Soft Skills: Why are They Important for Successful Leaders by Dr. Diane Hamilton

Soft Skills:What are They and Why are

They Important for Successful Leaders?

PRESENTED BY: Diane Hamilton, Ph.D.June 15, 2016

Today’s Presenter

© 2016 Bright Horizons Family Solutions, LLC2

Dr. Diane Hamilton is the MBA Program Chair at the Forbes School of Business at Ashford University. She has a PhD in Business Management. She has taught online courses since 2006. Her professional background includes over three decades’ experience in the following industries: software, computers, corporate training, pharmaceuticals, real estate, mortgage lending, social media, and publishing. Hamilton is the author of three books: The Online Student’s User Manual, How to Reinvent Your Career, and It’s Not You It’s Your Personality.

Presenter

Presentation Notes

Thank you for inviting me to speak her today. I am Dr. Diane Hamilton and I am the MBA Program Chair at the Forbes School of Business. I’ll just give you a little information about my background. I have taught online business courses since 2006. I have a Bachelor’s, Master’s and Ph.D. in business Management. I have worked in many industries including: software, computers, corporate training, pharmaceuticals, real estate, mortgage, social media, and publishing. I have written several books and given many talks regarding some of the issues we will discuss in this presentation regarding Soft Skills and What Employers Want From Their Future Leaders.

Soft SkillsWhat are they?

© 2016 Bright Horizons Family Solutions LLC3

Who do you need them?

Importance of Soft Skills to EmployersStatistics

Soft Skills vs. Hard Skills

Salesforce.com

National Soft Skills Association

Examples

• salesforce.com• National Soft Skills Association

Presenter

Presentation Notes

It is important to start by defining soft skills. Many define them as “personal attributes that enable someone to interact effectively and harmoniously with other people.” The good news is that soft skills may be learned. Emotional intelligence is an example of a soft skill. Emotional intelligence is the ability to understand our own emotions as well as those in others. Work by authors like Goleman have shown that these skills may be improved. I have attended many conferences where leaders shared experiences regarding having difficulty with employees due to their lack of soft skills. This term refers to “personal attributes that enable someone to interact effectively and harmoniously with other people.” Effective leaders excel at collaboration, adaptability, problem-solving, critical observation, conflict resolution, and communication. One way to develop these skills is through education. Other ways include seeking mentorship and volunteering. Some organizations/corporations offer inhouse training. Many do not have the funds or the personnel to do this. I think it may be important to note this graphic from SalesForce.com, the leading CRM customer relationship management service. I placed it at the beginning so that you could get an idea of just how important this topic is to employers. I was fortunate to attend a lecture given by the creator of a company called Year Up. The CEO of that company helps people from lower income areas learn important skills, including soft skills to help prepare them to get to the point of interviewing for a job. Soft skills are a critical aspect of successful leadership. I think it is interesting to define soft skills. I have written several articles for Investopedia and I liked one of the articles on that site that painted a nice picture of the difference between soft and hard skills. “The soft skills required for a doctor, for example, would be empathy, understanding, active listening and a good bedside manner. Alternatively, the hard skills necessary for a doctor would include a vast comprehension of illnesses, the ability to interpret test results and symptoms, and a thorough understanding of anatomy and physiology.” � I have read several articles where authors have indicated they believed soft skills have declined in younger generations due to their reliance on the Internet. Managers may be too busy to develop these skills in their employees. Improving soft skills can be a goal like any other, with measurable outcomes and expectations. Leaders can help improve their followers’ soft skills by demonstrating their own strong skills including a positive attitude or good work ethic. Mentorship programs can help by placing more experienced workers with strong soft skills with newer workers who may need development.

Poll Question


How would you rate your soft skills? 1 = low2 = average3 = high

Presenter

Presentation Notes

Let’s take a moment to do a poll question. Based on what we have learned so far, rate your soft skills. Do you think you have low, average or high?

Can Soft Skills be Improved?


Steps to Improve Consider importance of

humility Observe Others Recognize Weaknesses Take Responsibility for

Actions Have Concern for

Impact

Goleman’s Work – Can be ImprovedThe brain reshapes itself based on experience.

Determine Strength and Weakness– EI competencies can be learned. You must be motivated and honest regarding areas for improvement.

Options for Improving – Simple tests can point out baseline. Assessments like EQ-i provide guidelines for ways to improve.

Presenter

Presentation Notes

You may have heard that we’re born with a huge amount of brain cells, and then we lose them steadily until we die. As I mentioned previously, we can improve our soft skills because we can improve our brain. There are several strategies to consider to improve. We must realize that it is OK to admit we need to improve. We should work on humility. We can start by observing others who have strong soft skills. Observe how we react to others. Do you rush to judgment before you know all of the facts? Do you stereotype? Look honestly at how you think and interact with other people. Try to put yourself in their shoes, and be more open and accepting of their perspectives and needs. Look at your work environment. Do you seek attention for your accomplishments? Humility can be a wonderful quality, and it doesn't mean that you're shy or lack self-confidence. When you practice humility, you say that you know what you did, and you can be quietly confident about it. Give others a chance to shine – put the focus on them, and don't worry too much about getting praise for yourself. Sometimes it may be helpful to take an emotional intelligence quiz or soft skills quiz. It may point out some of our areas in which we can improve. You can do a self-evaluation. What are your weaknesses? Are you willing to accept that you're not perfect and that you could work on some areas to make yourself a better person? Have the courage to look at yourself honestly – it can change your life. Examine how you react to stressful situations. Do you become upset every time there's a delay or something doesn't happen the way you want? Do you blame others or become angry at them, even when it's not their fault? The ability to stay calm and in control in difficult situations is highly valued – in the business world and outside it. Keep your emotions under control when things go wrong. It is important to take responsibility for your actions. If you hurt someone's feelings, apologize directly – don't ignore what you did or avoid the person. People are usually more willing to forgive and forget if you make an honest attempt to make things right. Examine how your actions will affect others – before you take those actions. If your decision will impact others, put yourself in their place. How will they feel if you do this? Would you want that experience? If you must take the action, how can you help others deal with the effects?

Overview


Thinking Critically

Having Vision

Communicate, Manage, Inspire

Develop EI

Having Integrity

Presenter

Presentation Notes

This is an overview of some of the things we will discuss here today. There are many areas within each of these topics that we will address as well. The discussion of soft skills is very popular right now. In 2008, I wrote my dissertation on emotional intelligence and it’s impact on performance. EI was gaining in popularity then and has become even more of a hot topic since that time. As we discuss what employers want from their future leaders, it may be important to consider what makes one leader more effective than another? I have attended many conferences and taught a lot of courses that deal with leadership. It used to be that we referred everything as management. Now there is much more differentiation between leaders and managers. While managers may have more tactical expertise, leaders must think more strategically. Part of being successful as a leader is to understand the importance of certain traits. As an instructor, it is my job to be sure that my students not only have the technical knowledge, but the behavior skills as well. This webinar will address some of the most important skills leaders can learn in higher education that can help them climb the ladder to success.

Leaders


People Skills

XX+Charisma

may or may not be Good

Genius may not equal high EQ

Presenter

Presentation Notes

There are examples of successful leaders who have not embraced what are traditionally thought of as great people skills. Steve Jobs is one example. He may have been successful, in spite of himself; however, what he lacked in humility, he made up for in self-esteem. That is not exactly a good tradeoff. People may have chosen to put up with Jobs because he was a creative genius, some may have shared his passion for changing the world, others may be drawn to drama or abuse, and many chose to leave. �I have taught a lot of classes where we have discussed the importance of personality traits in leaders. Sometimes we get into the importance of charisma. Think of charismatic that have used their power for good (enter) or bad (enter). These are the types of issues we discuss in courses so that students learn that something that may be perceived as good, is not always used for good.

Skills


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What Employers Really Want:Consider the difference between abilities and behavior.

Presenter

Presentation Notes

One of the things I frequently hear from employers is that people are hired for their abilities (or hard skills) and fired for their behavior (or soft skills). In other words, people have hard skills such as knowledge that employers require and appreciate. They can also train people to have those technical skills because they are set up to do that kind of training. What may be problematic is that many people who have hard skills or expertise, may not also have the behavior skills or “soft skills” to become effective leaders. To determine how important soft skills are, it may be important to research attributes associated with leadership. When performing a Google search for words associated most often with leaders, there is a wide variety of terms uncovered. Many of those traits or skills are the most valuable lessons that may be learned through higher education. Some of these skills include: • Thinking Critically: Interpreting, Analyzing, Inferring, Evaluating, Explaining, Self-Regulating • Having Vision: Goals, Foresight, Proactive to Change, Creativity, Timing • Having Integrity: Ethics, Diversity, Trust, Accountability • Developing Personality and EQ: Empathy, Interpersonal Skills, Humility • Improving Communication: Listening • Ability to Manage and Inspire People: Servant Leadership, Supporting, Empowering, Praising, Feedback, Developing Others, Compromising, Judging Character

Poll Question


You just found out that people were spreading a bad rumor about you at work; how would you respond?

1 = Find out who started it so that you can talk to them and be sure it does not happen again.

2 = Tell everyone it is not true; you need to clear your name.

3 = Don’t react at all; it will blow over eventually.4 = Talk to others about another co-worker’s rumor

so people will forget about yours.

Presenter

Presentation Notes

Let’s take another poll to see how well you would respond to a “soft skill required” situation. Answer is 3

Why Education


X%X%

Reality Check

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Presentation Notes

Why Education The reality is that most leaders are not Steve Jobs (enter) or Bill Gates (enter) and they may not change the world. However, they impact the success of their company and influence those who follow them. What may be important to look at leaders like Jobs is to find those things that he did well. As an educator, I have read a lot of case studies. I have taught a lot of leadership courses where students evaluate what others have done well and perhaps not-so-well. An important part of becoming a successful leader is to develop critical thinking skills. In other words, leaders must analyze and evaluate issues to determine an appropriate course of action. I have had a lot of students who offer their opinions about ways to improve their organizations, fix communication issues, or solve other problems at work. The problem I run into with many of these students is that they have some excellent ideas; however, many of them are not able to articulate and support how to implement a course of action to complete their goals. Students often state that they go back for a degree to advance their careers. However, I meet very few who really think about the types of things they need to learn to advance. Certainly leaders should know about accounting, finance, and other business-related topics. However, there is more to leadership than just knowing content. Leaders must develop their critical thinking and behavioral skills. There is a human-related aspect to leadership that often gets overlooked in training programs. I have taught teams within corporations to get along based on understand diversity and personality differences. The experience I have had in the real-world helped me when I transitioned to teaching graduate and doctoral students. Leadership requires more than simply content knowledge. Some of the skills that leadership courses focus on include personal development, implementing and inspiring a shared strategic vision, learning innovative problem-solving, forging alliances, thinking critically and creatively, understanding diversity and social responsibility, implementing change and innovation, developing sustainability, thinking quantitatively, sharing real-world experience, handling team dynamics, negotiating, managing information and technology, analyzing human behavior, and creating a high-performing workforce.

Born or Made?


X%X%

Debate:

According to the Center for Creative Leadership, more than half are made.

Leadership Quarterly found about a 24/76 split

University of Illinois found about a 30/70 split

Presenter

Presentation Notes

Born or Made There has been a lot of debate about whether leaders are born or made. While, I believe many people are born with innate skills that allow them to be successful leaders, I also believe to become a great leader, everyone can improve through education and experience. Some skills may not come naturally to even the best of leaders. We may not all recognize our abilities and shortcomings. We may not all listen as well as we could. We may not seek feedback as often as we should. A recent Forbes article stated, “one study from The Leadership Quarterly1 on heritability (that is, the innate skills you bring to the table) and human development (what you learn along the way) estimated that leadership is 24 percent genetic and 76 percent learned. Another study, this one out of the University of Illinois, puts the value of genetics vs. learned behavior at 30 percent/70 percent.” 1 Born to lead? A twin design and genetic association study of leadership role occupancy. The Leadership Quarterly, Volume 24, Issue 1, February 2013, Pages 45-60. http://www.forbes.com/sites/northwesternmutual/2015/03/23/are-leaders-born-or-made/#322f6bf47ddf If the majority of people learn to be good leaders, what are organizations doing to ensure that this occurs? Is it up to organizations to create leaders? Is it up to universities to do this? What seems important is that people who want to become leaders are open to the experience and willing to learn the necessary skills. What is tricky is that there is no one singular best way to become a leader. This is due to the fact that we all have unique skills and personality traits. It is very difficult to state whether a leader will be effective just because they have a charming personality or high IQ. Sometimes appearances are not everything. We must dig deeper to determine factors other than those that impact performance. This last graph is from the Center for Creative Leadership. 361 people who were at the top level of their organization CEOs and Presidents responded in 53 countries. Average age was 59 and 63% were male.

Required Skills


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A Work in ProgressThere will always be new information to analyze, new planning to consider, new relationships to build, and other activities to strengthen the skills leaders have learned and continue to develop.

Presenter

Presentation Notes

Required Skills Some organizations offer leadership training. Companies like Symantec had favorable results. Others have not been as favorable. Part of the problem stems from leaders not having a follow-up plan where they work on things they have recognized as needing development. Becoming an effective leader is an ever-changing and progressive experience. There will always be new information to analyze, new planning to consider, new relationships to build, and other activities to strengthen the skills leaders have learned and continue to develop. I think it may be important to ask potential leaders a question like, “what have you done to demonstrate that you are an effective leader?” Many of my students who aspire to become a great leader, have already demonstrated that they have the drive by enrolling in an advanced degree program. However, drive may not be enough. There are a variety of skills they acquire in their degree program. They might have an idea but they might not know how to determine if that idea will work. They might not have considered why it would not work. They might not have considered the data required or how to interpret that data. The ways to think critically may not naturally be taught on the job. They may also have more short-sighted thinking. They may not have developed foresight and the ability to be proactive to change.

Critical Thinking


X%X%

Interpreting

Analyzing

Inferring

Evaluating

Explaining

Self-Regulating

Presenter

Presentation Notes

If you ask people what it means to think critically, often you might get a deer in the headlights look. It sounds like something we should be able to answer easily; however, it may not easily roll off the tongue. Critical thinking occurs when there is analysis and evaluation of a situation to determine a judgement. (enter) It involves rational contemplation. It involves application of theory. It involves the ability to recognize the problem, understand why that problem is important, gather evidence to support potential solutions, test those solutions, and extrapolate whether that procedure can render accurate assessments of other similar situations. This requires the ability to interpret, analyze, infer, evaluate, explain, and self-regulate by removing personal bias. Critical thinking is important in all fields. In science, it helps analyze experimental results, in humanities, it may be important to put things into historical context, in communications, it may help create a better debate or persuasive writing piece, in business it is important detect trends or make ethical decisions. These are just a few examples. In many fields, critical thinking is important to help analyze another person’s point of view. This is a big part of emotional intelligence. Good critical thinkers have the ability to answer questions about how to prepare for the unpredictable, what are the chances of something occurring, which plan best fits the needs and goals, what kind of exit strategy should be considered, to name just a few.

Vision


X%X%

Goals

Foresight

Proactive to Change

Creativity

Timing

Presenter

Presentation Notes

How has your leader shared their mission and vision with you? By having vision and a mission statement, leaders set the bar for what they expect and what they dream of achieving. Top leaders must be able to set meaningful and attainable goals that motivate and inspire others. The ability to do that may not come naturally. Many management and leadership courses include goal-setting and case analysis to help future leaders visualize where they want to take the company and how to make effective goals. Part of having vision is to be proactive to change. If any of you have not read Stephen Covey’s book about the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, I recommend it. The first habit is to be proactive. Many courses in higher education deal with being proactive and having foresight. This is a critical skill that many corporate training programs may not include.

Integrity


X%X%

Case StudiesTo learn integrity, it may be important to examine where others lost their way.

Presenter

Presentation Notes

Another commonly taught topic in higher education includes ethics. It is very common to see case studies to prepare students to have integrity. Enron and other cases can provide insight as to where other leaders have failed in the past. I have taught courses where my students had to put themselves in Ken Lay’s shoes. For those of you not familiar, Ken Lay was the CEO of Enron. Real-world experiences are often shared in the class to bring case studies to life.

EI/EQ


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Emotional Intelligence (EI) is Measured as Emotional Quotient (EQ)According to Daniel Goleman, “if you can’t fine-tune your own actions – keeping yourself from blowing up or

falling to pieces, you’ll be poor at handling the people you deal with. Star leaders are stars at leading themselves,

first.”

Presenter

Presentation Notes

Emotional intelligence has become a popular topic thanks in part to the work of Daniel Goleman. EQ refers to a person’s emotional quotient; it is a measure of their emotional intelligence. Goleman’s work has focused on why EQ may matter more than IQ. As Goleman stated in an article in Forbes: It’s not “IQ versus emotional intelligence” – both have great value. IQ tells you what level of cognitive complexity a person can manage in their job: you need high levels for top management, the professions, the sciences, while lower levels work fine in lower echelons. Emotional intelligence (or EI) sets apart which leaders, professionals, or scientists will be the best leaders.” What is important to understand regarding EI, is that it may be improved and developed. In that same Forbes article Goleman noted, “three abilities that distinguish the best leaders from average: self-awareness, which both lets you know your strengths and limits, and strengthens your inner ethical radar; self-management, which lets you lead yourself effectively; and empathy, which lets you read other people accurately. You put all those together in every act of leadership.” Goleman clearly explained that it is important for us to know our own emotions. “And if you can’t fine-tune your own actions – keeping yourself from blowing up or falling to pieces, you’ll be poor at handling the people you deal with. Star leaders are stars at leading themselves, first.”

Communication


X%X%

Listening Skills

Presenter

Presentation Notes

It is hard to think of a course I have taught that has not incorporated some aspects of teaching the importance of communication. Part of effectively communicating is to listen. When I worked in sales, we were trained to listen to the objections our customers had to using our products. It was only after we listened that we could develop a solution for them. Leaders must also embrace listening to communicate effectively. Communication has changed dramatically. We now have virtual meetings, text messages, and an assortment of ways to communicate that present challenges. It is interesting to teach in an online classroom because due to the very format in which the courses are delivered, they must address the issue of communicating clearly. I have taught a lot of students who are older and have not been in class since the advent of online education. It may be challenging for them, at first, to get used to communicating in a virtual way. However, based on the way that the real world has changed, it is important for leaders to communicate effectively through different means. Not everything happens synchronously or, in other words, at the same time. Therefore, people may have more or sometimes less time to respond than when we used snail mail or live meetings. This webinar is an excellent example of how challenging it may be to know if you have kept people’s attention. There is no way for me to see you. I cannot assume that my subject matter is enough to keep your interest. In an online class or in a virtual meeting, there are ways to detect if messages are received properly. We use a lot of different techniques including asking questions to determine if critical thinking has taken place. Leaders can do similar things when they present virtually.

Poll Question


While you are speaking with someone in his office, he gets a phone call. He answers the phone and starts talking. What should you do?

1 = Try to make eye contact and motion or mouth to ask if you should stay or leave.

2 = Motion that you are leaving the room and leave. He needs to have privacy when he takes a call.

3 = Stay in your seat and act like you are doing your own business by looking at your paperwork.

4 = Stay in your seat and show that you’re paying attention.

Presenter

Presentation Notes

Let’s do one more quick poll question. Answer is three

Inspire


X%X%

Leaders Inspire Servant Leadership

Supporting

Empowering

Praising

Feedback

Developing Others

Compromising

Judging Character

Presenter

Presentation Notes

One of the biggest challenges leaders face is to inspire others or make them take “that leap”. I can remember taking a real estate class one where the instructor taught us about measuring square footage. It was probably the driest content I can think of learning. However, his enthusiasm was contagious. What goes into inspiring others? One thing I learned when I trained teams to get along based on having them take the MBTI personality assessment, was that everyone has their unique preferences for how they receive information. What works for one person may not work for another. Some people may need their leader to be a visionary. Others may be motivated by the enthusiast. Some may only become driven if they perceive their leader is an expert. I worked for one company where they thought understanding each person’s personality was so important that they had us put our personality profile results right on our cubicle. In that way, as people interacted, we were given a “heads up” as to the personality preferences of each individual. I think that a good leader is able to read people without the personality results actually posted on the wall. With experience, it becomes easier to recognize the person who prefers an expert, or the person who prefers an enthusiast. Not all leaders need to embrace the same style. What works for Oprah may not work for Warren Buffett. What may help both of those leaders could be evidence or feedback. Even the best leader can improve. Charisma may be important; however, not everyone who is successful necessarily has that. A good leader needs to look inside and understand his or her strengths to determine their own method of what works for them and tailor it to meet individuals’ needs as he or she interacts with them on a personal basis.

Poll Question


You have learned that eye contact is an important aspect of communication. How much eye contact should you have when you converse with someone in a professional environment?

1 = About half of the time.2 = About 60-70% of the time.3 = Every now and then. You don’t want to make the

other person uncomfortable. 4 = At all times. You want to make sure the other person

knows you are paying attention.

Presenter

Presentation Notes

Answer is two

Conclusion


X%X%

What Now?

Presenter

Presentation Notes

Now that we know what soft skills include, what can you do to improve them? There are multiple options. Many companies offer internal training catalogues. Schools like Ashford and others incorporate soft skills into their curriculum. There are even certificate programs that focus specifically on emotional intelligence or other aspects of soft skills. I recommend looking at the resource document that I have created for you to see some other sources that may be helpful. In conclusion, what I hoped to impart to you today was the importance of soft skills for leadership success. The reality is that many companies do not have the time nor resources to dedicate to proper training. Therefore, higher education is often one way that potential leaders can develop those skills. I hope that those of you who are considering going into leadership take some time to research some of the authors I mentioned here today. I especially think it is important to read books by Daniel Goleman. Emotional intelligence is such an important aspect of the type of soft skills that employers require in their leaders. I hope that you found this information helpful and I look forward to answering any questions.

Resources


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• Future of the Workplace Diane Hamilton Presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqG-jV2qMUk

• Portfolium for Dr. Diane Hamilton: https://portfolium.com/drdianehamilton

• Emotional Intelligence Real Estate Study: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6uCvDWFiIoucEVDdkpKUkQwazg/view

• Emotional Intelligence Travis Bradberry Presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeVSSWvkzdA

• Emotional Intelligence Andree Swanson Presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIPvCKzqFiM

• Leaders: Born or Made: http://insights.ccl.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/AreLeadersBornOrMade.pdf

• BrainCert Soft Skills Test: https://www.braincert.com/test/Soft-Skills-Test

• Stephen Covey’s Book 7 Habits of Highly Successful People: http://www.amazon.com/The-Habits-Highly-Effective-

People/dp/0743269519

• Daniel Goleman’s Book Emotional Intelligence Why it Can Matter More than IQ: http://www.amazon.com/Emotional-

Intelligence-Matter-More-Than/dp/055338371X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1461192883&sr=1-

1&keywords=Daniel+Goleman+why+EQ+matters+MOre+than+IQ

• Dr. Diane Hamilton and Toni Rothpletz’s book It’s Not You It’s Your Personality: http://www.amazon.com/Its-Not-You-Your-

Personality/dp/0982742835/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1461192935&sr=1-

1&keywords=It%27s+Not+You+It%27s+Your+Personality+Dr+Diane+Hamilton

• Travis Berry’s Book Emotional Intelligence 2.0: http://www.amazon.com/Emotional-Intelligence-2-0-Travis-

Bradberry/dp/0974320625/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1461192957&sr=1-1&keywords=travis+bradberry+-

+emotional+intelligence+2.0

• How to Improve Soft Skills at work: http://smallbusiness.chron.com/improve-soft-skills-work-25143.html

Presenter

Presentation Notes

This is a handout that maybe helpful to you. It includes some of the resources mentioned here today and a few additional ones that may help you develop your soft skills.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqG-jV2qMUk

https://portfolium.com/drdianehamilton

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6uCvDWFiIoucEVDdkpKUkQwazg/view

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeVSSWvkzdA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIPvCKzqFiM

http://insights.ccl.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/AreLeadersBornOrMade.pdf

https://www.braincert.com/test/Soft-Skills-Test

http://www.amazon.com/The-Habits-Highly-Effective-People/dp/0743269519

http://www.amazon.com/Emotional-Intelligence-Matter-More-Than/dp/055338371X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1461192883&sr=1-1&keywords=Daniel+Goleman+why+EQ+matters+MOre+than+IQ

http://www.amazon.com/Its-Not-You-Your-Personality/dp/0982742835/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1461192935&sr=1-1&keywords=It's+Not+You+It's+Your+Personality+Dr+Diane+Hamilton

http://www.amazon.com/Emotional-Intelligence-2-0-Travis-Bradberry/dp/0974320625/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1461192957&sr=1-1&keywords=travis+bradberry+-+emotional+intelligence+2.0

http://smallbusiness.chron.com/improve-soft-skills-work-25143.html

Thank you!

Presenter

Presentation Notes

Thank you for coming here today. As I mentioned I work at Ashford University’s Forbes School of Business. My job as MBA Program Chair and Assistant Professor includes providing courses that teach both hard and soft skills. One thing that makes the MBA at the Forbes School of Business so unique is we offer a lot of areas in which students may specialize. I think that having a lot of specializations within the program helps focus the student’s education based on their specific needs. We include a lot of content that develop technical or hard skills, while incorporating many of the soft skills we discussed here today.

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Thank You for Joining

© 2016 Bright Horizons Family Solutions, LLC24

Presenter

Presentation Notes

I’d like to take this time to answer any questions you may have.

Soft Skills: Why are They Important for Successful Leaders by Dr. Diane Hamilton

Business

Transcript of Soft Skills: Why are They Important for Successful Leaders by Dr. Diane Hamilton