Great leaders inspire and motivate, not just dictate. Leadership is about encouraging a motivated and productive team environment, managing difficult situations and inspiring others to achieve their best. While topical expertise plays an important role, the real magic lies in a leader’s ability to connect with people — a skill set often referred to as “soft skills” (which include communication, empathy and conflict resolution).
The Arkansas State University (A-State) online Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Organizational Leadership program puts a strong emphasis on developing these soft skills through courses like Intercultural Communication, Organizational Communication, and Conflict Resolution.
- Intercultural Communication focuses on interacting with individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds. This course provides students with the ability to reduce misunderstandings and boost teamwork. It also helps leaders build trust with their team.
- Organizational Communication explores how communication flows and functions within organizations, focusing on different theories. Strong organizational communication skills help prevent the kind of miscommunication that lead to project delays and decreased morale.
- Conflict Resolution investigates how conflict arises in communication and how it plays out in different settings like one-on-one interactions, small groups, families and even entire organizations. This can teach students how to turn potential disruptions into opportunities for growth and an improved work environment.
Why Soft Skills Matter
According to Indeed, soft skills are important because they allow leaders to build strong relationships, encourage a positive work environment and effectively manage teams. Communication, organization and decision-making are essential for productive and successful employees. Effective leaders who use these skills effectively motivate and energize their teams by actively listening to their ideas and incorporating them into effective strategies. Some critical soft skills that good managers need include:
- Emotional intelligence. Leaders should understand and manage their own emotions while also recognizing and influencing the emotions of others. This skill is important for creating an empathetic and supportive leadership style that inspires and motivates.
- This is another key soft skill since it enables leaders to remain flexible and resilient in the face of change. Leaders who can pivot and adjust their strategies are more likely to succeed.
- Active listening. Active listening goes beyond simply catching someone’s words. It requires focused attention, grasping the meaning, providing feedback and holding onto the information. It also requires engagement, feedback and empathy, which encourage open communication where team members feel valued and understood.
The Center for Creative Leadership (CCL) also emphasizes the importance of soft skill development for individual contributors, not just those in formal leadership positions. According to CCL, all employees should develop soft skills like effective communication, teamwork and problem-solving since these skills contribute to a more collaborative and productive work environment. CCL recommends continuous development of these abilities through training programs, coaching and real-world practice.
Luckily, professionals who want to succeed can learn and practice soft skills. Some ways people can develop their soft skills are by seeking feedback, embracing new challenges outside their comfort zone, observing effective leaders and investing in training. Another avenue for developing them is through an advanced degree program, like that at A-State.
Turning Challenges Into Opportunities
A-State’s online B.A. in Organizational Leadership program integrates soft skill development into its curriculum. By focusing on courses that build interpersonal and communication skills, the program prepares students to succeed in leadership roles. The emphasis on practical application makes sure that graduates are theoretically knowledgeable but also capable of using their soft skills in real-life situations. By concentrating on intercultural communication, organizational communication and conflict resolution, the program ensures that graduates are well prepared to lead today’s workforce.
Learn more about Arkansas State University’s online Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Leadership program.