I am constantly struck by how often people in organisations ranging from NGO’s to mines still refer to leadership work as the “soft skills.” It’s a term that has become increasingly frustrating to me because it continues to reinforce the perception that human skills (and hence needs) are secondary; a nice to have, rather than essential for organisational success.

In my work as an Industrial Psychologist, I often hear things like: “I didn’t get the report on time from John. I think he’s still upset about the feedback from last week.”

“It’s the maintenance department again; they just don’t get how much we depend on their information.”

“Why should I make the effort to explain this again? They should already know what’s expected.”

These everyday frustrations highlight a deeper truth. You can have the best systems, processes, and technology, but it’s human skills that make them work. Without them, operations can grind to a halt, and if we look at what’s happening in the world today, it’s clear that our collective success, or failure, comes down to the presence or absence of these human skills.

What We Have Is Good Enough

Despite overwhelming research showing the impact of human skills, the “soft skills” label persists. In many organisations, especially smaller, family-run, or fast-growing ones, people development often takes a back seat. Leadership behaviour is passed down over generations.  If the culture is one of fear and control, you often find leaders replicating the same behaviour to get things done, with little room for change, learning and improvement.

I’ve met too many leaders in such contexts who admit that leading and managing people is the hardest part of their role. Yet, organisations rarely equip them for it. Leadership requires a completely different skill set; one that must be built intentionally, just like technical expertise. Developing these human capabilities means investing in skills like: Creating a compelling vision; communicating effectively; delegating and giving regular feedback; leading with emotional intelligence and empathy; building trust and psychological safety and modelling learning and adaptability.

Why Human Skills Feel Hard to Measure

Developing people and nurturing trust, connection and belonging takes time and holistic measurement. True success shows up not only in business results or observed behaviours, but also in the stories people tell, the quality of feedback, the way recognition happens, and how difficult conversations are handled.

Measuring the impact of these outputs requires assessment  at multiple levels: organisational, team and individual. A strong evaluation process ties human skill development to tangible outcomes, but this only happens when people development is treated as a sustained journey, not a once-off event.

The Leadership Perception Problem

Another barrier to people development lies in the common misconception  that leaders should have all the answers. This mindset blocks learning, collaboration and vulnerability; the very qualities that drive growth. Of course no one has all the answers. Effective leadership means letting go of ego and creating the conditions for shared learning, shared problem solving and co-creation. Learning these  skills means starting with self and being open to reflecting on one strengths and areas of growth.

Those who do engage in self-reflection may fear the journey of unlearning old habits and developing new behaviours. When I come across leaders who dismiss leadership development as “soft” I  wonder if this resistance stems from a deeper discomfort; a reluctance to confront their own vulnerabilities and the implications that self-awareness might hold for their leadership.

Knowing What It Really Takes

Many leaders share how they would like to build trust or team collaboration, but few understand what it actually takes to build them. Leaders not only need to learn the skills, but they require spaces to consistently practice these skills and receive regular feedback on how they are doing (as you would with any technical skill).  

In one client project, for instance, leadership teams wanted to strengthen coaching skills. Together, we mapped out how to build this capability as well as where these skills could currently be practised daily; during toolbox talks, morning meetings, site visits and built in measurement tools like 360° feedback processes and behavioural competencies within their performance management system. That’s how learning becomes lived, not theoretical.

Change the Narrative: The Real “Glue” of Organisations

If we fail to see human skills as the enablers, the glue that holds systems together, we’ll continue to blame “people issues” and inefficiencies rather than unlocking potential. The power lies in developing the human capabilities that already exist within teams and giving people the environment to use them fully.

There is absolutely nothing soft about that. It requires humility, discipline, and sustained effort. But those who commit to building these skills know this truth: organisations only thrive when their people do. Let’s start by changing the way we talk about these essential human skills and, especially as leaders of organisations and people development practitioners, lead the narrative that people are central to business success and thriving cultures.

Taegan Devar is an industrial psychologist and the founder and Managing Director of people and organisational development firm Fineline Consulting.