Start developing management and leadership skills early in your career

By Annemarie Allain, ’00

Landing a new title doesn’t automatically trigger management skills. Those who make the smoothest transitions are typically the ones who took time to build skills beyond their immediate job description, not those with the strongest technical talents. 

The U.S. Department of Labor believes that human skills offer a competitive edge, stating, “According to business leaders, while the three R’s (reading, writing and arithmetic) are still fundamental to every employee’s ability to do the job, employers view ‘soft’ skills as even more important to work readiness.” 

Proactive professionals look for ways to boost the top management skills every employer is looking for before it’s their job to do it. 

Communication 

Communication is the foundation for leadership, but despite being one of the most sought-after “must-have” skills — ranked higher even than skills like strategic thinking and innovation, by both managers and individual contributors alike — it isn’t easily identified on a résumé.  

There’s no crash course on how to nail communication and influence, but that shortfall creates an opportunity. Placing yourself in situations with tangible demands and real collaborations with people challenges you to put into practice the same skills managers use daily.  

Mastering these capabilities through volunteerism is an ideal way to get started, and the OSU Alumni Association provides plenty of ways to do that.

Becoming an Ask Alumni webcast presenter is a great way to flex communications muscles. As a presenter, you work with the OSUAA alumni career engagement director, communicate with a co-presenter, assist with promoting the session and ultimately present to the live webcast audience. It’s a real-world opportunity to embrace diverse working styles, offer feedback and hone your ability to share your career story in a low-stakes volunteer leadership role.  

Critical thinking 

Business.com shares that critical thinking is one of the most valuable soft skills employees can develop. Additionally, they note that it can help employees look at situations from multiple perspectives instead of reacting too quickly or relying on assumptions. 

Effective critical thinking requires a balance between analyzing data and trusting your gut. And those decisions have a ripple effect — they set the tone for accountability, shape trust and create momentum. Managers are expected to have these skills, but nobody formally teaches them. However, when you proactively put yourself in situations where you must make educated decisions and problem-solve, it helps you get ahead of the learning curve.  

One way to engage in critical thinking development is by becoming a mentor. Adopting the mindset of a mentor requires you to break down your ingrained knowledge and intuitive habits so that a beginner can understand them. It offers a chance to bridge your own career experiences with those of another. And perhaps most significantly, a mentoring relationship may challenge you with open-ended questions about real, ambiguous and context-specific situations.  

Begin your mentorship journey in a low-stakes, high-reward environment by offering support to OSU students and graduates on the OSU Connections professional online platform: like LinkedIn just for your tight-knit Beaver community. 

Collaboration 

During a 2003 60 Minutes interview, Steve Jobs, co-founder and former CEO of Apple, said, “Great things in business are never done by one person. They're done by a team of people.” 

Over two decades later, that statement rings true. Collaboration isn’t optional; it’s the foundation for working with others and getting things done. Without the interpersonal skills to work within a group, technical expertise will only stretch so far. But like other soft skills, this doesn’t always come naturally.  

To practice and hone collaboration skills, consider joining an OSU Group or Network. These micro communities are the perfect role for Beaver alumni, students, parents, friends and supporters who want to stay connected or step up to contribute on a network leadership council. With groups focused on careers, communities, academic roots and more, there is a place for you to practice your leadership skills amongst friends. 

No matter how you decide to share your time, volunteering is an effective approach to practicing active listening, navigating conflict, understanding and providing solutions to real problems, respecting different working styles and building trust. 

Cultivate your potential 

A recent Deloitte Impact Survey shows that 82% of the 2,506 respondents who were directly or indirectly tied to hiring decisions were more likely to choose a candidate with volunteer experience. 

Volunteering isn’t the only avenue to building a well-rounded management skill set. Professional development and education are equally important. The OSU College of Business offers a self-paced Management Certificate program designed to develop the qualifications to build trust, lead change and resolve conflicts effectively. Courses include handling conflict and difficult conversations, emotional intelligence and more.  

Management skills aren’t unlocked by a job title. Rather, they’re honed with consistent, real-world practice, so by the time your promotion arrives, you’re not starting from scratch but instead building on what you’ve already been doing.