No wonder we have so many people leading who simply aren’t prepared. In the past there were many more layers of management. Those days are long gone. As organizations flattened for efficiency, they lost critical training grounds for leaders.

It’s where hard skills meet soft skills in training and development. Communications skills training can cover the most basic skills—like articulation and posture—and it also dovetails with headier skills like emotional intelligence and giving feedback, where self-awareness and empathy come into play.

Time-pressed managers always tell us they’re glad they invested the time when we’re finished. Because two things happen: First, assessments work better, and second, management has a far better shared understanding of the team it’s assembling.