Leading Through Complexity: The Power of Developing Durable Skills
A common theme emerges when I speak with employers and business owners throughout the Lehigh Valley: they’re seeking future leaders who can help them manage four generations of employees in the workplace and solve complex business problems, including navigating economic uncertainty and rapid technological changes.By: AJ Lemheney, Ed.D., Vice President and Executive Director, Graduate and Continuing Education, Muhlenberg College Tuesday, October 22, 2024 11:30 AM
They are looking for leaders who combine their technical skills—those that some people call “hard skills”—with so-called “soft skills” like teamwork, critical thinking and emotional intelligence. I prefer to call this second set of skills “durable skills” because they will bring workers lasting benefits throughout their careers. When young professionals add durable skills to their technical skills, they gain the “power skills” they need to become successful leaders of change and innovation.
In this blog post, we’ll explain the importance of durable skills, reveal which ones employers seek the most, and explore ways adult students and employers can expand their durable skills and develop their organization's leadership pipeline.
Why businesses need more leaders with durable skills
Perhaps the best way to explain the importance of durable skills is to show what happens when workers don’t have them. Leaders who can’t effectively communicate lack the ability to articulate the importance of achieving key business goals. Employees who struggle with collaboration will rely on hierarchy to complete a project instead of fully engaging each member of their team. Ill-tempered workers, no matter how technically skilled they are, will aggravate their co-workers and send employee morale plummeting.
For these reasons, businesses whose employees lack durable skills struggle to create a thriving corporate culture. Yet, with the Lehigh Valley continuing to experience relatively low unemployment rates, finding workers with a combination of technical and durable skills is challenging.
“Employers tell us across the board that they need workers who are skilled in critical thinking, problem-solving, communication, teamwork and customer service,” says Gina Kormanik, a director at the Workforce Board Lehigh Valley, the regional workforce system that oversees the PA CareerLink Lehigh Valley workforce delivery system assisting employers recruit a workforce and helping people find jobs. “We consider these skills to be ‘employability skills,’ because workers who have them are highly marketable.”
What durable skills do leaders need to develop the most?
The most essential durable skills for future leaders fall into these five categories:
- Communication: This skill set includes verbal, non-verbal and written communication. The most influential leaders can both clearly articulate their ideas and actively listen to the opinions of others.
- Emotional intelligence (EI): Mastering the art of EI includes developing a keen sense of self-awareness while also being able to empathize with others. Leaders with high degrees of EI can build stronger relationships with their co-workers.
- Adaptability: With business strategies and priorities shifting constantly, future leaders must adjust to change rapidly. By embracing flexibility and remaining open to new ideas, young professionals can lead by example and grow both personally and professionally.
- Problem-solving: How can your company cut costs while maintaining growth? How will you balance ethics and AI? These types of daunting, real-world challenges require leaders who can develop their critical thinking skills and creativity to the fullest.
- Teamwork and collaboration: Research shows that diverse teams bring multiple business benefits. Leaders who stress the importance of inclusivity can help foster a collaborative environment and create high-performing teams that make the best use of each individual’s unique talents.
The impact of durable skills on leadership effectiveness
Companies that invest in developing the next generation of leaders will improve the performance of their work teams, overcome barriers to change and deliver strong business results. Simultaneously, professionals who choose to develop their durable skills will build trust with their co-workers and help their companies solve business-critical challenges. They also outperform their peers in career growth opportunities and job satisfaction.
Where can I learn durable skills?
In the Greater Lehigh Valley, students are getting an excellent head start on developing durable skills. One reason why is that the Workforce Board Lehigh Valley created an Employability Skills Curriculum, in collaboration with education subject-matter-experts, that’s available to every school district, career & technical center, and community college in our region. Thousands of high school students in the Allentown School District (ASD) have already completed this half-credit course.
“In the age of technology and AI, employability skills are becoming even more important,” Kormanik says. “By embedding an Employability Skills Curriculum within the largest school district in the Lehigh Valley [ASD], we’re helping to create systematic change that helps prepare students for the workforce and become exceptional leaders.”
For college-age students and adult learners, liberal arts schools like Muhlenberg College incorporate elements of durable skills into every undergraduate and graduate program. Whether you’re fresh out of high school, returning to school to finish your bachelor’s, or pursuing a master’s degree or graduate certificate, you’ll find multiple opportunities to work on team-based projects and build your critical thinking capabilities.
How to choose the right leadership development program
The right leadership development program can help employees—and employers—meet today’s business challenges and set them up for future success. Look for programs that:
- Emphasize teamwork and collaboration. Seek programs with structured team-based assignments. For example, we’ve designed each course at the Muhlenberg College School of Continuing Studies and School of Graduate Studies to conclude with a capstone project, where a cohort of students works on solving a real business problem for a local organization.
- Provide opportunities for creativity. Liberal arts colleges like Muhlenberg provide an open-ended environment, encouraging students to explore their intellectual curiosity across disciplines. The intersection of technical and durable skills is in our College’s DNA; it’s what a liberal arts curriculum is all about.
- Develop students’ and workers’ EI. Ask program leaders which type of self-awareness tools they incorporate into their curriculum. At Muhlenberg, several of our faculty members integrate tools like the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MTBI) or similar assessments into their classes to help increase students’ self-awareness.
- Offer diverse learning experiences. This can include formal courses in Diversity, Equity, Inclusivity and Belonging (DEIB), Study Abroad programs, and partnerships that bring in learners from different backgrounds.
- Teach skills beyond what’s listed in the syllabus. You won’t find a course in negotiation or persuasive communications at Muhlenberg. Instead, students develop these skills in every course as they work alongside their teammates and faculty.
For regional companies, Muhlenberg offers multiple types of public-private partnerships, helping employers create professional development plans that meet the unique needs of their workforce.
Explore the power of durable skills for yourself.
As business challenges become far more complex and workforce expectations change, effective leadership development prepares workers and positions companies for continued success. If you’re ready to turn your technical skills into “power” skills, our team at Muhlenberg College would love to hear from you.
Interested in learning more about the Muhlenberg College Division of Graduate and Continuing Education? Set up an appointment with one of our advisors.
About the Muhlenberg College School of Continuing Studies
For more than 100 years, Muhlenberg College’s School of Continuing Studies has provided lifelong learners the opportunity to continue and enhance their education in ways that recognize their experience, maturity, motivation, life circumstances and capacity for independent scholarship. Through a rich variety of certificates and baccalaureate degrees, the School of Continuing Studies aligns a rigorous, high-quality and student-centric curriculum with the needs and trends of our regional economy.
About the Muhlenberg College School of Graduate Studies
The Muhlenberg College School of Graduate Studies offers a variety of post-baccalaureate certificates and master’s degrees aimed at enhancing intellectual and career development through challenging coursework grounded in the liberal arts. With a mix of graduate certificate pathways and master’s degrees aligned with workforce and economic trends, the Muhlenberg College School of Graduate Studies enables students to prepare for professional work and career advancement, with a focus on leadership and innovation.