In a recent Forbes article, “7 Leadership Skills Most Managers Lack,” the author asserts that not only has today’s workplace changed – so have the expectations and needs of employees.  Centralized, autocratic leadership doesn’t work anymore – people (and here is a shocker) “want to be included and respected at work.”  If this is a surprise to you, you are almost certainly lacking in at least one of the following 7 skills:

• Perspective-taking – the ability to understand or see an issue from another’s perspective or point of view
• Allowing – not being totally reactive when we get bad news – sometimes we need to allow a situation to unfold before we can take effective action.
• Intellectual Curiosity – asking questions to help us gain understanding and expand our knowledge – not shutting ideas or people down
• Critical Thinking – considering multiple aspects of issues and situations – “thinking beyond what we’ve been taught”
• Connecting the Dots – being able to see beyond a single problem or situation to problem-solve with the bigger picture in mind
• Humility – Recognizing that others have valuable input and ideas – not using title or position as a bludgeon to get things done.
• Coaching Skills – supporting employees to be the best they can be through involving them – asking for their input and ideas, listening to their answers, helping to stretch their thinking

Are you missing one or more of these important skills?   If so, relax – you are not alone!   This list is a good reminder that often those “softer” or less quantifiable skills may not get the respect or attention they deserve.  They are critical – although, perhaps sometimes harder to find! Which skills are you going to work on this summer?