To succeed in leading a business, soft skills matter.
A LOT.
Especially the soft skill of being an effective communicator.
You can have a Harvard MBA, a Wharton pedigree, technical chops that would make an engineer weep with envy — but if you can’t communicate with clarity, impact and authenticity, you’re going to struggle as a CEO.
Winning hearts and minds? That requires something most degrees can’t teach.
The other morning, this expert opinion piece in Inc. caught my attention: “What Jeff Bezos and Steve Jobs Knew That ChatGPT Doesn’t — The ability to persuade, communicate, and inspire is a skill AI can’t replace.”
Here’s the story that drives it home.
When private equity firm Blackstone brought in a CEO to lead a newly acquired real estate company, executives thought they’d landed the perfect leader. Impressive resume. Technical expertise. Years of experience. Check, check, check.
Two years later? He was GONE.
That failure became an aha moment for Blackstone’s head of talent, Courtney della Cava.
Turns out, private equity firms had been hiring for hard skills — financial analysis, data modeling, project management credentials, technical certifications — while overlooking what actually predicts success.
Relying solely on past achievements “set us back,” she admits.
Her takeaway? “The hard truth is, there’s nothing soft about soft skills. We’re realizing that success and failure hinge primarily on these skills.”
Communication Gives You an Edge
While “soft skills” covers everything from creativity to problem-solving, LinkedIn’s research identified one that matters most: communication.
As one executive put it in a LinkedIn survey: “People-to-people collaboration is going to come into the center for company growth. For leaders, you’ve got to start with communicating clearly, compassionately, and empathetically with your teams.”
Translation? Skills like communication, collaboration and adaptability aren’t just nice-to-haves — they’re the backbone of modern leadership. And they’re becoming more critical as workplace dynamics shift.
According to research highlighted by Harvard Business School, 89% of hiring professionals believe bad hires lack soft skills. Meanwhile, 92% say soft skills matter as much or more than hard skills.
As a founder juggling multiple roles — head of talent, CEO, chief firefighter — modeling effective communication throughout your organization starts with you. Yes, invest in AI platforms that make you faster and more efficient.
Just remember: In the AI age, your ability to persuade, communicate and connect is your ultimate competitive advantage. And that, my friends, takes a human.
The Founders’ Communication Advantage
It’s no coincidence that visionary founders like Jeff Bezos and Steve Jobs shared a similar superpower: They could distill complex ideas into language that inspired investors, attracted customers and motivated teams.
When Steve Jobs returned to Apple in 1997, he faced brutal reality. The company was circling the drain. Jobs kept the team focused on the future — streamlining products, sharpening strategy.
But equally important? He changed how Apple talked about those products.
“Speeds and feeds” were out, Jobs announced. Customers don’t care about specs. They want to know what the product can do for them.
In fact, whether you’re writing for PR (internal or external) or marketing, almost all of your communications need to focus on “what’s in it for THEM?” Like I’ve said many times, know your audience.
While Jobs simplified language, Bezos unveiled creative analogies to frame his company in people’s minds. As Carmine Gallo, author of the Inc. article, points out in his book “The Bezos Blueprint,” Bezos didn’t start with a name — he started with an idea. He searched for an analogy: Earth’s biggest river, the Amazon. Earth’s biggest bookstore, Amazon.
(It didn’t hurt that Amazon started with an A and would appear first in phonebooks — which, back in 1994, was how people actually found businesses.)
ChatGPT couldn’t have suggested that in 1994. AI tools look at what’s been done, not at what’s new and novel.
Few founders are adept at using simple language and creating novel comparisons to make their ideas stand out. If you sharpen those skills, you’ll get attention and a competitive advantage in a world drowning in digital noise.
AI can’t inspire investors to write a check. It can’t entice top talent to join your team or persuade customers to buy your product. Yes, AI can make you more efficient — but it’ll do the same for your competitors.
A founder who inspires people (especially employees) to believe in the organization and its purpose will always have a competitive advantage.
3 Big Takeaways
- Soft skills aren’t soft — they’re the foundation of leadership success, and communication tops the list as the most critical skill for CEOs and founders.
- Technical expertise alone won’t cut it — 92% of hiring professionals say soft skills matter as much or more than hard skills, and 89% blame bad hires on soft skill deficiencies.
- AI can’t replace human connection — while AI makes you efficient, your ability to persuade, inspire and communicate authentically is your ultimate competitive advantage.
Do share your thoughts on this subject!
Stay authentic — and never underestimate the power of the soft skill of communication.
Jeffery E. Pizzino, APR (seen here in a vintage photo circa 1983 serendipitously doing a Clash impersonation in a since-forgotten location) is a spin-free public relations pro who is passionate about telling the why of your story with clarity, impact and authenticity. He began his PR career in 1987 at Ketchum Public Relations in New York City but has spent the majority of his career as a solopreneur. He’s the Chief Authentic Officer of the Johnson City, TN-based public relations firm, AuthenticityPR. He also functions as the fractional CCO for technology startup Converus.
Jeff has an MBA in Management from Western International University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications — with an emphasis in PR — from Brigham Young University (rise and shout!). He’s a native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, but also holds an Italian citizenship. Jeff and his storyteller wife Leticia have four children and four grandchildren. In his extremely limited nonwork hours, he studies italiano, practices guitar, write songs, gardens, disc golfs, reads, listens to New Wave music, serves in his church, watches BYU football, and plays Dominion and Seven Wonders. Email Jeff.
