Author Karl Albrecht writes, “There is an ancient and immutable truth: The ability to sell, explain, persuade, organize, motivate, and lead others still holds first place. Making things happen still requires the ability to make people like you, respect you, listen to you, and want to connect to you. And by connect, I mean connect personally, not digitally. The human connection will always, always, always outrank the digital connection as a get-ahead skill.”
So true! And yet I see lots of “leaders” who don’t get it. I see these so-called “leaders” trying to lead people with zero people skills. They’ll even e-mail a coworker who is seated just 25 feet away rather than go and talk to the person face to face.
Perhaps they think they don’t need those people skills. That’s what one of my clients found out. Joe Herman, the Vice President of Marketing at a large computer company, sent out a notice saying he would give out 1500 free copies of Dale Carnegie’s book on How To Win Friends and Influence People. The only requirement was that the leaders who got a copy would agree to read it. Only 50 people grabbed onto his offer.
If that’s the priority some leaders give to the development of their people skills, it’s no wonder they have so much trouble. What are you doing this year … this month … this week … and this day to improve your people skills?