People Skills for Leaders

I honestly believe that most leaders desire to be good and decent leaders. To be a good or even a great leader takes continual refining of leadership skills and talents. Leadership does not exist without people to lead. Leadership does not exist without people to lead. (That was not an editorial mistake by the way, I meant to make that statement twice. It is important to always remember.)  This means learning how to build relationships, communicate effectively, and motivate others as known as people skills. Which sparks the question of what people skills should new leaders develop? 

So it makes good sense for a leader to develop and improve their “people skills” if they want to be a better leader…of people. With the right people skills, you can make a real difference in your team or organization. So don’t underestimate the importance of good people skills – they’re essential for any leader!

What are people skills?

Do a little research and you will find several differing explanations of people skills. My interpretation of people skills (also referred to as soft skills or interpersonal skills) is a collection of abilities that help a person effectively interact, communicate, and influence other people. I appreciate Neil Thompson’s (2009) perspective that it [people skills] is an umbrella term for skills under three related sets of abilities: personal effectiveness, interaction skills, and intercession skills. 

Personal Effectiveness

Personal effectiveness abilities are skills that are related to maximizing one’s own potential toward reaching professional and personal achievement. It’s similar to branding in that its impact translates to how you are seen by others and how they interact and are influenced by you. Examples of personal effectiveness skills include determination, grit, self-confidence, and charisma.

Interaction Skills

Interaction skills, sometimes referred to as social skills, are those abilities used to navigate exchanges and relationships with other people. Some examples of these skills are listening, communication, and empathy. Social skills are essential in the success of relationships such as spouses, business partners, classmates, and coworkers. Interaction skills are also important for acceptance in and inclusion to social clicks, organizational groups, and community engagements.

Intercession Skills

Sometimes the need rises to be the “go between” person. Intercession skills come to play in these type situations. These type of skills are those abilities that help to effectively maneuver times when conflicting perspectives are present. Conflict management, mediation, and negotiation are illustrations of intercession skills.

Why are people skills important in leadership?

I often bring up the point that leaders lead people – as you have already seen. Leaders don’t lead machines and leaders don’t lead processes. Managers manage machines and managers manager processes but LEADERS lead the people who oversee the machines and leaders lead the people who execute the processes. Leadership is influencing and interpersonal skills are core to leaders influencing and inspiring their people. 

New leaders often miss this at the start of their career. They tend to focus more on the perfection of outcomes, delivering the best results, proving their worthiness, and focusing on things that advance themselves when true and sustainable accomplishment comes from focusing outward on their people. Leaders with strong interpersonal skills are not only better individuals but they are even better leaders.

What are 4 people skills new leaders should improve?

There are many skills that are interpersonal skills. Like most daunting and overwhelming tasks, the most effective approach is to break the task into small pieces. Development plans are no different. We can have a laundry list of skills we need to improve but it’s not smart to try and work on them all at once. I suggest working on a few, building skill level with them, tweaking as needed, and once that skill is a good habit- move on to the next set. 

Development and improvement starts with self awareness. Taking stock of strengths and weaknesses can be easier said than done. If you are new to leadership or if you are getting a head start, I recommend considering these interpersonal skills to elevate your leadership:

Effective Communication

Communication is a human skill. The ability to give a message, in whatever form, and the receiver interprets and understands that message as was intended is very powerful. New Leaders should be aware that there are many barriers to effective communication and effective communication is a cornerstone to great leadership and team building. 

Visit our article “How Great Leaders Communicate Effectively” on Novice Leader for more insight on leadership communication.

Emotional Intelligence (EI)

Emotion is one of the most common derailers in any relationship. Being emotionally intelligent is absolutely beneficial in leadership and in life. Unfortunately, EI is not on the radar for many new leaders but should be. EI is the ability to identify one’s own emotional states, and the states in others, as well as how to properly interact and respond based on those states of being. Although emotion can be useful at times, getting past emotions and feeling in many situations leads to more rational and balanced solutions. 

Want more on emotional intelligence…here you go, please visit “Why is Emotional Intelligence Important in Leadership?” on Novice Leader.

Conflict Management

Where there are people, differing opinions and perspectives are going to happen. Conflict can kill team building and production. The term “conflict” tends to have a negative connotation but in fact conflict can be good for a team and organization. Differing perspectives help with creativity, innovation, and effective problem-solving just to name a few benefits. However, when conflict is not properly addressed and managed, that is when there is the greatest potential for damage. The skill of conflict management, in my opinion, is more art than science and usually gets better with experience. New leaders lacking the experience should put in work to understand the mechanics and theory of conflict management  so they are better prepared as conflicts present themselves. 

Yes, that’s easier said than done but here is a little bit more on conflict management “What is Conflict Management? Advice for New Leaders.”

Leadership (of course)

Leadership is a skill centered on people. It is influencing and inspiring followers, through purpose, towards a common task or goal. Great leaders accomplish the previous just like a skilled carpenter completes a project – they use the right tools and resources they need and use them at the right time they need them. I often tell new leaders that developing the skill of leadership is not a destination to which you arrive and are done. Leadership development is a lifetime  journey that never ends…so enjoy the ride.

“What is Leadership?” and “What Are Good Leadership Rituals?” are other good posts on Novice Leader to explore more around the topic of leadership.

Action item for developing people skills

Leaders are made, not born. If you want to become a better leader, it’s up to you to take the necessary steps to develop the skills you need. The people skills we’ve outlined in this post are a great place to start. So get out there and start practicing! And if you ever find yourself stuck, don’t hesitate to reach out for help. There are lots of resources available to help you grow into the leader you want to be. 

One of the benefits of our connected world is greater access to information than past generations. Hopefully this post helped to drive your awareness and now it’s up to you to make the commitment to lifelong learning and development of your leadership abilities. Again, there are many resources (tons of free ones at that) to help you build the interpersonal skills necessary to help you be great at leadership— and at life. Thousands of online articles and books, videos, and courses you can leverage.

Novice Leader is here to help too! Be sure to visit and subscribe to the Novice Leader YouTube channel and join the Novice Leader community to stay connected and as our community grows, we will bring you more to help support your development.

Thank you for visiting! Please share this post and the Novice Leader site with all that you think would benefit…

And Don’t Forget – You ARE the Leader you Choose to Be!

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