8 Must-Have Soft Skills and Leadership Traits in Candidates

Picture yourself shaking your head as that promising new executive hire—selected for impressive technical expertise—stumbles on their first major team challenge. Critical deadlines slip. Tension rises. What looked like a sure win turns into a costly misfire.

This happens more often than most leaders want to admit. In fact, 78% of hiring executives say they’ve later regretted prioritizing hard skills over soft skills in leadership assessment. That’s not just a hit to the bottom line. It drains morale, undermines trust in leadership, and puts long-term organizational success at risk.

When the wrong leader is in the seat, teams sense it quickly. Confidence fades, engagement drops, and retention quietly starts to suffer.

This guide gives you practical, step-by-step advice—rooted in insights from experts like Daniel Goleman—on how to recruit, evaluate, and coach leaders who truly move the needle. Use it to sharpen your hiring process and build a leadership bench that lasts.

What Are Soft Skills and Leadership Traits in Candidates?

Soft skills and leadership traits are the human competencies that predict successful people management, workplace effectiveness, and sustainable growth. According to a 2025 consensus review, the most frequently mentioned soft skills addressed as highly demanded in the future are communication skills, problem solving, creativity, critical thinking, teamwork, and lifelong learning. This foundation underscores why these qualities are essential across every talent acquisition strategy.

Soft skills include communication skills and emotional intelligence. Leadership traits are those attributes such as vision and influence that enable a person to guide, support, and motivate high-performing teams.

Modern executive search firms prioritize both sets of skills, as companies have learned that “hard skills” are only half the equation for employee engagement and sustained business environment success. As Patrick Lencioni writes, high-functioning teams emerge when trusted leaders walk the talk. They foster collaboration, agility, and feedback at every step. By hiring with these traits in mind, organizations raise the bar for retention and growth in any industry specialization.

Summary Table: 8 Must-Have Soft Skills and Leadership Traits

No checklist alone can deliver a high-performing leadership team. The following summary table matches eight essential soft skills and leadership traits to their definitions, their most effective interview or assessment methods, and the real business value they provide. These indicators are as vital in a contained search as they are during a hands-on panel interview, or when vetting candidates for flexible, fractional recruiting roles.

To “move the needle,” interviewers should look for candidates who model these strengths instead of just mentioning them in passing. Brené Brown’s approach reminds us that vulnerability can reveal who is ready to lead by example. Truth-telling during talent sourcing reveals candidates who can create genuine organizational growth.

1. Communication Skills and Emotional Intelligence

While technical skills are important, employers also value candidates who possess strong human-centric attributes such as emotional intelligence and adaptability. It’s a real shift in executive hiring. Communication skills and emotional intelligence have become the backbone of effective leadership, especially when executive teams expect flat monthly rates and predictable fees rather than old-school markups.

Communicating well isn’t just about being articulate. It’s about adapting language for each audience and reading nonverbal cues in person or on a Zoom call. Emotional intelligence covers self-awareness and self-regulation. In fact, 71% of hiring managers rate emotional intelligence above IQ in candidate evaluation. Coach Carter would say true leaders need to bring more than credentials to the table. They must connect.

To assess these traits, use questions like, “Tell me about the toughest conversation you’ve navigated,” or, “Describe a time you had to adjust your style based on team feedback.” In a remote setting, observe how candidates listen and frame questions.

2. Problem-Solving and Adaptability

Problem-solving and adaptability fuel high-performing teams. When a leader tackles a tough project or pivots smoothly during uncertainty, it energizes everyone. If you want your next hire to hit the ground running, focus on how well they think through challenges and change. This mindset isn’t limited to boardrooms. Simon Sinek’s approach teaches us that purpose-driven leaders thrive by adapting and solving for the why.

1. Behavioral Interviewing for Problem-Solving

Behavioral interviews let you peel the onion on a candidate’s logic and creative process. Start with questions like, “Describe a time you had to troubleshoot an unexpected issue in a project.” Press for details. For example, ask for the resources they used and the impact of their actions. This depth helps you see if they apply structured thinking.

• Sample question: “Give an example of a change you implemented after a project failed. What did you do differently?”
• Sample question: “Tell us about the most complex client request you’ve managed. How did you handle it?”

2. Situational Exercises and Escape Rooms

Group exercises, case studies, or simulations can surface how candidates respond to ambiguity, shifting priorities, and time pressure.

You might, for example, present a scenario where timelines are suddenly compressed, resources change, or new information surfaces. Observe how candidates:

• Reframe the problem

• Involve others

• Communicate trade-offs

• Make decisions with incomplete information

3. Project Pivot Evaluation in Reference Checks

Reference checks are more powerful when you ask about specific pivots. “Can you give an example where the candidate had to shift direction when a plan changed?” This gives you a third-party view on adaptability. Listen for details that show both creativity and accountability. You could pick up on subtle strengths, like a leader who not only accepted a new process but helped the team own it.

These skills define the difference between leaders who manage and leaders who inspire teams to embrace change, fueling organizational growth.

3. Strategic Thinking and Decision-Making

Strategic thinking in leadership isn’t about getting in the weeds with every detail. It’s about zooming out and making calls that keep your business resilient and competitive. Leaders must avoid spinning their wheels on low-hanging fruit and instead see the moves that matter most. Jack Welch would argue there’s no substitute for leaders who simplify complexity and bring everyone along for the journey.

To surface these skills, give real-time prompts: “Describe a high-stakes decision. How did you balance risk and team input?” or “Tell me about a time when you had to pivot your strategy under pressure.”

Assessment goes beyond interview talk. Reference checks should specifically probe for stories of trade-offs: “Can you give an example of a time this candidate made a tough call that turned out right?” Strategic leaders consistently raise the bar, empowering teams to deliver the vision.

4. Collaboration and Team Leadership

Every leader knows high-performing teams are built on collaboration, not just a big title. According to Harvard Business Review, demand for collaborative leadership has tripled since 2007. This is a signal that today’s leaders need to offer more than a no-nonsense attitude.

Modern collaboration is about stakeholder alignment and creating a seat at the table for every team member’s strengths. In interviews, use questions like: “Describe a time you helped two teams overcome a conflict,” or “How do you develop trust and collaboration in a group with varying skill levels?” Favor answers that show how a candidate levels up communication or mentors staff, even if it means adapting to new workflows or challenging legacy approaches.

Peer feedback, collected through reference checks, reveals truths about collaboration you can’t get from resumes. When team members view a candidate as a culture carrier who lifts others up, that’s the marker of true executive leadership. Lateral influence means as much as technical expertise in today’s business environment.

5. Reliability and Accountability

Reliability is one of the most underrated leadership traits. A charismatic or brilliant leader who frequently drops the ball does more harm than good. Teams want leaders who consistently walk the talk and model dependability. These are qualities that matter far more than occasional flashes of brilliance.

Every business owner has a story. It’s not the biggest personality who saves the quarter, but the leader who, like Erin Brockovich in the iconic film, shows up and gets the job done regardless of hurdles. In construction, just one individual missing deadlines triggers project delays and damaged reputation.

Talent evaluators should circle back on references, probing for stories of reliability and accountability across projects or teams.

Measuring reliability requires digging into patterned behaviors. Look beyond anecdotes for habits of attendance and follow-through. Ask for real “tell me about a time…” stories. Place extra weight on the testimony of those who have been directly impacted, for better or worse, by the candidate’s consistency.

6. Innovation, Creativity, and Open-Mindedness

Employees with strong soft skills are 23% more likely to be top performers. Despite this, SHRM has uncovered a national shortfall in creative thinking among candidates.

The difference-makers are often those who think outside the box, bringing new approaches to the table. Marshall Goldsmith reminds leaders that the right culture carrier can shape not just results but the entire business environment.

How to Assess for Innovation and Creativity:

• Scenario-Based Prompts: Ask, “Describe a time you had to generate a new solution under pressure.” Listen for thoughtful risk analysis and flexibility.
• Side Project Reviews: Encourage candidates to share recent passion projects. You might discover talents that benefit both business and workplace culture.
• Tell Me About a Time… Questions: Request stories about adapting in ambiguous situations.
• Online Assessment Tools: Use platforms that test creative problem-solving.

In today’s competitive market, leaders who consistently raise the bar for innovation also keep teams future-focused.

7. Positive Work Culture and Inclusive Leadership

It’s hard to overstate the frustration of losing momentum in your team because morale fizzles and inclusion only exists on a poster, not in daily actions. It’s nonnegotiable. Dale Carnegie’s “How to Win Friends and Influence People” remains a classic because empathy drives transformation far more than top-down edicts ever could.

2025 research confirms that leaders who check the pulse of their teams, listening and adapting, achieve higher retention and engagement. It’s not about slogans; it’s about living inclusive leadership.

Culture and Inclusion-Probing Interview Behaviors:

• Give an example of building trust across differences: Look for stories rooted in humility and honest dialogue.
• Multi-rater feedback: Ask for and review evidence across organizational levels.
• Describe a time you advocated for someone outside your core circle: Does the candidate cast a wide net or only champion the familiar?
• How did you ensure all voices were heard during a team disagreement? Listen for practical steps and modeling of open the kimono behaviors.

Prioritizing these soft skills isn’t window dressing. It’s now a competitive necessity.

8. Assess and Develop These Traits: Step-by-Step for Hiring Leaders

Organizations that successfully reduce turnover and raise leadership quality don’t rely on luck—they engineer better outcomes through structured, evidence-based hiring.

Frameworks like Crucial Conversations and fact-based hiring systems provide practical guidance for surfacing and building these high-impact competencies at every stage.

1. Behavioral Interview Prompts and What to Look For

Behavioral questions get under the surface. Play devil’s advocate by following up responses. Don’t just settle for polished stories. For example, use, “Can you describe a conflict you managed that didn’t end as planned? How did you adjust your approach?” Seek concrete examples of resilience and adaptability. Bring multiple perspectives to panel interviews for richer insights.

2. Assessment Tools and Panel Interviews

Tools like DISC Assessment supply objective data on personality traits. Panel interviews let different stakeholders observe candidate behavior under pressure. They also compare impressions on aligned values or gaps. For instance, you could add a role-play to see if the candidate communicates under stress.

3. Reference Validation: Structured Guide

Send a structured reference checklist asking not only about punctuality, but how the candidate models inclusivity and motivates peers. Probe for patterns, not one-time events. Follow up to clarify vague responses. You might uncover otherwise hidden warnings or strengths.

4. Post-Hire: Coaching and Leadership Development

Don’t stop with the hire. Intentional onboarding and mentorship ensure your new leaders, whether in dental or construction, keep leveling up. Support feedback loops, set practical goals, and revisit progress throughout the year.

By following these steps and the FACT Driven Hiring System, HR leaders put rigor behind “gut feel.” It’s the only way to scale quality and retention in specialized high-impact talent markets.

Build High-Performing Teams With Proven Leaders

Ready to build high-performing teams and put an end to leadership churn? Find out how the FACT Driven Hiring System delivers evidence-based executive talent for dental businesses. Book an intro call today to get started.

Drive Leadership Success With Fact-Driven Candidate Assessment

Picture this: an executive walks into a construction team and morale rises, turnover drops, and new business picks up. That’s not luck. It’s the result of selecting leaders whose soft skills and leadership traits match your values and market needs. In industries like MSP and dental practice, it changes the trajectory from firefighting to forward growth.

When you lean on robust, fact-driven hiring approaches, key business goals come within reach. Employee retention improves. Flat-rate sourcing means you never settle for second-tier candidates because of budget anxiety. Instead, you build high-performing teams led by change-ready leadership that adapts to the challenge at hand.

The FACT Driven Hiring System brings rigor where it counts: data-backed assessment and insightful panel interviews. Here’s what you stand to gain:

• Reduced turnover and rehiring cycles
• Tangible improvements in team culture and performance
• Leaders who inspire trust (and better reviews)
• More time to focus on growth, not hiring headaches

Don’t wait for another regrettable hire. Book a consult today, you owe it to your teams and your business results.