A recent piece in the Harvard Business Review offered interesting information regarding the skills needed for executive positions. While there are some traits that will always be helpful for higher-level executives, every role is different: some CEO responsibilities will be affected by the nature of the company and the person's own experience.
The consultancy Zenger/Folkman surveyed more than 332,000 professionals on the "core competencies" most important in their own roles. Out of these, the number one competency was found to be the ability to "inspire and motivate others." However, varying amounts of people championed this belief depending on their rank.
For example, four percent more respondents in the "Top Management" category valued the "inspires and motivates" metric than senior managers. Some of the other high-ranking competencies include "Drives for Results" and "Communicates Powerfully and Proficiently."
Joseph Folkman, one of the co-authors this study, summarizes the findings in a Forbes article and hints at the questions that professionals need to ask themselves as they rise through the ranks.
"Which competencies if accomplished extremely well would have the greatest impact on your ability to be successful in your current job?" he said. "Developing skills in these important competencies can help leaders to be more successful in their current jobs, which in turn, speeds the opportunity for their level and role to increase."
Companies that use executive search consultants to prioritize candidates with particular skill sets save trouble and maximize each person's unique skill set. By establishing the competencies they are looking for beforehand, enterprises prepare themselves for future improvement.
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