2025 Leadership Skills That Count
In conversations about what it takes to be a good, effective leader, many of my coaching clients tell me that conversations with their colleagues and subordinates take on the feeling of therapy, rather than solving issues.
Their people are scared; annoyed; lost; searching for answers; filled with stress and anxiety and not sure of their next steps.
And do they even want to be leaders, effective or not, in this chaotic world? The money sounds good. The prestige is attractive. The lack of real guidance or structure/strategy from their bosses is just not inspiring.
In the years that I have been coaching, I do interviews with the employees of the organizations that I will be coaching or training. I ask, what is missing from the effectiveness and efficiency of their organization.
The two top answers are: Communication needs to improve A LOT and Leadership is failing.
You would think that the millions of resources listed on Google for Leadership and Communication, that most of us would have gotten the message that these two skills are not very well developed.
It is surprising to me and maybe even appalling, that we continue to miss the simplicity of leading well and communicating fully.
In the bibliography I supply for my coaching clients as key books for them to refer to always, are years and years old.
“The Effective Executive” by Peter Drucker (1967) is so old people dismiss it as not viable and it still has all the male pronouns.
Marshall Goldsmith’s book “What Got You Here Won’t Get You There” (2007) is 18 years old.
“How Women Rise” by Sally Helgesen and Marshall Goldsmith was published in 2018.
These books are the bibles of leadership and communication. Simple. Easy to read. Classic and absolute guides to how to lead and communicate.
(my goodness Natalie, there have to be more recent books that are exceptional…yup there are…but start with these 4 – see below -, keep them on your desk or bedside table, order them in print and audible also)
You can challenge me all day long with other resources, but read these, use these, and then we can discuss what might be missing.
Leadership and Communication training and learning is evergreen. It never goes out of style. ALL team leaders, managers, sales leaders, pastors, community people, political candidates need to learn the sacred rules for the effective, efficient, trusted and respected leader/communicator.
The resources that I researched for skills needed in 2025 are the same as always needed. Whether you are an AI startup or a small business owner. You better practice the following and learn them well – which means using these skills:
- Being present and listening
- Relational vs just transactional business
- Mindful and knowledgeable about your customer and their needs and wants
- Ability to think clearly and develop a strategy
- Caring about the chaos and how it is affecting your people; business; market and themselves
- Technology skills that serve and work, not just reels and talk
- Understanding themselves and taking care to know what is important to themselves
- Body mindfulness and nutrition
- Rest, fun and laughter
- Real relationships other than their technology and phone
- Curious about nature and how it works (OK, that is a favorite of mine)
I’ve been so lucky to work with some of the best leaders/communicators over these many years from baby tiny new leaders, to older, smooth and experienced people who treasure wisdom and their grandkids.
Let me know how the reading goes. Would love to have a conversation after you have taken the time and given you some amazingly insightful reading, and see how it changes and inspires you.
One of my most treasured mentors for the last many years, is Louise Hay’s “You Can Heal Your Life” 1984. She has taught millions and inspired so many lives. She is a huge hero in my mind and started her business in earnest at age 54. Her insightfulness is rare and profound. She asks: “Your longest and most intimate relationship is with you…how is that going?”
Don’t ever forget you. You are not only remarkable, but a stunning example of perseverance. Do take care of you.
To your amazingly wonderful remarkable success,
P.S. Thank you for being here and reading what I have written just for you. I do care. Get those books, read them, mark up the pages, steal their wonderful brilliance and use it for you. This life was NOT meant to be hard…we just make it so. Let me know if you would like to talk. I would love that. Be safe.
