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Please, people of the world, stop using the term “soft” skills! They are, in fact, leadership skills – crucial to any venture or job. Leadership skills should be at the core of any school curriculum. Instead, they are relegated to after-school programs and occasional training sessions. So, consider this the beginning of my new campaign. Let’s substitute “soft vs. hard skills” with “leadership vs. tactical skills”! Will you join me?

What are “Soft” Skills, Anyway?

Soft skills are interpersonal skills such as the ability to communicate well with other people and to work in a team.

The Collins English Dictionary

Guess who came up with this misguided term? The US Army coined it in the 1960s. According to Indeed, it is now used to describe, such attributes as:

Effective communication skills
Teamwork
Dependability
Adaptability
Conflict resolution
Flexibility
Leadership
Problem-solving
Research
Creativity
Work ethic
Integrity

Conversely, “hard skills” describes technical things learned to do specific tasks, like marketing, data analysis, etc. You can see why I call these “tactical” skills.

Why “Soft Skills”?

So, why did the Army name them “soft” skills instead of leadership skills? Why is the world still using the term 50 years later?

The fixist idea that “soft skills” are innate traits seems to be at play. People assume that these things cannot be learned. I heartily disagree. Anyone can, and should, learn leadership skills.

I think “soft skills” also has some sexist undertones. Research suggests women show greater mastery than men in competencies usually associated with “soft skills”. In fact, some academics say that these abilities have been historically linked with female gender stereotypes.

Through a discourse analysis of the history of human resources and Fitz-enz’s work, I have argued that skillsets are entrenched in biological assumptions. Men were assumed to have ‘‘hard’’ skills, the skills that are
more economically valuable, while women lean toward
‘‘soft’’ skills, those are thought to be innate within their
biology.

Renyi Hong, Assistant Professor at the National University of Singapore

It’s Time to Retire this Term

Whether due to implicit bias or inaccuracy, we need to let “soft skills” go. Everyone needs to learn and practice leadership skills. We should all strive to be awesome communicators who can collaborate with others.

Grow Your Leadership and Tactical Skills

Want to be a great social leader or excel at your job? Focus on both your leadership and tactical skills. And, please, spread the news: they are neither soft nor hard. They are essential.

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