Now, it may surprise those in C-Suite in Bangladesh to know that getting a job as a CEO in a large global company today is no longer all about industry expertise and financial savvy alone. Research conducted by Joseph Fuller, a professor of management practice and a co-chair of the Project on Managing the Future of Work at Harvard Business School and his colleagues confirms what companies are really seeking are leaders with strong social skills—something popularly known as ‘soft skills. These researchers analysed nearly 5,000 job descriptions for C-suite roles from a database of a global headhunting firm. What is their explanation for this trend? Here are the main reasons: business operations across the board are becoming more complex and technology-centred, workforce diversity is growing faster than anyone could imagine, and companies are facing increased public scrutiny than ever before. These conditions actually call for leaders who are adept communicators, relationship builders, and peopleoriented problem solvers. To succeed in the future, the research argues, aspiring CEOs and other C-level executives will need to focus on those skills and not only the traditional skills in business and financial operations.
