Nevertheless, in examining hundreds of executive profiles developed over the past decade or so by the executive search firm Heidrick & Struggles and interviewing numerous top managers about the requirements for senior leaders past, present, and future, we have seen some clear signals about how C-level jobs are evolving. And though we can definitively identify the skills that companies seek now, pinpointing those that will be useful in the future is unavoidably speculative. The trends vary by function, geography, and industry-and, of course, by company. So when it comes to managing your own career, how do you prepare yourself to move up? What abilities should young would-be executives focus on developing as they choose companies, functions, and jobs? And what skills should working executives hone as they strive to reach the next level? We know that different times and different circumstances call for different leadership skills. The Staircase, 2005, metal structure, wood, vinyl tiles, 14.75′ x 11.5′ It offers a road map for ambitious managers who want to know which skills they should focus on developing in order to rise up the chain of command. This article explores those developments in more detail and explains other findings about the latest requirements in each of seven C-level jobs: CIO, chief marketing and sales officer, CFO, general counsel, chief supply-chain management officer, chief human resources officer, and CEO. You need a global mind-set and will be expected to offer your CEO deep insights on key business decisions. To thrive at the C-level, you must be a strong communicator, a collaborator, and a strategic thinker. Members of senior management now have more in common with their peers than with the people they manage. One strikingly consistent finding is that today technical and functional expertise matters less at the top than business acumen and “soft” leadership skills do. Exactly what abilities do firms want in their leaders-now and in the future? By examining hundreds of job profiles developed by executive-search firm Heidrick & Struggles and interviewing numerous senior managers, the authors have identified some clear trends. Companies have come to expect much more from their C-level executives, who need new and different skills to deal with today’s business realities. Job requirements at the top of corporations have changed.
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