5 soft skills that set exceptional leaders apart

At this year’s Web Summit in Lisbon, Hayden Brown, president and CEO of Upwork, was asked which leadership skills are most in demand today. Her answer was immediate: The demand for soft skills is rising. As AI algorithms increasingly take over routine tasks, the qualities that can’t be automated—communication clarity, the ability to work effectively with people, and conflict-resolution skills—are becoming essential for career growth.

This trend extends far beyond the tech sector. According to LinkedIn’s Work Change Report, 70% of skills used across most professions will change by 2030; AI will be the main catalyst. Against this backdrop, I’ve become convinced that soft skills have no “expiration date.” They are what determine whether a leader can keep their team productive even during periods of radical change or crisis.

I’ve identified five soft skills that draw a clear line between an average leader and an exceptional one—someone truly capable of leading through transformation.

1. EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

Imagine that one of your team member’s productivity drops threefold: They used to complete at least 15 tasks weekly, but now barely finish five. When evaluating the situation only through metrics, the leader might say: “I see you’re working slower. Can you fix this?” The answer will be predictable: “Yes, I’ll try harder.” And nothing will change.

I’ve noticed that how a leader makes an employee feel during a difficult moment directly affects their engagement, trust, and performance. If instead of assigning blame the leader asks, “How are you feeling?” it reveals the real reason behind the performance decline. Often it is personal circumstances, stress, or overload.

A leader with strong emotional intelligence can notice even subtle signs of worsening psychological well-being within the team and use empathy to understand what is actually happening. By identifying the root causes, they can find solutions that truly improve performance.

2. CONFLICT MANAGEMENT

According to the Workplace Peace Institute, American employees spend two hours weekly resolving disputes. I’m convinced that many conflicts can be avoided if we learn to recognize them early.

But when tension does escalate into an open confrontation, the leader must turn that conflict into a productive conversation. They should help both sides structure their thoughts, guide them toward a compromise, and clearly explain the reasoning behind their decisions.

This is what effective conflict management looks like—channeling that energy into finding the best possible solution. To do this, a leader must separate people from the problem and avoid mixing emotions with arguments.

3. COMMUNICATION CLARITY

Grammarly research shows that 64% of business leaders link higher team productivity directly to effective communication. In my view, clarity is the soft skill with the strongest impact on outcomes. When a leader fails to articulate goals, expectations, or the task context—such as constraints or why the business needs this decision right now—the team operates blindly. They complete the task based on their own interpretation rather than the original intent; that gap costs time, quality, and effort.

When people don’t understand the outcome expected of them, they fill in the blanks with assumptions rarely aligning with reality. This affects the final result, but also team dynamics. Conflicts emerge, with a shared feeling that “no one listens to us.”

Once I witnessed a situation where, due to urgency, a manager assigned a task to a developer who was less busy but had less experience. The more experienced colleague reacted indignantly: “Why wasn’t this ticket assigned to me? Is something wrong with my work?” The problem was that the manager hadn’t explained the criteria for choosing the assignee; the lack of clarity left room for incorrect assumptions.

It’s important to communicate not just what we’re doing, but also why we’re doing it that particular way. Whether it’s task assignment, delegation, or shifting priorities, it’s worth giving the team the full picture.

4. COACHING MINDSET

According to an analysis of 34 million U.S. managerial job postings, since 2007 employers have been three times more likely to look for leaders with skills in collaboration, coaching, and influence. At the same time, job postings have decreased wording usage for traditional leadership.

Today, valued leaders not only manage processes but also create conditions for their team’s growth. And in this context, the coaching mindset takes center stage. A leader who possesses it can pose questions to people that stimulate them to seek their own solutions, rather than relying on directives.

A coaching mindset fosters autonomy and strengthens people’s confidence in their abilities, ultimately enhancing the entire team. Leaders should not deprive their teams of the opportunity to arrive at solutions on their own.

5. RESILIENCE

The modern world is full of uncertainty; leaders need to adapt to unforeseen changes, and also support others during challenging times. This is easier to do if they possess resilience and can stay calm under pressure, manage their own emotions, and recover quickly.

I lead a team of 90 people, mostly Ukrainians. When Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, my team—which suddenly found itself in danger—was disoriented and scared. As a leader, I could not give in to panic, because I was responsible for my people. They came to me with many questions, and my actions, advice, and support helped the team get through those difficult times.

The good news is that resilience is not an innate trait, but it can be developed. A leader becomes more resilient by learning to pause, consciously choose their response to a situation, and avoid reacting to immediate triggers.

Teams that see a leader’s resilience in challenging situations show six times higher engagement and innovation. This is no coincidence: People work more boldly and productively when they have an example of someone who doesn’t give in to anxiety and provides a sense of stability and security. Our team is proof of this.

Illia Smoliienko is the chief software officer for Waites.

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