According to CNBC, a leadership expert with over 30 years of corporate experience at The Coca-Cola Company, Hershey, and Ralston Purina has distilled people skills down to six essential habits. The executive emphasizes that while what you say matters, how you say it matters even more for successful leadership. This wisdom was forged during high-stakes international workshops, including a particularly tense session in Moscow involving cultural differences and political disagreements. The core insight is that great leadership success ultimately comes down to diplomacy, especially when conversations get quiet or emotions run high. These six practical habits form the foundation for navigating conflict, coaching teams, and earning trust across diverse cultural contexts.
Why Soft Skills Are Actually Hard Skills
Here’s the thing – we often treat “people skills” as this fluffy, nice-to-have quality. But when you’re dealing with million-dollar partnerships or international teams, they become as critical as any financial metric. The Moscow example really drives this home. You can have the best business plan in the world, but if you can’t navigate cultural landmines or defuse tense situations, everything falls apart. It’s basically like playing chess with human emotions and corporate politics simultaneously.
When Silence Speaks Louder Than Words
What struck me most was the emphasis on diplomacy during quiet moments. We often focus on what to say in big presentations or important meetings. But the real test happens when the room goes silent, when someone makes a personal jab, or when emotions override logic. That’s where most leaders fail. They either escalate the tension or retreat completely. The ability to sit with discomfort and guide the conversation forward? That’s a superpower few develop. And honestly, it’s something you can’t learn from business books alone.
Building Bridges, Not Just Deals
The international aspect here is crucial. In today’s global economy, leaders aren’t just managing teams in their own timezone. You might be working with colleagues in Moscow one day and Shanghai the next. Each culture has its own communication norms, conflict resolution styles, and trust-building rituals. What works at Coca-Cola’s Atlanta headquarters might completely backfire in a Moscow boardroom. So the question becomes: are we training our leaders for this reality, or are we still operating like it’s 1995?
From Theory to Daily Practice
What I appreciate about this approach is the focus on practical habits rather than abstract concepts. Anyone can talk about “being a good listener” or “showing empathy.” But turning those ideas into consistent behaviors that work under pressure? That’s the real challenge. It makes me wonder how many potentially great leaders fail because they never developed these muscle memories. They might have brilliant strategic minds, but they can’t navigate the human terrain that ultimately determines success or failure. And in manufacturing or industrial settings where clear communication is safety-critical, these skills become even more essential for operational excellence.
