Skip to Main Content
HBS Home
  • About
  • Academic Programs
  • Alumni
  • Faculty & Research
  • Baker Library
  • Giving
  • Harvard Business Review
  • Initiatives
  • News
  • Recruit
  • Map / Directions
Faculty & Research
  • Faculty
  • Research
  • Featured Topics
  • Academic Units
  • …→
  • Harvard Business School→
  • Faculty & Research→
Publications
Publications
  • Article
  • Harvard Business Review

The C-Suite Skills That Matter Most

By: Raffaella Sadun, Joseph B. Fuller, Stephen Hansen and PJ Neal
  • Format:Print
ShareBar

Abstract

Landing a job as a CEO today is no longer all about industry expertise and financial savvy. What companies are really seeking are leaders with strong social skills. That’s what the authors discovered after analyzing nearly 7,000 job descriptions for C-suite roles. Their explanation for this trend? Business operations are becoming more complex and tech-centered; workforce diversity is growing; and firms face greater public scrutiny than ever before. Those conditions call for leaders who are adept communicators, relationship builders, and people-oriented problem solvers. To succeed in the future, the authors argue, companies will need to focus on those skills when they evaluate CEO candidates and develop in-house talent.

Keywords

C-Suite; Skills; Skills Development; Social Skills; Management Skills; Interpersonal Communication; Talent and Talent Management

Citation

Sadun, Raffaella, Joseph B. Fuller, Stephen Hansen, and PJ Neal. "The C-Suite Skills That Matter Most." Harvard Business Review 100, no. 4 (July–August 2022): 42–50.
  • Find it at Harvard
  • Register to Read

About The Authors

Raffaella Sadun

Strategy
→More Publications

Joseph B. Fuller

Entrepreneurial Management
→More Publications

More from the Authors

    • International Journal of Human-Computer Studies

    Multitasking While Driving: A Time Use Study of Commuting Knowledge Workers to Assess Current and Future Uses

    By: Thomaz Teodorovicz, Andrew L. Kun, Raffaella Sadun and Orit Shaer
    • April 2022 (Revised June 2022)
    • Faculty Research

    Michael Lomax at UNCF

    By: Joseph B. Fuller, Sarah Gulick and Susie L. Ma
    • 2022
    • Harvard Business Review (website)

    The Great Resignation Didn't Start with the Pandemic

    By: Joseph B. Fuller and William R. Kerr
More from the Authors
  • Multitasking While Driving: A Time Use Study of Commuting Knowledge Workers to Assess Current and Future Uses By: Thomaz Teodorovicz, Andrew L. Kun, Raffaella Sadun and Orit Shaer
  • Michael Lomax at UNCF By: Joseph B. Fuller, Sarah Gulick and Susie L. Ma
  • The Great Resignation Didn't Start with the Pandemic By: Joseph B. Fuller and William R. Kerr
ǁ
Campus Map
Harvard Business School
Soldiers Field
Boston, MA 02163
→Map & Directions
→More Contact Information
  • Make a Gift
  • Site Map
  • Jobs
  • Harvard University
  • Trademarks
  • Policies
  • Accessibility
  • Digital Accessibility
Copyright © President & Fellows of Harvard College