Most often, leadership is not just about effective management but is a culmination of your personality traits, including your interpersonal skills. Perhaps, one of the most significant aspects of being a good leader is the ability to connect with your colleagues.
Recent studies indicate that 87% of graduates showed confidence in their adequacy to succeed. But only half of the participants were given the green light based on their competence and interpersonal skills.
Your people skills also transcend beyond the work environment. It is intrinsic characteristics that separate you from others and something that cannot just be honed with training. For most people, understanding their innate abilities allow them to sharpen their interpersonal skills while others need continuous reinforcements to make their newly acquired management traits permanent.
Your interpersonal skills are important
Strong interpersonal skills can have a tremendous effect on your job application. Most interviewers look for persons who can do well with a team and provide his contribution to the growth of the company.
This inherent characteristic is also a determiner for success as it helps you understand your co-workers and modify your approach as needed. A good example can be providing an output for a specific team while juggling collaborative efforts with other groups. Such agility gives you flexibility while maintaining your ground as a productive member of your organization.
Your interpersonal skills also spell out a promotion in a clear and significant manner. It gives you an edge over your peers and provides you with the know-how on effective team management, which can be modified based on company values.
Excellent interpersonal skills can be a differentiator allowing you to advance your career and get ahead of your peers. It is an inherent characteristic that provides you with ability, easing the complexities of the workplace environment.
Can you hone your interpersonal skills?
Interpersonal skills go beyond effective management. It is a fundamental quality of a good leader and something he passes on to his subordinates. It can be felt with the team’s productivity and how each member devotes his time to learning from his leader.
So, in a sense, interpersonal skills are one of the founding elements of success. It drives productivity and keeps your whole team in-line with company goals and policies. Aside from that, your people skills also become the company’s gauge of your leadership.
Your interpersonal skills is an inherent trait, but it can be learned and honed to perfection. For example, your listening skills might not be as sharp when you start your managing career, but continuously communicating with your team members and listening to their concerns encourage growth.
So, your interpersonal skills might not be a given talent, but it can be acquired with practice and determination.
Interpersonal skills to uphold in a workplace setting
Great leaders are not only able to communicate with a clear message, but they also instill values that make the workplace more productive. Some of the valuable interpersonal skills you can hone in your work environment includes:
- Instilling confidence
- Empathy
- Listening skills
- Communication skills
- Teamwork
There are various other people skills that boost leadership, address organizational inefficiencies, and provide your company with better chances of surviving competition. As such, the interpersonal skills of a management team speaks more than their capacity but provides clarity on where team members are heading.