Ravi has more than 28 years of executive experience. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from IIT Madras and an MBA in Finance and Operations from Tulane University in New Orleans. While pursuing an active corporate career, he has been intensely passionate about education, steadfast in the belief that children thrive when they are in the right environment. He founded Enabling Leadership, a global not-for-profit that uses Football, Music, and Lego to instill leadership skills in underprivileged children in Asia, with the simple vision that every child can be a leader and a generation of leaders will create a different, better world.

Soft skills also referred to as life skills, transferable skills, and 21st century skills have always been an essential ingredient of productivity and innovation. Now, in an economy increasingly driven by technological advancements, the criticality of these skills in the workforce has grown several-fold. There is ample evidence that skills like teamwork and effective communication facilitate collaborative environments where diverse ideas can flourish, leading to greater innovation and creative problem-solving. Innovation is never linear and requires interdisciplinary solutions. Employees with strong soft skills can effectively work across different departments, integrating diverse perspectives and expertise to create innovative solutions. These capabilities become even more vital in the sectors that thrive on client-facing interactions for influencing business outcomes.

While technical skills can be easily measured and quantified, soft skills are intangible and often more challenging to assess. However, their impact on productivity and organizational success is profound. Companies with employees who excel in communication, adaptability, and problem-solving are better equipped to meet their revenue targets and achieve sustainable growth.

In today’s global workforce, it is critical to learn how to interact and collaborate with people from various backgrounds, irrespective of gender, ethnic and economic background, or religion. At Enabling Leadership, these soft skills, which we prefer to call leadership skills, give children from disadvantaged families - the essential tools they need to free themselves from the bonds of intergenerational poverty and pave their own path to a better future

Companies known for strong soft skills development are more attractive to top talent, giving them an edge in today’s highly competitive tech labour market. Soft skills such as cultural awareness and communication are crucial for tech companies operating in global markets, facilitating smoother international collaborations and market expansions.

Leaders with strong soft skills can inspire and guide their teams towards achieving their strategic vision and goals. Soft skill development creates an agile workforce capable of adapting to new technologies and market demands, ensuring long-term economic resilience.

The World Economic Forum (WEF) estimates that by 2025, 85 million jobs may be displaced by automation; while 97 million new roles may emerge that involve a combination of labour between humans, machines, and algorithms, many of which will require advanced soft skills. WEF has also been advocating for integrating soft skills training into educational systems to cater to this rapidly evolving labour market.

Governments, educational institutions, and research groups worldwide acknowledge the role of soft skills in enhancing national productivity and competitiveness. As economies transition to knowledge-based models, the ability to innovate, collaborate, and adapt becomes crucial for maintaining economic growth.

Research also shows that soft skills are best developed during the impressionable 10-15 year age group using experiential pedagogy and creative mediums. In our years of work with the underserved communities, we have seen a direct correlation between the promotion of soft skills, poverty alleviation, and entrepreneurship. We have witnessed that children who grow up in low-income families are much more likely than other children to be poor when they become adults.

As per studies, a focused approach towards honing Life Skills or Soft Skills is the single most important factor in stopping the transmission of poverty from parents to children. When children come from socially and economically disadvantaged backgrounds, between their parents, the schools they attend and the communities they live in, they do not have the access and opportunity to learn these skills. Dealing with day-to-day livelihood-related struggles makes it even more difficult for them to flourish.

Soft skills, which we prefer to call leadership skills, give children from disadvantaged families - the essential tools they need to free themselves from the bonds of poverty and pave their own path to a better future. Equipped with strong soft skills, these children are better positioned to seize opportunities, create businesses, drive community development, and break free from the cycle of intergenerational poverty! This can have a huge impact on the overall economy of a nation.

It is also critical for a country like India with the largest population of youth in the world to integrate soft skills development into our education curriculum and ensure a holistic development of students, preparing them for the future workforce. Given the scale of change and outreach required, this requires intensive collaboration between government, the social sector, and private enterprise.