The Hidden Cost of Soft Skills in Indian Corporate Leadership

Soft skills are great—until they aren’t.

In India, we’ve glorified experience, networking, and polished communication in leadership roles. We assume these qualities translate to competence. But what happens when these very traits allow leaders to fail without consequences? Worse, what happens when they take entire companies down with them?

The Dark Side of Charisma

Vijay Mallya built an empire on confidence and connections. Kingfisher Airlines wasn’t just an airline—it was a brand tied to his flamboyance and persuasive leadership. But behind the charm was reckless financial management, ignored warnings, and misused funds. Investors, lenders, and even regulators looked the other way—until it was too late.

Kingfisher’s collapse isn’t just a case of business failure. It’s a reminder of how soft skills, when misused, can create an illusion of stability—right until the foundation crumbles.

Why the “Safe Choice” is Often the Wrong Choice

Indian boardrooms love playing it safe. A CEO with failures on their résumé but a strong network? Hired. A leader who knows the right people but has no history of real execution? Promoted. The cycle repeats itself.

Boards pick familiarity over fresh perspective. Experience over results. And the same failed leadership gets recycled, leading to poor risk management, stagnant innovation, and ultimately, companies that can’t compete.

Networking Over Nuance

The Indian corporate world thrives on “who you know.” This is why CEOs from the same consulting firms, investment banks, or business families keep getting picked—even when they’ve left a trail of failures behind them.

Yes, persuasion and relationship-building are important. But when they replace strategic thinking, ethical leadership, and real problem-solving, we end up with leaders who are good at everything except actually running a company.

The Brutal Irony

The very soft skills that help people climb the ladder can eventually ruin a company when misused.

The smooth talker who can’t manage a balance sheet.

The well-networked leader who plays it safe instead of taking bold, necessary decisions.

The reputation-conscious board that ignores red flags until disaster strikes.

And when things go south? Golden parachutes, negotiated exits, and another high-paying job elsewhere. The system rewards failure—when failure comes with the right connections.

Time for a Reality Check

It’s time Indian companies stopped confusing experience with competence and networking with leadership. Soft skills are valuable, but they can’t be the foundation of leadership.

Are we rewarding the right kind of leaders? Or are we stuck in a cycle of choosing style over substance?

Drop your thoughts in the comments.