Soft Power

If you’re anything like me, you might assume the concept of soft skills emerged alongside women’s increased influence in the workforce. That’s because these qualities, which reflect interpersonal skills rather than technical ones, are often framed as being typically ‘feminine’ qualities. Things like good communication, active listening, critical thinking and empathy.

So it might surprise you to learn that the concept of soft skills actually came from a bunch of rather tough men  – specifically, the US military. Back in the 1960s, it reportedly coined the term upon realising that how a unit was led was just as crucial to its success as its physical combat skills.

In 1972, the US Military even held a ”soft skills training conference” to discuss what they are and how they could be taught to defence personnel. 

Today, it’s not just military leaders seeking to capitalise on the power of soft skills. 

In the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs 2025 report, its Core Skills survey – which lists what employers are looking for in workers – is a laundry list of non-technical qualities. Even expertise in ‘AI and big data’ sits lower on the wishlist than empathy and curiosity. 

This isn’t to say technical knowledge isn’t in high demand. The same report notes artificial intelligence and data capabilities, cybersecurity, and technical literacy as the top three ‘skills on the rise’. But it notes that, overall, there is an expectation “that workers must balance hard and soft skills to thrive in today’s work environments”. 

It’s something the US military picked up on 50 years ago when it first coined the term. 

In its post-conference report it described soft-skills as being those that influence “command, supervision, counseling and leadership” capabilities. It recognised that workplaces, even ones focussed on the projection (and application) of power, benefit from the quiet influence of soft skills. 

It’s no surprise then that, decades after they were first conceptualised, you might find them rebranded as ‘power skills’ – ones worthy of the same investment as technical ones.