Why Soft Skills Matter More Than You Think

Throughout my career, I’ve learned a ton of lessons—some the hard way. But perhaps none has been more transformational than this: soft skills matter far more than hard skills when it comes to long-term success.

Like many, I entered the workforce thinking my technical prowess was my golden ticket. After all, I was a solid student, top of the class, mastering every technical challenge thrown my way. I figured that would be enough. Boy, was I wrong.

Let’s take a quick step back and clarify the difference:

Hard Skills are your technical know-how.
An accountant crunching balance sheets.
An engineer designing with CAD software.
A graphic artist working in Photoshop.
These are the skills you learn in school or certification programs, and they’re absolutely necessary to get your foot in the door. But they won’t necessarily help you climb higher.

Soft Skills are your people skills.
The ability to communicate clearly.
Collaborate well with a team.
Empathize with colleagues.
Own your mistakes with humility.
Stand up for what’s right, even when it’s tough.

Here’s Rule #18 I live by:
Your soft skills will dictate your effectiveness as a leader.

I’ve seen it time and again—whether in meetings discussing promotions, performance reviews, or tough decisions about staff changes—it’s never the person with the sharpest technical skills who shines the brightest. It’s the person who listens, understands, connects, and influences.

The legendary Robert Katz, in his 1974 Harvard Business Review article “Skills of an Effective Administrator,” put it perfectly. He pointed out that true workplace success comes from a blend of technical, conceptual, and interpersonal skills—with the latter two being the real game-changers for leadership.

And let’s not forget one of the all-time classics: Dale Carnegie’s “How to Win Friends and Influence People.”
This book is pure gold—a compendium of timeless principles based on real human interactions. If you want to master soft skills, start there. Carnegie doesn’t just tell you what works; he shows you through stories, examples, and rules you can apply immediately.

Full disclosure: One of the hardest soft skills for me to master was knowing when to simply shut up. Sometimes, silence speaks louder than words. It’s a tricky balance, but one worth learning.

Action Item #18:
Grab a copy of Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People.
Read it. Live it.
Or at the very least, check out a one-page summary here and start applying the wisdom.

Remember—hard skills will get you through the door, but soft skills will determine how far you go.