C-suite executives need to master a new set of skills and strategies to remain relevant in a constantly changing business environment. Time-honored hard and soft skills like communication, team building, and strategic planning are being joined by leadership training that develops emotional intelligence and strategic thinking, as highlighted by Bardya Ziaian.

Strong leadership skills empower executives to make informed decisions and navigate challenges with foresight. They also help create a dynamic workplace that fosters growth and success.

1. Empathy

Having the ability to understand and share another person’s feelings is a critical skill in leadership. Empathy allows leaders to connect with their employees, clients, and other stakeholders. It also helps them make more informed decisions about complex issues.

Developing empathy can help people be more tolerant, kind, and supportive of others. It can also reduce stress and burnout.

Research suggests that we tend to feel empathy toward people who are similar to us. For example, we may be more likely to empathize with someone who shares our political beliefs or lives a similar lifestyle. This can create a problem when it leads to biases like prejudice and racism.

2. Adaptability

Adaptability is a key skill that can help you thrive in the face of change. It involves learning from mistakes, taking risks, and being flexible to new working conditions.

The ability to adapt to changing circumstances is a necessary skill for business leaders. From team restructures to shifting work policies, it’s important to be able to adjust quickly in order to stay ahead of the curve.

Adaptable people see opportunity above obstacles and are open to feedback from their colleagues. This makes them great team players who are always looking for ways to improve.

3. Communication

Regardless of the industry, business operations require effective communication. It is how important information flows from one source to the next, allowing businesses to operate efficiently and with clear directions for employees.

Professional communication skills can be a powerful asset for executives, especially in upper management roles. These executives are often the face of an organization and must be able to communicate with key clients, investors, board members, regulators, media and other higher-level staff.

Team building skills are also an essential part of executive communication. Smart leaders do not surround themselves with yes men and must be able to foster an environment where upper-level managers work together.

4. Problem-Solving

Problem-solving is the ability to identify and analyze a challenge, find solutions, and implement them. It’s an important skill for business leaders to have because it allows them to respond quickly to unforeseen challenges.

Problem solving often begins with research. This step is critical because it helps to understand the context of a problem, such as why revenue is down.

Other problem-solving techniques are designed to encourage creativity and flexibility. These activities are great for when a group wants to shift away from linear thinking and approach a problem in an innovative way. Examples of these include a Crazy 8s round that requires participants to sketch out 8 variations on their ideas.

5. Decision-Making

Decision-making is an essential skill to develop as a manager, especially when it comes to crafting and systematizing your group’s process for making decisions. Every decision you make creates a chain of events for those under your supervision, and it’s crucial to be able to weigh options that will have the greatest impact on everyone involved.

Creative decision-makers are open to different ideas and perspectives, allowing them to find solutions that might not be obvious or traditional. They also think critically to identify the knowledge they lack and seek out new sources to obtain it. This helps them avoid blind spots and common errors like bias.

6. Leadership

Leadership is a people skill that enables executives to persuade and influence teams to accomplish goals. C-suite members must interact with powerful stakeholders like clients, investors and board members in addition to their own team members.

This unique balancing act requires executive-level leaders to be confident enough to stand by their decisions yet able to react strategically when they realize those choices didn’t produce the expected results. Leadership is also about knowing when to ask for help and empowering others to step up to the challenge of high-stakes situations. This leadership style is especially valuable during times of crisis or environmental shifts. It’s how great leaders like Steve Jobs or Tim Cook have been able to overcome setbacks to achieve their goals.