There’s a growing leadership gap that few are talking about. Many leaders are relying on skills that no longer match the needs and demands of their role and today’s workplace. The unintended consequences are popping up everywhere. Trust is eroding, employee engagement is at an all-time low, talent is leaving, and innovation is suffering. Even well-intentioned decisions have tone-deaf landings. The reasons for these problems are not moral failures or personality flaws; they are skill gaps.

As leaders ascend the corporate ladder, technical expertise is no longer the differentiator. In its place emerges the ability to engage, listen, empathize, and build trust at scale. Sadly, too many leaders operate as if these soft skills, or as I prefer to call them, power skills, are optional. They’re not. As a performance scholar and strategist who coaches, speaks, and writes about success and high achievement, I’ve found that when leaders master them, they have power to not just manage performance but to mobilize and motivate their people. Read this great HBR article to find out more