HBR's 10 Must Reads on Strengthening Your Soft Skills

Strengthen your soft skills and reach your leadership potential.

If you read nothing else on developing your interpersonal skills, read these 10 articles. We've combed through hundreds of Harvard Business Review articles and selected the most important ones to help you identify your social and emotional strengths and weaknesses, approach them with a learning mindset, and become a more effective leader today.

This book will inspire you to:



Focus your attention inward and outward
Connect with others to give more effective feedback
Influence with and without authority
Navigate differences while maintaining relationships
Build trust through active listening
Communicate the right message and deliver it with empathy



This collection of articles includes "The C-Suite Skills That Matter Most," by Raffaella Sadun, Joseph Fuller, Stephen Hansen, and PJ Neal, "The Focused Leader," by Daniel Goleman, "Making Empathy Central to Your Company Culture," by Jamil Zaki, "Learning to Learn," by Erika Andersen, "How to Get the Help You Need," by Heidi Grant, "How to Sell Your Ideas up the Chain of Command," by Ethan Burris, "When Diversity Meets Feedback," by Erin Meyer, "Want Stronger Relationships at Work? Change the Way You Listen," by Manbir Kaur, "How to Navigate Conflict with a Coworker," by Amy Gallo, "Coaching for Change," by Richard Boyatzis, Melvin Smith, and Ellen Van Oosten, "The Science of Strong Business Writing," by Bill Birchard, "You Don't Just Need One Leadership Voice—You Need Many," by Amy Jen Su, "Building an Ethical Career," by Maryam Kouchaki and Isaac H. Smith.

HBR's 10 Must Reads paperback series is the definitive collection of books for new and experienced leaders alike. Leaders looking for the inspiration that big ideas provide, both to accelerate their own growth and that of their companies, should look no further. HBR's 10 Must Reads series focuses on the core topics that every ambitious manager needs to know: leadership, strategy, change, managing people, and managing yourself. Harvard Business Review has sorted through hundreds of articles and selected only the most essential reading on each topic. Each title includes timeless advice that will be relevant regardless of an ever‐changing business environment.