the potential to bring about significant transformation, what truly makes a difference is the leadership style used to foster a culture of innovation.
It is precisely here that developing our soft skills—communication, creativity, adaptability, and the ability to work collaboratively in multidisciplinary teams—is critical to accelerating our value in the future of work, as well as our positive impact on businesses and, above all, on people.
Under this theme, the following are some of the key concepts addressed by Sabatini during the event.
What are soft skills, and why are they so important?
These are personal qualities that enable a person to interact effectively and efficiently with others—nothing more, nothing less. Many of us have surely met brilliant people who, when it came to social situations or interacting with others, saw all that intelligence somewhat diminished due to their inability to interact effectively and efficiently with others.
A recent report by the consulting firm Deloitte, for example, states that by 2030, two-thirds of the world’s jobs will place a heavy emphasis on soft skills.
What do I mean by this? That regardless of the leadership role—or lack thereof—we hold, regardless of the industry we work in, and regardless of the specific task we are currently performing or plan to undertake in the future, the ability to execute and possess soft skills in our work is essential and critical to our professional development.
In this context, what does it mean to lead?
There are many definitions of leadership; some focus on a more affiliative approach—that is, the ability to get everyone to follow you—while others are more authoritarian, for example. But according to the most modern definitions of leadership—or at least the ones we use at Google— leadership is the ability to motivate others toward achieving a specific, shared goal that fundamentally drives organizational, social, economic, or cultural change.
And two important points can be drawn from this definition. First, the ability to motivate: when we talk about motivation, it is undoubtedly because there is a process of persuasive communication at play—not just any kind of communication, but a process in which the sender can connect with the receiver in a more empathetic way.
The second word I would highlight from this definition is “change” or “impact.” A leader is someone who can persuade others to achieve a common goal with the sole aim of making an impact—of causing something that had been the status quo to suddenly change. Implicit in the ability to lead is the capacity for transformation, not only of the leader but also of the group pursuing that common goal.
The Importance of Soft Skills for Leadership in the New Era
If we want more people to become leaders who can guide an organization, a team, or a department to success, they need to understand the importance of human connection in the workplace.
And what skills are needed to build meaningful connections with people? The ability to guide the team toward shared growth, build trust, align teams, collaborate—both among team members and with other teams—and make important decisions. This is what companies like Google, Amazon, Tesla, and others are looking for in leaders of the new era.
To achieve these goals, we need professionals who possess these skills, understand them, and can apply them within their teams.
I think it’s very interesting to highlight these initial reflections on a post-pandemic landscape, since the response wasn’t to seek more technology, greater efficiency, or higher productivity, but rather more soft skills, greater empathy, and stronger human connections.
Whether the connection is made in person or online, I want to make this point, because technology plays an enabling role here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-QEz8lwyCw