In today’s dynamic era, enterprises can no longer assume that individuals with traditional managerial pedigrees will succeed. In simple terms, it is becoming challenging to identify management talent using traditional criteria. Hence, the emphasis falls on soft skills, which have become necessary for executives to thrive in this post-pandemic era.
Soft skills: a critical part of executive education: Today’s executives are expected to make difficult decisions quickly while balancing the current needs of those around them with the long-term profitability of their companies. The ability to draw upon deeply held beliefs and ethical foundations is what is most required in leadership because external conditions are changing quickly. At the same time, organisations also seek managers with people-centric sensitivity and agility to deal with unpredictability. This is the point where the need for executive education with equal emphasis on soft skills comes in.
Teaches appropriate influence: According to the Harvard Business Review analysis based on 13, 000 employees, “uncaring and uninspiring” executives are a significant factor in employees continuing to leave their positions. Perhaps by being honest, transparent, open-minded, and showing vulnerability, executives are likely to win employees and exert influence. In order to motivate others and also give constructive feedback, influential skills are necessary in executive education.
While elements like compliments and strong presentation abilities can contribute to the former, the latter will be required to constructively and properly criticise others. In addition, managers will need to fight the impulse to become defensive whenever they run into opposition. All these critical skills can only be mastered when practised efficiently, and for that, gaining relevant executive education is necessary.
Shapes negotiation abilities: The stakeholder capitalism that is being practised today demands executives satisfy the needs and interests of employees, shareholders, customers, and even communities. This includes making significant strides among their interests, focusing on their goals, and finding relevant solutions for their problems. All these processes require negotiations on all fronts. Furthermore, there are times when an executive needs to push their own agenda while saying no to certain endeavours that require a certain amount of sensitivity.
Therefore, working on negotiation skills in executive education has become vital to being fair and considerate. Managers must execute the stakeholder’s vision, communicate clearly, and appeal to people’s interests in order to get them to follow their lead. In this regard, they can use executive education as an arena to cultivate these skills in order to be more mindful of conducting and ending conversations on a positive note whenever there is a chance.
Helps develop empathy: Today, remote working has become a significant part of an organisation’s structure. That being said, it is becoming daunting for organisations to form a connection with their employees. The anonymity that comes with not going into the office and having a splintered workforce that works from home needs to be effectively addressed. In this regard, having empathetic leadership is crucial, where an executive is able to comprehend the necessities of employees as well as organisations.
Emotional intelligence, for instance, tends to help executives build an empathetic character. It is commonly acknowledged that having emotional intelligence is a vital skill that can enhance relationships, management, and problem-solving in the workplace. According to the World Economic Forum (WEF), emotional intelligence is among the top ten in-demand skills today. Researchers also think that training and practise can help one get better at this skill. For executives to build a resilient EI, they may likely require a helping hand, and this might be the right time for them to get executive coaching for this.
All things considered: The typical managerial training principles are now being complemented by soft skills that were earlier perhaps quick to dismiss, and each is backed by a variety of subskills that one would do well to cultivate in executive education. Today’s individuals must make clear, focused investments in their learning and development if they want to succeed and move quickly. Only then they can become accustomed to the disruptive employment environment.
A well-informed choice of executive programmes can teach soft skills such as empathy, negotiation, and influencing, which are critical to success in these dynamic markets. It can reignite their curiosity, stoke their imagination, and help them focus on their actual visions and goals. Therefore, executive education with proper weight given to soft skills is relevant as candidates build professional resilience as well as adapt to new leadership realities.
(The writer is Pro Chancellor, Lovely Professional University)
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