I actually don’t care if you’re an aspiring startup founder or the CEO of a Fortune 500 company – you should always prioritize “People Skills.”
These skills are difficult to master, and without them I’d sincerely question a person’s ability to run a company successfully.
Forbes[1] had a great post listing out 20 of these soft skills:
- The ability to relate to others.
- Strong communication skills.
- Patience with others.
- The ability to trust others.
- Knowing how and when to show empathy.
- Active listening skills.
- Genuine interest in others.
- Flexibility.
- Good judgment.
- The ability to persuade others
- Negotiation skills.
- The ability to keep an open mind.
- A great sense of humor.
- Knowing your audience.
- Honesty.
- Awareness of body language.
- Proactive problem solving.
- Leadership skills.
- Good manners.
- The ability to be supportive and motivate others.
A person can learn how to code in a short period of time. It’s just one skill among many. They can even become an expert in their field with a lot of practice.
To be a great leader though requires so many other skills that you could spend a lifetime and not even scratch the surface.
Footnotes
[1] The 20 People Skills You Need To Succeed At Work
Originally Posted: https://www.quora.com/What-should-an-aspiring-Startup-founder-prioritize-on-people-skill-or-learning-to-code
Originally Posted On: 2016-03-01