DEMONSTRATE INTERPERSONAL SKILLS
WHY IT MATTERS
Of the many skills a leader must have if they are to succeed, one of the most important might be working effectively with other people. Working well with people is more than an inescapable part of a leader’s job. Working well with people, be it their subordinates, peers, or other leaders, is a leader’s job. Leaders that can successfully interact with others have the greatest opportunity to gain their sincere followership and guide them to achieve outstanding results. Leaders who don’t know how to interact well with other people, or who have poor interpersonal skills, will never win the power to direct those who surround them for good. People will always hesitate to respond to a leader they don’t feel connected to.
WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE
Leaders that demonstrate strong interpersonal skills effectively interact with people from every walk of life and at every level of the organization. They connect equally well with people of different cultures and backgrounds. They accept people for who they are, and strive to treat people as they would like to be treated. They make other people feel comfortable being around them.
Leaders that demonstrate interpersonal skills know how to create strong and lasting relationships of trust. They do so out of a sincere desire to successfully work with other people, not out of a selfish desire to singularly advance their own cause. Because they are authentic, other people are drawn to them.
Leaders that have strong interpersonal skills excel at listening. They know the surest path to good communication is the pathway of listening. They seek to understand others before seeking to be understood. They use their body language as well as their words to show people they care about what they have to say.
Leaders that demonstrate interpersonal skills are masters of messaging. They frame their messages in ways that everyone can understand. They customize the delivery of their messages to each audience. They adjust their tone, approach, dialogue, and presentation to accommodate the real needs of their audience. They tell the truth, but are careful to not give unnecessary offence.
Leaders that have good interpersonal skills work well under people pressure. They have the ability to diffuse intense moments and emotions. They can resolve conflict, find common ground, build bridges, and do so in ways that show people respect.
Leaders that demonstrate interpersonal skills have strong emotional intelligence, or the ability to read other people’s feelings at any given moment, and react in the right way.
Leaders that demonstrate strong interpersonal skills aren’t afraid to let others know they are just a normal person, the same as everyone else. They aren’t afraid to let people get close to them. They gain loyalty because people know them as a person and not as just their boss.
BELIEFS
BEST PRACTICES
SELF-REFLECTION
WORDS OF CAUTION
Of the many skills a leader must have if they are to succeed, one of the most important might be working effectively with other people. Working well with people is more than an inescapable part of a leader’s job. Working well with people, be it their subordinates, peers, or other leaders, is a leader’s job. Leaders that can successfully interact with others have the greatest opportunity to gain their sincere followership and guide them to achieve outstanding results. Leaders who don’t know how to interact well with other people, or who have poor interpersonal skills, will never win the power to direct those who surround them for good. People will always hesitate to respond to a leader they don’t feel connected to.
WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE
Leaders that demonstrate strong interpersonal skills effectively interact with people from every walk of life and at every level of the organization. They connect equally well with people of different cultures and backgrounds. They accept people for who they are, and strive to treat people as they would like to be treated. They make other people feel comfortable being around them.
Leaders that demonstrate interpersonal skills know how to create strong and lasting relationships of trust. They do so out of a sincere desire to successfully work with other people, not out of a selfish desire to singularly advance their own cause. Because they are authentic, other people are drawn to them.
Leaders that have strong interpersonal skills excel at listening. They know the surest path to good communication is the pathway of listening. They seek to understand others before seeking to be understood. They use their body language as well as their words to show people they care about what they have to say.
Leaders that demonstrate interpersonal skills are masters of messaging. They frame their messages in ways that everyone can understand. They customize the delivery of their messages to each audience. They adjust their tone, approach, dialogue, and presentation to accommodate the real needs of their audience. They tell the truth, but are careful to not give unnecessary offence.
Leaders that have good interpersonal skills work well under people pressure. They have the ability to diffuse intense moments and emotions. They can resolve conflict, find common ground, build bridges, and do so in ways that show people respect.
Leaders that demonstrate interpersonal skills have strong emotional intelligence, or the ability to read other people’s feelings at any given moment, and react in the right way.
Leaders that demonstrate strong interpersonal skills aren’t afraid to let others know they are just a normal person, the same as everyone else. They aren’t afraid to let people get close to them. They gain loyalty because people know them as a person and not as just their boss.
BELIEFS
- To achieve the best in business and in life you have to have healthy relationships with other people.
- If you can’t effectively interact with other people you won’t have a lot of people-leading to do.
- Work happens through people and by people. In leadership, you can’t separate work from people no matter how hard you try.
- The ability to effectively work and interact with other people may be the single most important skill for a leader to master.
- People want to work with people who they enjoy, want to work with, are easy to work with, and trust.
- The world of work is a people world first. Professional skills are good. People skills matter just as much.
- People can fake follow, but if you want people to really follow you develop great interpersonal skills.
- To grow as a leader, you have to be able to listen to, converse with, resolve differences with, and work with others.
BEST PRACTICES
- Create positive working relationships with others.
- Treat all people with courtesy and kindness.
- Resolve conflict with others quickly.
- Sense and respond to other’s feelings.
- Mend relationships that become strained.
- Seek first to understand before being understood.
- Show respect for people of all backgrounds.
- Be tactful in approaching difficult situations.
- Do not judge other people too quickly.
- Be fast to forgive people and give second chances.
- Take the initiative to get to know people.
- Be open and honest in all you say and do.
- Balance doing work with building relationships.
- Relate to each person at an individual level.
- See people as people and treat them that way.
- Be compassionate and empathetic of others.
- Resolve confrontations and disagreements fairly.
- Strive to create and form trusting relationships.
- Adjust your approach to individual needs.
- Never act in anger or show angst to others.
- Invest time in getting to really know people.
- Be easy to approach and not intimidating.
SELF-REFLECTION
- Do I interact with people in ways that draw them to me, or do I interact with people in ways that push them away?
- Do I listen to what people are saying, or do I focus on whether or not they are listening to me?
- Do I frame my messages so they can be easily understood, or do I fail to communicate with clarity?
- Do I customize the delivery of my message based on my audience, or do I approach everyone the same way?
- Do I resolve conflicts with other people, or do I find it hard to make peace with them?
- Do I notice how people are feeling and acting, or do I fall short in perceiving their non-verbal ques?
- Do I make it easy and enjoyable for people to be around me, or do I cause people unnecessary anxiety?
- Do I form new relationships easily, or do I feel starting new relationships is a difficult thing to do?
WORDS OF CAUTION
- Don’t become known as the “smooth talker” who is willing to say anything to anyone as long as it works to your benefit.
- Don’t feel you need to have a perfect relationship with everyone, as relationships will naturally differ from one person to another.
- Don’t become so self-conscious about how you interact with people you start overthinking what you say and do.
- Meeting new people energizes me.
- I always strike up a conversation with the people sitting next to me on airplanes.
- I have many close friends.
- I have many friends at my workplace.
- I always ask my friends if they need help when I think something is wrong.
- My friends trust me with their secrets.