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Helena Kim
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Soft Skills for Hard People: A Practical Guide to Emotional Intelligence for Rational Leaders Kindle Edition

by Helena Kim (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 120 ratings
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Aimed at all leaders, Soft Skills for Hard People is a rational take on the demands of emotional intelligence. It offers quick usable tools for busy leaders, especially for the skeptics, stoics, and pragmatists grappling with the elusive people skills often recommended by experts and organizations. With an edgy and irreverent take on conventional leadership strategies, coaching psychologist Dr. Helena Kim fills this book with practical tools and approaches you need to become an exceptional coaching leader.

In this book, you’ll find:

  • A toolkit for rational leaders
  • Five core principles of coaching leadership
  • Trade secrets on how to coach your team to thrive
  • Practical ways to lead your team without the “fluff”
  • How to empathize without losing your head
  • Stand-alone chapter modules for coaching leaders
  • And more!
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  1. Print length
    127 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    September 22, 2020
  4. File size
    682 KB
  5. Page Flip
    Enabled
  6. Word Wise
    Enabled
  7. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  8. See all details
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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08JWCH843
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ GoMo Books (September 22, 2020)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 22, 2020
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 682 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 127 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 120 ratings

About the author

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Helena Kim

Helena Kim

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“The writing has a voice and tone that gives it an engaging personality without it becoming tiring or irritating. That’s a hard thing to achieve. The writing is also concise, clear and punchy. There were hardly any places where I felt steps in the logical flow of an argument were missing. There are many, many sentences that ring with the clarity and resonance of a well-tempered bell (“… between head and heart you will find psychological states such as trust, honesty and courage”). That makes the book easy to read and comprehend. The writing has an ‘effortless’ feel, which I happen to know is only achieved through effort.

The content itself - the ideas and their organization into a complete framework and narrative — held my attention completely. Of the things I think I knew already, I appreciated how well the author puts them, and of the things that were new to me I felt I was really gaining something special.

These three things - the voice, the prose and the content - combine to make a thoroughly engaging book. It is delightful and enriching to read. I’m probably not this book’s target audience, but the it works for me. This was a real pleasure and I’ve learned a huge amount from the 113

craft-filled pages.”

Matthew Day, PhD

Cambridge University Press

Helena is a Harvard trained coaching psychologist and executive coach. She specializes in advanced personal and leadership development and team dynamics. 25 years ago, she started her career when she trained as an educational psychologist and group specialist. As a university professor, she taught graduate level courses in Consulting, Career Counseling, Leadership, Communication, and Group Dynamics. 15 years ago, she irreverently recalibrated psychology into coaching and training senior corporate leaders.

Helena coaches her clients to "do" emotional intelligence and healthy conflict in leadership and work relationships. Her clients include leaders from Amazon, Google, UBS, JP Morgan, Fujitsu, Baxter, London Stock Exchange Group, Royal Mail, Hays, NHS, Undo and the U.S. Air Force. Her latest project is the intensive personal and professional success coaching service for MBA students and alums at the University of Cambridge Judge Business School

Her book, Soft Skills for Hard People, has reached #1 in three different business categories on Amazon and Kindle.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
120 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book useful and practical for improving emotional intelligence. They describe it as an easy-to-read guide that helps business leaders access concepts and practices that improve relationships. Readers appreciate the conversational tone and actionable steps in the book. Overall, they consider it a worthwhile read with a good value for money.

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EffectivenessReadabilityValue for moneyTone
9 customers mention "Effectiveness"9 positive0 negative

Customers find the book insightful and practical. They say it helps business leaders access concepts and practices that will improve relationships. The book teaches all skills taught in group facilitation and therapy training, where group leaders are trained. It offers strategies and steps that can be taken to help someone learn.

"...is a quick toolkit for my hardened readers who need a rational take on emotional intelligence so they can lead without necessarily converting to the..." Read more

"Soft Skills for Hard People: A Practical Guide to Emotional Intelligence for Rational Leaders by Helena Kim, PhD is a fantastic read for anyone who..." Read more

"...than this book will help you develop the skills you need such as self-awareness, empathy, conflict de-escalation and even active listening...." Read more

"...a successful team, and this book shows you how to radically improve your communication skills whether you are a leader, or even in your personal life..." Read more

7 customers mention "Readability"7 positive0 negative

Customers find the book easy to read and understand. They appreciate the logical approach and straightforward explanations. The book is described as a quick toolkit for readers who need a rational take on emotional issues.

"...The advice Helena offers is logical, easy to comprehend and incorporate, and at the same time is delivered with a keen wit that makes absorbing the..." Read more

"...The steps are laid out in an easy to follow order, and the book is written in a manner that makes it feel more like a conversation than a text...." Read more

"...Very well written and I highly recommend this book to anyone that wants to take a more active role in improving their own as well as others work." Read more

"...A light tone with touches of humor here and there make this an eminently readable book and one that is easy to glean information from and put into..." Read more

4 customers mention "Value for money"4 positive0 negative

Customers find the book useful and good value for money. They say it's worth the time and provides valuable information.

"...Intelligence for Rational Leaders by Helena Kim, PhD is a fantastic read for anyone who is looking for a way to learn how to better manage and work..." Read more

"...I’m doing a study on People, Skills, and this book was worth the time. Mad kudos to the author." Read more

"...things vying for my time and attention, this book was a quick and delightful read...." Read more

"...it with my family, and am sure we will learn from this wonderful book tremendously. We will pass the book to our friends and colleagues too." Read more

3 customers mention "Tone"3 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's conversational tone, examples, and actionable steps. They value the active listening and de-escalation techniques.

"...words of the content are conflict, self-awareness, empathy, and active listening, the manner in which these are explored makes the book work...." Read more

"...such as self-awareness, empathy, conflict de-escalation and even active listening...." Read more

"...The book has a great conversational tone, plenty of examples, and actionable steps you can take to improve your management style...." Read more

My highlighter is dry now!
5 out of 5 stars
My highlighter is dry now!
Finally, a practical book that admits that the happy medium of coaching and leadership resides “somewhere between heart and head.” This is such a well-written, right-to-the-point book with actual examples of questions or prompts to execute the techniques Dr Kim lays out. Even more enjoyable was the tone of the book. There are gems of witty humor that make me want to hang out with her!While the book is geared toward leaders, there are so many actionable skills and reminders that resonate with daily relationships.In a time when effective communication is so crucial reminders like “… the consequences of what you say and how you say it are enormous and can make or break others’ motivation and success” resonate in my daily life.Thank you Dr Kim!
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Grady Harp
    5.0 out of 5 stars Achieving People Skills – tried and tested insights and interventions
    Reviewed in the United States on November 20, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    Author Helena Kim, PhD is a coaching psychologist, and as a university professor she has taught graduate level courses in Consulting, Career Consulting, Leadership, Communication, and Group Dynamics. She now devotes her skills to coaching a broad and impressive spectrum of clients to utilize emotional intelligence.

    In a word, this impressive book is ‘accessible.’ While that may not appear to be a significant compliment, it most assuredly is meant as one. The advice Helena offers is logical, easy to comprehend and incorporate, and at the same time is delivered with a keen wit that makes absorbing the information she offers a form of entertainment.

    While the key words of the content are conflict, self-awareness, empathy, and active listening, the manner in which these are explored makes the book work. Providing examples of the nuggets of wisdom Helena offers in this book should encourage an even broader (and well-deserved) readership. ‘This book is a quick toolkit for my hardened readers who need a rational take on emotional intelligence so they can lead without necessarily converting to the warm and fuzzy.’ ‘I’m happy to share thee tried-and-tested insights and intervention, which may be game changers in coaching leadership, especially for people who, like me, lean on the side of being “hard” (cerebral realists, cynics, pragmatists) yet are open to applying soft skills for the sake of their team and their performance.’ ‘Emotional intelligence is the awareness and management of yourself and others. It comprises all skills taught in group facilitation and therapy training, where group leaders are trained to hone their own and others’ personal awareness and interpersonal development to process social dynamics, sharpen listening and asking skills, model risk-taking in communication, draw healthy boundaries, avoid blurring their own issues with those of the team members, and facilitate healthy conflict and power dynamics in the groups…Emotional intelligence in leadership is the ability to understand and manage your own emotions and behaviors, others’ emotions and behaviors, the dynamics between you and others, and your team’s development and dynamics…’

    The advice offered is directed toward leaders, but the skills made accessible provide a path to all relationships that could make the planet a better place to live. Very highly recommended. Grady Harp, November 20
    One person found this helpful
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  • Phil Bolos
    5.0 out of 5 stars Very Useful
    Reviewed in the United States on November 21, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    Soft Skills for Hard People: A Practical Guide to Emotional Intelligence for Rational Leaders by Helena Kim, PhD is a fantastic read for anyone who is looking for a way to learn how to better manage and work with other people. One thing that has always stood out to me about college is that you take all of these classes and learn all of this stuff, but you never learn how to manage and work with those around you. This is a necessary life skill and yet it never is really addressed in any way. You are simply expected to know how to do it when you get out there in the real world, but many people struggle with this. Everyone knows someone at work or in their personal life who just doesn't understand how to work with people. This is where the skills in this book will come in handy. The book offers lots of strategies and steps that can be taken to help someone either learn or get better at working with other people. The steps are laid out in an easy to follow order, and the book is written in a manner that makes it feel more like a conversation than a text. Because of this, it is easy to get into the read and pull out lots of information that will help, whatever your position may be. I know the title says this is for leaders, but really anyone who has contact with other people...so everyone...will be able to find something in these pages that is helpful.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • J Armstrong
    4.0 out of 5 stars Important skills for improving your relationships
    Reviewed in the United States on November 26, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    The importance of this book by Author Helena Kim, cannot be overstated. We NEED more people in the workforce who understand how to manage their own emotions in order to work effectively and competently with others. If I am constantly irate at my co-workers, or my subordinates because I do not understand why they do things in a certain way, then I will never be happy in my job and as such not only my job performance will suffer, but those around me will suffer as well. The skills taught in this book are really common sense, but since they are never truly taught in high school or in college (unless you take electives), than this book will help you develop the skills you need such as self-awareness, empathy, conflict de-escalation and even active listening. Very well written and I highly recommend this book to anyone that wants to take a more active role in improving their own as well as others work.
    Helpful
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  • V.E.
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great Business Book
    Reviewed in the United States on November 19, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    Soft Skills for Hard People: A Practical Guide to Emotional Intelligence for Rational Leaders by Helena Kim, PhD is a fast read and one that helps business leaders access concepts and practices that will up their game when it comes to managing people. The book has a great conversational tone, plenty of examples, and actionable steps you can take to improve your management style. Effective communication is key to building a successful team, and this book shows you how to radically improve your communication skills whether you are a leader, or even in your personal life. If your emotional intelligence needs a boost when it comes to managing your staff, this is the perfect book to learn from. A light tone with touches of humor here and there make this an eminently readable book and one that is easy to glean information from and put into practice. Superb mentoring and coaching book, and highly recommended.
    Helpful
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  • Bryan P Buckley
    5.0 out of 5 stars Surprise Read
    Reviewed in the United States on November 11, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    I found this book on accident. I’m so glad I did it. The other gives a number really good examples. I’m doing a study on People, Skills, and this book was worth the time. Mad kudos to the author.
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Elisa Masoni
    5.0 out of 5 stars Enlightening
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 21, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    Great book. Pragmatic and helpful. It gives you the answers for your next step. I loved the chapter about ‘clean your boundaries’ and ‘do immediacy’. I will share it with some friends. Definitely worthy!!
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  • Shailesh Ambastha , Director Sales and Marketing, ACC Limited East & Central India
    5.0 out of 5 stars This book is highly recommended for budding leaders to groom themselves and secure their success.
    Reviewed in India on October 7, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    The ground breaking book on soft skills for hard people is just beyond a catchphrase that sheds light on factors contributing to Managerial attributes that enables one to perform Leadership roles more effectively.
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  • B
    5.0 out of 5 stars Clear, insightful and incredibly useful
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 8, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    The book doesn't attempt to teach you a new philosophy of life or management. It makes points that are simple and intuitive, yet surprising and very useful. It helps you get a right perspective on yourself, your team, and the goals you are trying to achieve.

    It starts by listing and then explaining the five core principles: clear your boundaries, focus and listen, do rational empathy, ask moving questions and do immediacy. Each of them is illustrated with several situational examples, and detailed advices how to recognize challenges and overcome them.

    I found the book very effective in making the point that leadership is about understanding that the things happen through you and that leadership is not about you, coupled with super useful advices on how to achieve that.

    A superb book, well worth reading and re-reading!
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  • Arun K.
    5.0 out of 5 stars A must read
    Reviewed in India on October 6, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    Must read for all professionals. A very useful handbook with insight on soft skills for emotional intelligence for busy professionals
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  • shobhini chhabra
    5.0 out of 5 stars Insightful Read
    Reviewed in India on October 10, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    It will guide one to navigate through the situations faced at work. Well written, worth a read.
    Report

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