Episode #511: Human Skills Needed For Leaders

 
As a new leader taking over an established group, I've come to see how critical it is to comprehend individual motivations in the context of team dynamics. I recently came onto a video by Ms. Shade Zahral that introduces the confluence of humanness and courage into four quadrants as a tool to study the human aspect of work. "People Pleasers" are shown in this model as being in the bottom right quadrant; they are people with a great degree of humanity but less bravery. Their emphasis on feelings rather than outcomes causes them to struggle to push for greater accomplishments, seek acceptance, and shun criticism. "Agitators" are on the upper left; they are brave yet unhumane. These risk-takers put their own achievement ahead of team dynamics, which impedes their advancement to senior leadership positions.

The people that are "Apathetic and Toxic" who have low levels of bravery and humanity are located in the bottom left quadrant. These people are adept at navigating organisational politics and taking advantage of flaws in order to further their own agendas. Fortunately, "Partners"—high in both bravery and humanity—are located in the upper right quadrant. These people foster trust, provide fair criticism, and have the capacity to bring people together and move organisations ahead. As I thought about this approach, I reflected on Tarek Chehidi's observations in the Financial Times, which highlighted how crucial it is for people to have human-centric abilities in the age of digitalisation and artificial intelligence. These abilities include creativity, problem-solving, critical thinking, cognitive agility, and empathy. As standardised testing and information transmission are the main goals of traditional education systems, Chehidi emphasises the importance of giving these abilities top priority.