Research Paper Exclusive Content
Down with “Soft Skills”
A Case for “Connective Skills”
Effectively Leading Across
Every organization needs leaders who are able to work cross-functionally to bring their most important goals and initiatives to life. And yet one of the most common struggles, from the director level through the C-suite, is understanding how to lead across effectively. Some might call the capabilities needed for lateral leadership “soft skills,” thinking the vast majority of people in leadership positions already have them. But, in reality, the skills that are critical to a leader’s ability to build bridges across their enterprise aren’t “soft” at all. Rather, they’re connective.
Every business skill you’ve developed has a correlated connective skill that may need work. You can’t be a great negotiator without being adept at active listening, but when’s the last time you saw an executive sign up for a “listening 101” course? In a similar vein, you can’t lead innovation without possessing some curiosity. And just try launching global initiatives without expertise in coalition building.
We call this ability to lead across “lateral agility.” Lateral agility is defined in sports as the ability to move side to side quickly, while maintaining one’s balance. In organizations this means effectively working with leaders of different departments and teams while maintaining a focus on your own group’s objectives.
"Connective skills are the building blocks of lateral agility. They are foundational to the complex and strategic work being asked of leaders on a daily basis. And like any muscle, you strengthen them not only through repeated use, but also by knowing how to most effectively use them."
But what exactly are the connective skills that will enable you to drive cross-functional leadership? We did the research, so you don’t have to.
Senior executives who excel at lateral agility stand apart because of a specific set of skills and behaviors. We reviewed 25 current research papers and articles on the topic and conducted an analysis on the skills and behaviors most often identified in the research.
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Curiosity:
Actively listen and seek out diverse perspectives. Ask questions, do research, and remain open.
2
Empathy:
Engage in collaborative problem solving, consider other viewpoints, and foster a culture of teamwork.
3
Adaptability:
Be open to, embrace, and encourage change — whether it’s a new idea, behavior, technology, or workspace.
4
Inclusiveness:
Understand and represent the interests of diverse employee groups. Bring them together on initiatives and value their input equally.
5
Humility:
Know when and where to share the spotlight. When an answer doesn’t immediately present itself, actively seek the advice of people who may have it.
6
Enterprise Mindset:
Possess a deep understanding of organizational goals and recognize how the different parts contribute to the whole. Put self-interest aside.
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Trust-building:
Be someone others can rely on. Understand the importance of sharing information and being transparent across departments.
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Strong relationship-building:
Build a robust informal network across other parts of the organization, acting as a cross- functional bridge.
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Coalition-building:
Create direction, alignment, and commitment across the aisle, working interdependently toward a higher vision or goal.
Nine Connective Skills for Lateral Leadership
Where’s the Connection?
If the skills above seem somewhat obvious, you’d be right. So what’s going on? Why aren’t leaders more broadly applying these skills as they join the leadership ranks and need to more regularly work across?
The reality is that too many senior leaders aren’t incentivized to develop connective skills, have not been taught how to apply them in a leadership setting, or simply don’t have the time, given everything else on their plates. Often, these behaviors even run counter to the way they typically operate. For example, if you’ve been rewarded for being the expert in the room, you might hesitate to show the vulnerability needed to share the spotlight.
It may also be your experience that silos help you move quickly and get things done within your team. From that perspective, inclusion and collaboration have traditionally been barriers that slow progress. This shouldn’t come as a surprise. Silos exist to aggregate expertise, assign accountability, and provide a sense of identity. However, they can lead to negative effects too, such as inhibiting sharing and collaboration, finger- pointing, and turf wars.
But collaboration isn’t simply a matter of working well with others — it’s a complex set of skills that includes active listening, conflict management, problem-solving, humility, empathy, and curiosity. These behaviors need to be actively cultivated.
The good news is that most of these connective skills may already be within you because you may be applying them in other areas of your life — be it with your kids, your friends, and even your direct reports.
Developing Connective Skills
No leader is an island. Gone are the days when you could lead, or innovate, in a vacuum. You and your team could have all the brilliant ideas in the world but be unable to execute on any of them without the support of others. Imagine the R&D department of a biotech company trying to get a drug to market without the early involvement of regulatory and manufacturing teams. It’s an impossible task.
The larger your company grows, the more cross business relationships that need to be managed. Adding to this is the fact that an increasing number of tasks once handled by people are now automated by technology. Connective skills are now just as important, if not more so, than the ability to crunch numbers, solve problems, or come up with innovative ideas.
Even if you already have experience with some of these skills, they may still need to be cultivated within the context of business, and most significantly in developing the lateral agility to lead across.
Here are three goals to focus on when activating connective skills that can accelerate your impact in the organization.
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Goal: Increase trust with colleagues
Connective Skill: Trust-building
If done correctly, self-disclosure can humanize leaders, creating stronger relationships with direct reports and people across the enterprise. But how do you incorporate and encourage self-disclosure in a work appropriate way?
Here are some tips:
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Incorporate personal story-telling into your communications
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Embrace the pre- and post- meeting conversation
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Utilize icebreakers, even for well-established teams
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Ask broad, open-ended questions about others’ work and non-work experiences
Remember, trust isn’t built overnight — it’s a process that takes time, which is already one of your most precious commodities. But it’s a crucial part of leading across because people who trust and believe in you are more willing to work with you. Let’s talk about how you can more effectively work with them.
To connect with others you sometimes have to drop the leadership persona and simply be you. Research by Offerman & Rosh suggests that revealing your authentic self doesn’t just play a role in trust-building but also enables you to “generate cooperation and increase teamwork.”
2
Goal: Develop followership across the organization
Connective Skill: Strong relationship-building
Leadership isn’t a solo sport. With that in mind, if you want to be viewed as someone with strong relationship- building skills, start small.
Carucci & Velasquez identified four quick and painless strategies to help you start connecting more effectively:
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Find someone to emulate. They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but it’s also a great learning tool. Identify someone who builds relationships like a pro and observe what they do and how they do it.
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Delegate tasks to others. Cultivating your network takes time you may not already have. Lean on your team to complete other important tasks, so you have more time to hone your skills.
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Seek any opportunity to connect. The social activities you already participate in aren’t just for fun — they can also set the stage for making contacts who can help you achieve your organizational goals.
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Master the art of give and take. You don’t always have to wait until you need help to ask for it. Leverage your network for strategic advice, and give as good as you get.
Once you’ve mastered the art of networking in a small circle, you can tackle the biggest task of all: building relationships across your organization to make the right decisions for the whole organization.
3
Goal: Make strategic decisions
Connective Skill: Enterprise Mindset
Of all the connective skills we’ve identified, the one that serves as a unifying element is an enterprise mindset. In our previous whitepaper, we stressed how putting the goals of the organization before those of your individual department or function is a crucial component of leading across. Now, let’s connect the dots.
Can a senior leader truly lead across if they operate in a vacuum? Is it fair to say that someone who rarely considers viewpoints outside of their department or direct reports has the best interests of the enterprise in mind? And can the one hand build bridges if it doesn’t even know what the other hand is doing? We’d say, emphatically, no.
So how can a leader develop this skill?
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Acknowledge the self or functional interests that may be at play; being aware of them is a critical first step
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When forming a perspective on something, go through a thought exercise to consider the impacts on other relevant functions and consider, “What does the enterprise need from us?”
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Flex your ‘humility’ muscle. For example, when soliciting feedback on a draft plan, ask colleagues, “What would make this better?” or “What might I be missing?”
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When senior leaders have the humility to demonstrate that they don’t have all the answers and need others, then, and only then, can they begin to lead at the enterprise level— not just their department.
We’re not suggesting that you go back to school to learn (or, in some cases, relearn) connective skills. Rather, we challenge you to hone them in a more sophisticated and intentional way. Network with leaders both in and out of your organization, strive to reveal more of your authentic self, and have the humility to admit that you do not possess all the answers.
Making Connections that Count
The modern enterprise faces a paradox. While technology, particularly artificial intelligence, advances at an unprecedented pace, the most critical skills for leadership success are becoming increasingly human. Technical expertise and domain knowledge remain important, but they are no longer sufficient to navigate the complexities of today's landscape. The connective skills outlined in this paper – curiosity, empathy, adaptability, inclusiveness, humility, enterprise mindset, trust-building, strong relationship-building, and coalition-building – are now the true differentiators between leaders that merely adapt and those that thrive.
As AI reshapes both work and the workforce, the ability to connect with others, build relationships, and inspire collective action becomes paramount. In a world increasingly driven by algorithms, the human element is what will truly set exceptional leaders and organizations apart. To succeed in this new era, organizations must support their leaders by:
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Elevate Connective Skills in Talent Development: Re-evaluate leadership development programs, performance management systems, and hiring practices to explicitly value and cultivate connective skills. Encourage 360-degree feedback, mentorship opportunities, and cross-functional projects to provide leaders with practical experience and actionable insights. Focus on programs that develop the "whole person" rather than just technical abilities.
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Model Connection from the Top: Encourage senior leaders to actively demonstrate connective behaviors. This includes fostering open communication, actively seeking diverse perspectives, and prioritizing enterprise-wide goals over departmental objectives. Leadership behavior sets the tone for the entire organization.
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Cultivate a Culture of Connection: Foster an environment that encourages networking, collaboration, and information-sharing across teams and departments. Provide opportunities for both virtual and in-person interactions to build and nurture relationships. Intentionally create spaces for empathy, understanding, and shared purpose. This is especially important in an era of frequent virtual interactions.
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Champion a performance culture that rewards "assists" as much as "scoring.": Revamp performance management systems to reward collaborative behaviors and cross-functional achievements. This will send a clear message that connection is not just a nice-to-have, but a critical driver of organizational success. Recognize and celebrate the leaders who excel at bringing people together and driving collective impact.
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Embrace the Human Advantage: As AI transforms the workplace, emphasize the unique strengths that humans bring to the table: creativity, critical thinking, emotional intelligence, and the ability to build trust and rapport. Invest in programs that help leaders develop these skills and leverage them to create a more engaged, innovative, and resilient workforce.
By embracing this approach, organizations can cultivate a new generation of leaders who are not only technically proficient but also deeply connected, collaborative, and capable of inspiring others to achieve extraordinary organizational results.
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Connective Skills and a Key Leadership Capability They Support
1
Curiosity → Innovation
6
Empathy → Effective negotiations
2
Adaptability → Responsiveness to market changes
7
Inclusiveness → Better decision making
3
Humility → Leverage internal resources
8
Enterprise mindset → Strategic thinking
4
Trust-building → Quicker decision making
9
Strong relationship-building → Increase influence
5
Coalition-building → Ability to lead global initiatives
Authors
Molly Rosen
Co-CEO and Co-Founder of ProjectNext Leadership
Molly Rosen is the Co-Founder and Co-CEO of ProjectNext Leadership, a global leader in executive leadership and team development. Along with her co-founder Jeff Rosenthal, she provides industry expertise on key leadership topics, such as leading across silos in matrixed organizations (as most recently described in their Harvard Business Review article, How to Lead Across a Siloed Organization, 2024).
Meghan Doherty
Director, ProjectNext Leadership
Meghan Doherty is a Director at ProjectNext Leadership. She is the lead designer behind many of our cohort development programs and senior team offsites, creating experiences that are both impactful and memorable. In addition to her client work, Meghan leads many of ProjectNext Leadership’s research and product development efforts.
Kat McCarthy
Head of Operations, ProjectNextLeadership
Kat McCarthy is the Head of Operations at ProjectNext Leadership. She wears many hats, with a key focus on ensuring ProjectNext functions efficiently both internally, in how we work together as a team, and externally, in how we deliver high quality experiences to our clients.