Entrepreneurs require both hard and soft skills to thrive in business. Hard skills are the tangible technical skills you need to do a task, these may include using the computer, keeping accounts, writing code, selling clothes, labelling products, filing, administration, and more.
Soft skills, on the other hand, are the non-technical skills and personal/professional attitudes that help you in all aspects of life, or what we might also call ‘people skills’. They are skills such as communication, listening, flexibility, attitude, resilience, punctuality, positivity, and so forth. However, most times emphasis is placed on hard skills, and this is not meant to be so. A person with soft skills gives the right attitude and has an edge over the people with technical skillset or job profile.
These are the 5 top soft skills every female entrepreneur needs, and the top soft skills for everyone on their business team:
1. Leadership
A good leader sets the vision, mission and plan for the future. The ability to know the vision and explain it to others is the skill of a leader. An entrepreneur needs to see the pathway ahead and convince others of my vision, business culture and values. As Simon Sinek describes it, the need to ‘know my why’. An entrepreneur with leadership skills will be able to articulate the vision and motivate others to join the cause.
2. Problem solving and Critical thinking
Entrepreneurs need to be able to find creative ways to resolve problems. Compromising and resolving problems without examining the consequences often works out badly. This is why entrepreneurs need to problem solvers and critical thinkers. The challenge in business is to be creative and flexible while maintaining the longer-term goals and find real ways to serve clients in the short-term. To build a sustainable business that provides quality service to customers, every entrepreneur will need creative problem-solving skills.
3. Communication and networking
Communication is the lifeblood of relationships. You must have also heard that your network is your net worth. An entrepreneur should be able to network, persuade, convince, care, and truly listen to others if they want people to trust them enough to do business with them.
4. Emotional intelligence
Infusing emotional intelligence during conversation is another required soft skill. Persistence, flexibility and resilience are soft skills that demonstrate the right mental attitude. While we have to know our direction and stick to our path (resilience), we also have to be wise enough to detour around the obstacle and adapt to the changes in the market or needs of our clients (flexibility). Our personal and professional attitudes matter because if we aren’t committed to our big, bold business dream we will give up as soon as the first obstacles arise. Resilience and patience are essential soft skills for all start up entrepreneurs. Statistics show that our first idea rarely works, however our third or fourth version will! Another aspect of emotional intelligence is the need to be optimistic. Clients and investors will remain higher when we stay optimistic and adaptable – especially when challenges arise.
5. Team work
Teamwork is all about collaboration, share information and being a team player. These skills are critical to the success of any business or small / large team. People have to be able to get along and see tasks as being for a common purpose and a common goal. If one person fails, the team fails. Jealousy and rivalry will eat at the heart of the team and destroy your chances of meeting the team objectives. As an entrepreneur, see yourself as being part of a team. Don’t believe you will ever succeed alone. It is always important to think beyond yourself and build team spirit within your support network.