Leadership cannot be a Softskill...

if it is so that important, it should be a core skill.

In these last years, years that I have dedicated myself 100% to learn about the impact of self-leadership and leadership in our global success, I dare to say that, this skill that each one of us has the ability to develop and improve is anything but Soft. Even more so, due to the confusion that the name generates.

One of the most recent definitions of Softskills says that: "They are desirable qualities for certain forms of employment that do not depend on acquired knowledge; they include common sense, the ability to deal with people and a positive and flexible attitude". Looking at it from a different perspective, thinking disruptively, I think definition its only 50% true nowadays. And I certainly won't be the only one.

Common sense has anything but common. The ability to deal with people and a positive and flexible attitude is just one part. Regarding Leadership, which people are they referring to? Ourselves? Others probably? I firmly believe that if we are not able to lead ourselves, we will never be able to lead anyone else and that has to be the first job to be done. With ourselves. It's the best job we'll ever do in our lives.

As for the question of not depending on acquired knowledge, here is more evidence that we are experiencing a paradigm shift.

Leadership is a way of being. It's a way of thinking. Leadership is something that's learned, developed, improved. Leadership is the ability to build more leaders around you, it's being able to see the best in others when they can't themselves. Leadership is having the humility to sit in the first row to learn, even if we are one of the "stars". Leadership is stopping what you are doing to help a person on a crosswalk. Leadership is walking into a shopping center and picking up a piece of paper to put in the trash. It's about adding value. Leadership is about removing the noise from our lives and staying true to our mission. It's having the ability to give up, to give up in favor of something much bigger than us, a cause. It's having a sense of service. It's having the ability to have an extraordinary meeting with ourselves. Leadership is having the ability to inspire not by what you say, not by what you do, but by what you make others feel. The paradigm has changed.

The Leader is not the one who built a pseudo-empire, who has a big car or a big house, the latest technology devices, much less the one who speaks very well on stage. Please, let's stop analyzing people's success solely and simply by their financial success. It is an important part, but not the only one. Achieving all this without positively influencing other lives along the way is an empty victory.

There is no leadership in personal life, leadership in business, in companies, leadership in our group of friends... Leadership is a holistic, 360º concept.

For me, Leadership is a Human Skill. A key competence to achieve what we were born to be, stripping ourselves of any prejudice that society has sold us and walking towards the full realization of our capabilities.

If there's one thing that should be taught to children and adults alike, that "thing" is Leadership.

With love, respect and dedication.

At service!

João Cordeiro