The term *soft skills* was coined in the 1960s by the U.S. Army to draw a distinction between practical abilities, such as handling equipment, and interpersonal competencies. It seems everyone must excel in soft skills to be an effective leader or contribute greatly to teamwork. Even financial management can be considered a soft skill.

Don’t you think that soft skills are underestimated these days? However, psychological research shows that they are even more important for your success than cognitive skills. This fact was proved by an experiment with 1,500 entrepreneurs in West Africa divided into a control group, cognitive skills learners, and character skills learners.

The entrepreneurs who focused on cognitive skills took a course on business management, which included financial literacy, reporting, human resources management, advertising, and pricing. This undoubtedly helped them succeed, but the group that developed personal qualities was almost three times more successful in solving business challenges. Exercises to build up discipline, initiative, and determination helped character skills learners anticipate changes in the market. This group was also more proactive.

As a matter of fact, this experiment demonstrated that psychologist William James of the late 1800s wasn’t right. He thought that by the age of thirty, the character becomes established and is incapable of change. Yet, character evolves over time and is grounded in values, rather than being driven solely by instinct. A truly strong character is formed by the difficult experiences of life. Only humans can demonstrate such powerful character traits as compassion, ethics, and selflessness.

Undoubtedly, character is worthy of the same investment of time and effort as career advancement. If we all pay enough attention to character, society will undergo a radical transformation. So, you can unleash your hidden potential and cultivate a determined, disciplined, and proactive personality by training your character like a muscle in the gym.