Transferable skills your business leaders need now more than ever

Published date: May 12, 2020

The current COVID-19 crisis is causing many business leaders to be nervous about the future of their business. However, as John J Kennedy once said, “In a crisis, be aware of the danger, but recognise the opportunity.”

There can be no doubt that the business landscape has changed due to the impact of the pandemic. Whilst these are tough times for business, many are adapting to the changes forced upon them to modernise the way they operate.

At Cooper Lomaz Recruitment, we are seeing businesses focusing on leaders who have three key transferable skills to ensure their business flourishes; effective communication skills, problem solving and creative thinking, and empathetic listening. Ultimately, businesses need leaders who can inspire their teams whether they are sat with them or not.

The way we lead and inspire our people has changed. Tools like SLACK, TEAMS and Zoom have helped us engage with our workforce from remote positions, however, it has never been so important to communicate effectively with our people especially as we have lost the ability to look in the "whites of the eyes” in person. People with the ability to communicate effectively with others are priceless right now, and will continue to be so.

Leaders with problem solving and creative thinking skills often have the ability to lift the mood and build momentum by seeing things differently to those who are stuck in their ways. It is no surprise that “entrepreneurial” thinkers are often the big winners in economic downturns.

Lastly, the ability to listen empathetically as a leader has never been as important as it is right now. Emotions can often run high as we adapt to change and uncertainty, therefore we need to ensure that we truly understand how we can best support, and motivate our people.

Many technology-focused companies have often ignored the importance of these transferable skills when hiring in the past, as demand for “must-have” technical skills has often taken priority. For those that have encouraged and nurtured these skills, the transition to remote working has been smooth, with engagement and productivity levels increasing as a result.

Are the leaders in your business allowing it to simply survive, or thrive?