Leadership Redefined: Why Soft Skills Drive Hard Results

When I first stepped into a leadership role I assumed I needed to become someone entirely different; louder, tougher, more decisive. I had seen department heads and city managers command crowded meetings, making snap decisions with confidence. I believed that to succeed in public sector leadership, I had to emulate that pattern. But the more I tried to adopt this approach, the more distant I felt from myself, my team, and the mission we were trying to fulfill for our community.