An encouraging sign from M.B.A. programs as reported by CareerJournal.com - M.B.A. Programs Hone ‘Soft Skills’. From the article:

The schools are responding to employers’ growing interest in soft skills. Executive suites are increasingly composed of managers running far-flung operations who must attract and retain knowledgeable workers. That puts a premium on skills such as communicating and brokering compromises, says Warren Bennis, a professor at the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business and author of a best-selling book on leadership.

“It isn’t just nice — these interpersonal skills,” Mr. Bennis says. “It’s about stuff that’s necessary to lead a complex organization.”

We’ve been observing this shift first hand over the past 5-6 years (I suspect the shift has been going on longer than that time frame). We work with many Presidents and CEO’s and have found a distinct shift towards people-oriented leaders.

The previous stereotypical leadership mantra was a hard-charging, task-oriented driver who led the company through dictate (a bit of hyperbole, but you get the point). Nowadays, we have seen a dramatic shift towards team-building, people-oriented steadiness amongst leaders. These leaders have a long-term outlook and affect change through their teams.

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Posted By Derrick Moe | Communication, Team Management, Trends | |