Discover which leadership skill is most important. Explore research findings on the critical competencies that distinguish effective leaders.
Written by Laura Bouttell • Sat 10th January 2026
The most important leadership skill according to research is emotional intelligence and its components—particularly empathy, which studies show improves workplace conditions, employee engagement, and team performance, whilst a Harvard Business Review study of 195 leaders across 15 countries found that "building collaborative relationships" ranked as the most important competency, and an IBM survey revealed that 60 percent of corporate leaders identified creativity as the most critical leadership quality. The answer varies by context, but soft skills consistently outrank technical abilities.
Which leadership skill matters most? This question drives countless research studies, leadership programmes, and development investments. The answer proves less straightforward than many hope—context matters significantly. Yet research consistently points toward certain capabilities that distinguish effective leaders across diverse situations.
This guide examines what research reveals about the most important leadership skills, helping you prioritise your development efforts for maximum impact.
Evidence-based findings on leadership competencies.
"A study of 195 leaders in 15 countries across 30 global organizations asked participants to choose the 15 most important leadership competencies from a list of 74."
Top competencies identified:
"Research indicates that empathy is a critical leadership skill that impacts workplace environments, with empathic leadership shown to improve workplace conditions."
Empathy importance:
"Creativity is also one of the most important qualities of an effective leader. An IBM survey found that 60 percent of corporate and public sector leaders identified creativity as the most important leadership quality."
Creativity significance:
Why EQ consistently ranks highest.
"Research over the past few decades has shown that the most important leadership qualities are centered around soft skills and emotional intelligence."
Emotional intelligence components:
| Component | Description | Leadership Application |
|---|---|---|
| Self-awareness | Knowing your emotions | Authentic leadership |
| Self-regulation | Managing responses | Consistent behaviour |
| Motivation | Internal drive | Sustained effort |
| Empathy | Understanding others | Connection building |
| Social skills | Relationship management | Team effectiveness |
"Research using multi-method approaches suggests that soft leadership skills, such as vision, communication, and emotional intelligence, are steadily on the rise and that greater attention should be apportioned to these."
Soft skill importance:
Empathy's critical role in leadership:
Empathy benefits:
The skill no leader can succeed without.
"Soft leadership skills, such as vision, communication, and emotional intelligence, are steadily on the rise."
Communication importance:
Essential communication skills:
Communication elements:
Often overlooked communication skill:
Listening importance:
Cognitive skills for leadership.
"Mumford, Zaccaro, Harding, Jacobs, & Fleishman (2000) suggest that the three components of leadership skills theory are social judgment skills, knowledge, and problem-solving skills."
Problem-solving elements:
Leadership demands quality decisions:
Decision-making factors:
| Factor | Importance |
|---|---|
| Speed | Timely action required |
| Quality | Sound judgement essential |
| Communication | Explanation needed |
| Accountability | Responsibility accepted |
| Learning | Improvement from outcomes |
Long-term perspective requirement:
Strategic elements:
Why different situations need different skills.
Different sectors emphasise different skills:
Industry skill priorities:
| Industry | Priority Skills |
|---|---|
| Technology | Innovation, adaptability |
| Healthcare | Empathy, composure |
| Finance | Analysis, integrity |
| Creative | Vision, collaboration |
| Manufacturing | Efficiency, safety |
Skills matter differently over time:
Stage emphasis:
Different situations demand different skills:
Situational needs:
Why relationship skills prove most critical.
"While all industries rated 'building collaborative relationships' as the most important capability leaders need, none rated it among the top 2 proficiencies of their current leaders."
Collaboration gap implications:
Relationship importance explained:
Collaboration reasons:
Build relationship capability:
Development approaches:
Building essential capabilities.
Focus on highest-impact skills:
Priority framework:
Build critical skills through:
Development methods:
Track skill development:
Progress indicators:
Research consistently identifies emotional intelligence and its components—particularly empathy—as the most important leadership skill. A Harvard Business Review study found "building collaborative relationships" ranked highest among 195 leaders across 30 organisations. An IBM survey found 60 percent of leaders identified creativity as most important.
Research shows that soft skills and emotional intelligence are more important than technical abilities for leadership effectiveness. Key skills include building collaborative relationships, strategic thinking, ethical integrity, decision-making, effective communication, and empathy—with different contexts emphasising different priorities.
Empathy is important because research shows empathic leadership improves workplace conditions, enhances employee engagement, strengthens team performance, builds trust and loyalty, and enables effective communication and feedback. Studies consistently rank empathy among the most critical leadership competencies.
Communication consistently ranks among the most important leadership skills because it enables vision articulation, team alignment, relationship building, change management, and effective feedback. While research often ranks collaborative relationships or emotional intelligence highest, communication enables these capabilities.
Critical leadership skills vary by industry based on context demands. Technology values innovation and adaptability, healthcare emphasises empathy and composure, finance prioritises analysis and integrity, creative industries focus on vision and collaboration, and manufacturing stresses efficiency and safety leadership.
The biggest leadership skill gap is building collaborative relationships. While Harvard Business Review research found all industries rated this as the most important capability, none rated it among the top proficiencies of current leaders—representing the largest gap between importance and current capability.
Develop critical leadership skills through formal training programmes, coaching relationships, stretch assignments, feedback integration, and deliberate practice. Focus on emotional intelligence, communication, and collaborative relationship-building as these consistently prove most important across contexts and research studies.