What are interpersonal skills and how to improve them
Table of Contents
By: James M. Tobin, Edited by: Rebecca Munday
Published: April 16, 2025
Professionals with strong interpersonal skills excel at communicating and building relationships with others. These soft skills can lead to greater career success.
Some people have a knack for interacting with others, but you can still build interpersonal skills if they don't come naturally. Explore strategies for improving yours and for realizing the benefits that strong people skills can offer.
What are interpersonal skills?
Interpersonal skills are used to communicate, understand, or relate with others. Professionals with strong interpersonal skills generally find it easier to navigate complex situations, deal with change, inspire others, and lead effectively.
Common interpersonal skills include:
- Active listening
- Collaboration and teamwork
- Conflict management and resolution
- Empathy and respect for others
Additional examples include strong communication, constructive feedback, and flexible, situationally responsive leadership.
Why are interpersonal skills important in leadership?
Leaders are effective only to the degree that they are able to engage employees and garner their trust,
says Dr. Angelica Gutierrez, a business professor at Loyola Marymount University. Trust is developed through active listening, effective communication, and emotional intelligence.
All three of these proficiencies are the bedrocks of strong interpersonal skills.
Effective leaders also recognize that different teams often benefit from different leadership styles. For instance, some teams respond best to directive leadership built around establishing and pursuing goals. Others work better when given more autonomy. Effective interpersonal skills can help you adapt your leadership methods to your organization.
How can you improve your interpersonal skills?
The idea that a person innately does or does not possess strong interpersonal skills is a misconception. You can learn and improve interpersonal skills methodically and through practice, even if you're not naturally a "people person."
Here's how:
1. Assess your interpersonal skills
Leaders can improve their personal skills by reflecting on where their growth edges,
says San Francisco-based doctor of psychology Juli Fraga. No one is perfect, and that's never the goal. Self-awareness goes a long way.
Self-awareness begins by making an honest assessment of where your current interpersonal skills stand. A good way to do this is by asking yourself targeted questions, such as:
- How well can you predict and proactively mitigate potential points of confusion or disagreement in professional situations?
- Do you find it easy or difficult to understand others' viewpoints during conflict?
- If you are unsure what a colleague is trying to tell you, do you ask questions or internalize your misunderstanding?
- Do people often misinterpret your expectations or instructions?
If you still have room for growth in these areas, refining your interpersonal skills could help you expand your leadership abilities.
2. Create an action plan
After you assess your skills, build a plan to improve them. Don't be afraid to ask for help — your peers, colleagues, supervisors, and employees may have valuable insights to share.
We can't improve if we don't know what we need to work on,
says Dr. Fraga. Asking,
What's something I can improve on?
goes a long way.
Asking for feedback may make you feel vulnerable. If so, try to focus on what you can gain by taking meaningful steps toward professional growth and development.
3. Practice your interpersonal skills
To improve your interpersonal skills, consider watching and learning from leaders whose interpersonal skills you'd like to emulate. Study how they interact with others.
- Do they spend more time speaking or listening?
- How do they deal with questions and alternative viewpoints?
- What word choices do they make?
- What is their body language like?
We can improve our listening skills by practicing active listening,
Dr. Fraga reports. Try it with a friend or partner. Simply listen to what the other person says without interrupting. Try to stay as present as possible.
Dr. Fraga also recommends the work of organizational psychologist Dr. Adam Grant, whose Instagram page offers many free tips and insights. In addition, Dr. Fraga guides professionals to business periodicals like the Harvard Business Review, which regularly covers leadership and professional development topics.
Bibliotherapy is a great way to brush up on your interpersonal skills,
Dr. Fraga says. Read extensively on the topic — it can pay off in a big way.
4. Collect feedback and reflect on your improvement
As you work on your interpersonal skills, you can engage the same people you turned to for help when you created your action plan. Ask if they've noticed any changes, whether these changes have a positive impact, and if they think you need further work on the areas you're targeting.
When your interpersonal skills improve, you may notice that your adjusted managerial and leadership styles inspire better collaboration, improved productivity, fewer misunderstandings, and less conflict. These are positive signs that you're trending in the right direction.
If you experience setbacks, be patient. Return to the beginning, target a specific interpersonal skill, and move through the process again. Improving your people skills takes time and practice, and shortcuts aren't the answer.