I'm struck by the parallel between A) the work I do as a coach and organizational development consultant to improve interpersonal skills and B) the role of technology in a networked world. Interpersonal skills, by definition, can't be mastered in isolation. We need other people to become better communicators; if a message isn't received, it wasn't delivered effectively. And as technology becomes an ever more important way to socialize and connect with others, the same becomes true of our technical skills. You can't be a tech-savvy user in isolation; your effectiveness is determined by the perception of others.
In an organization or a social network, interpersonal skills help you build relationships, speed information-sharing and gain influence with others, allowing you to be more effective--which is exactly what technology allows you to do today.
One implication of this is that leaders need not be "techies," in the conventional "IT" sense of the term, but their effectiveness in an organization or a network is increasingly dependent on the extent to which they can employ technology as an interpersonal skill. Charisma can--and must--translate online. (Obama: 1, McCain: 0)
