“Twelve and a Half: Leveraging the Emotional Ingredients Necessary for Business Success” by Gary Vaynerchuk, published in 2021, expands on the author’s belief in the power of emotional intelligence and soft skills as critical components for achieving success in business and personal endeavors. Vaynerchuk, a successful entrepreneur, speaker, and internet personality, has long advocated for the importance of understanding and harnessing one’s emotional capabilities to foster professional growth, strong leadership, and effective team dynamics.
In this book, Vaynerchuk identifies twelve emotional skills and one “half” skill that he considers essential for success in today’s business environment. These include qualities such as gratitude, empathy, self-awareness, accountability, optimism, and others, with the “half” skill being described as a trait that might be more challenging for some people to fully realize or may depend on the situation.
Vaynerchuk argues that these emotional skills are often undervalued in the traditional business world, where hard skills and technical knowledge have historically taken precedence. However, he posits that in the modern, interconnected, and rapidly changing marketplace, soft skills are increasingly becoming a differentiator for leaders and companies that want to build lasting relationships with their customers, create positive workplace cultures, and adapt effectively to change.
“Twelve and a Half” is both a guide and a call to action for individuals and leaders to invest in developing their emotional skills as a means to achieve greater success. Vaynerchuk shares insights and practical advice on how to cultivate these traits within oneself and in teams, emphasizing the long-term benefits of leading with empathy, understanding, and emotional intelligence.
