Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

There is nothing soft about “soft skills”

Sherine Salib, MD
Physician
September 17, 2021
Share
Tweet
Share

“Soft skills get little respect, but they will make or break your career.”
– Peggy Klaus

In the late 1960s, the U.S. Army created the term “soft skills” to refer to any skill that does not employ the use of machinery. “The military realized that many important activities were included within this category, and in fact, the social skills necessary to lead groups, motivate soldiers, and win wars were encompassed by skills they had not yet cataloged or fully studied.”

These “soft skills” — communication, conflict resolution, attitude, adaptability, empathy, and relationship-building — to name just a few- are at the core of building trust in teamwork.

Studies, including by Harvard, the Stanford Research Center, and the Carnegie Foundation, have concluded that job success correlates much more closely to having well‐developed soft and people skills (85 percent) than from technical skills and knowledge (15 percent).

As leaders, how do these skills factor into our daily work?

1. Human skills and trust when choosing leaders: the performance vs. trust graph

Simon Sinek describes how he went to the Navy Seals’ head and asked how they selected their “elite group.” They described the “performance vs. trust” graph, with “performance” on one axis and “trust” on the other axis — a framework they use for selecting effective leaders. While everyone ideally wants a leader who scores the highest on both performance and trust, it is better to have a medium-performer with a high trust quotient than a high performer with low trust. A high performer with low trust is a toxic team member.

As leaders, it is imperative that we not only consider the “hard skills” (performance) but also the “soft skills” (trust-enhancing human skills) when making decisions on hiring, promoting, and appraising others.

2. Human skills and trust in building leaders: You’re not necessarily born with it

A study of 195 leaders in 15 countries over 30 global asked the question: What makes an effective leader? The top leadership competencies were all the so-called “soft skills,” skills at the heart of building trust. While a few of the most important leadership characteristics are an inherent part of who a person is — such as high moral and ethical standards – other top characteristics, such as effective communication, can and should be taught.

3. Human skills and trust – a shift in paradigm: Trust is about looking outwardly

Often, the focus in leadership is on the leader: the leader’s charisma, vision, strategy, and talents. True leadership requires a paradigm shift. It is about those whom one leads: “It’s about empowering other people as a result of your presence and about making sure that the impact of your leadership continues into your absence.”

Trust is one of those potentially elusive entities that comes when we look outwardly, not inwardly. Instead of asking, “What can I do to so that others trust me?” shift your focus to ask what do others need? In a nutshell: Trust is not about you as the leader. Trust is about those you are leading.

ADVERTISEMENT

4. Human skills and trust starting with oneself: Build trust in yourself

When we think of building trust as leaders, we tend to focus on gaining others’ trust. However, it’s important to remember that part of growing as a leader is building trust in oneself. After all, “If you don’t trust yourself, why should anybody else trust you?” Work with a mentor, be honest with yourself, and practice self-compassion as you lead.

Trust is a core tenet of effective leadership. To gain it, leaders need to excel not only in performance-focused “hard skills” but perhaps more importantly in the so-called “soft skills” or human skills. There is nothing soft about “soft skills.” They are at the heart of effective leadership.

Sherine Salib is an internal medicine physician.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com

Prev

COVID-19 vaccines: the state of the art

September 17, 2021 Kevin 1
…
Next

There's no patient-centered care without patient-centered data

September 17, 2021 Kevin 1
…

Tagged as: Practice Management

Post navigation

< Previous Post
COVID-19 vaccines: the state of the art
Next Post >
There's no patient-centered care without patient-centered data

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Posts

  • Drug ads are a campaign against physician trust

    Judy Salz, MD
  • Building a bond of trust between patient and physician

    Michele Luckenbaugh
  • The case against the Step 2 Clinical Skills Exam

    Madeline Wozniak
  • A physician’s addiction to social media

    Amanda Xi, MD
  • How a physician keynote can highlight your conference

    Kevin Pho, MD
  • Chasing numbers contributes to physician burnout

    DrizzleMD

More in Physician

  • Why wanting more from your medical career is a sign of strength

    Maureen Gibbons, MD
  • How a rainy walk helped an oncologist rediscover joy and bravery

    Dr. Damane Zehra
  • How inspiration and family stories shape our most meaningful moments

    Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA
  • A day in the life of a WHO public health professional in Meghalaya, India

    Dr. Poulami Mazumder
  • Why women doctors are still mistaken for nurses

    Emma Fenske, DO
  • Adriana Smith’s story: a medical tragedy under heartbeat laws

    Nicole M. King, MD
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Why removing fluoride from water is a public health disaster

      Steven J. Katz, DDS | Conditions
    • When did we start treating our lives like trauma?

      Maureen Gibbons, MD | Physician
    • Mastering medical presentations: Elevating your impact

      Harvey Castro, MD, MBA | Physician
    • Nurses aren’t eating their young — we’re starving the profession

      Adam J. Wickett, BSN, RN | Conditions
    • Why what doctors say matters more than you think [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • The hidden incentives driving frivolous malpractice lawsuits

      Howard Smith, MD | Physician
  • Past 6 Months

    • Why tracking cognitive load could save doctors and patients

      Hiba Fatima Hamid | Education
    • What the world must learn from the life and death of Hind Rajab

      Saba Qaiser, RN | Conditions
    • The silent toll of ICE raids on U.S. patient care

      Carlin Lockwood | Policy
    • Addressing the physician shortage: How AI can help, not replace

      Amelia Mercado | Tech
    • Why medical students are trading empathy for publications

      Vijay Rajput, MD | Education
    • Bureaucracy over care: How the U.S. health care system lost its way

      Kayvan Haddadan, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • Nurses aren’t eating their young — we’re starving the profession

      Adam J. Wickett, BSN, RN | Conditions
    • Why wanting more from your medical career is a sign of strength

      Maureen Gibbons, MD | Physician
    • U.S. health care leadership must prepare for policy-driven change

      Lee Scheinbart, MD | Policy
    • Why the pre-med path is pushing future doctors to the brink

      Jordan Williamson, MEd | Education
    • Why the fear of being forgotten is stronger than the fear of death [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • How a rainy walk helped an oncologist rediscover joy and bravery

      Dr. Damane Zehra | Physician

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

Leave a Comment

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Why removing fluoride from water is a public health disaster

      Steven J. Katz, DDS | Conditions
    • When did we start treating our lives like trauma?

      Maureen Gibbons, MD | Physician
    • Mastering medical presentations: Elevating your impact

      Harvey Castro, MD, MBA | Physician
    • Nurses aren’t eating their young — we’re starving the profession

      Adam J. Wickett, BSN, RN | Conditions
    • Why what doctors say matters more than you think [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • The hidden incentives driving frivolous malpractice lawsuits

      Howard Smith, MD | Physician
  • Past 6 Months

    • Why tracking cognitive load could save doctors and patients

      Hiba Fatima Hamid | Education
    • What the world must learn from the life and death of Hind Rajab

      Saba Qaiser, RN | Conditions
    • The silent toll of ICE raids on U.S. patient care

      Carlin Lockwood | Policy
    • Addressing the physician shortage: How AI can help, not replace

      Amelia Mercado | Tech
    • Why medical students are trading empathy for publications

      Vijay Rajput, MD | Education
    • Bureaucracy over care: How the U.S. health care system lost its way

      Kayvan Haddadan, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • Nurses aren’t eating their young — we’re starving the profession

      Adam J. Wickett, BSN, RN | Conditions
    • Why wanting more from your medical career is a sign of strength

      Maureen Gibbons, MD | Physician
    • U.S. health care leadership must prepare for policy-driven change

      Lee Scheinbart, MD | Policy
    • Why the pre-med path is pushing future doctors to the brink

      Jordan Williamson, MEd | Education
    • Why the fear of being forgotten is stronger than the fear of death [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • How a rainy walk helped an oncologist rediscover joy and bravery

      Dr. Damane Zehra | Physician

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

Leave a Comment

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...