The Soft Skills That Make Successful Leaders

Alex Valentine, Learning and Development Manager, shares the lessons he’s learned since entering a leadership position at Hometap.

What are the most important soft skills for you as a leader?

Emotional intelligence and communication. Understanding and realizing the impact that my words can have on others helps me take deliberate steps to be tactful and thoughtful in how I communicate. Being self-aware of my feelings and inner senses allows me to directly address my needs first before supporting others. I have to put my oxygen mask on first.

What made you recognize the importance of those soft skills, and how did you develop them?

Oftentimes, it was through struggle or challenges. There have been moments in which I haven’t given myself the time and space to feel, or I have communicated poorly when working with stakeholders. In these moments, my message hasn’t landed and has since then led me to make changes to be a better leader to my team and a better peer to my colleagues.

This article originally appeared on builtinbos. Read it here.