Getting from the ground floor to a corner office often seems like a collection of industry skills, such as learning finance, sales, and office management. However, according to William Vanderbloemen, founder and CEO of Vanderbloemen Search Group, it’s the soft, human skills that make all the difference. Vanderbloemen, author of Be the Unicorn: 12 Data-Driven Habits that Separate the Best Leaders From the Rest, notes that relationships will drive jobs in the future as STEM degree jobs get replaced by AI.
Vanderbloemen’s company has conducted over 30,000 in-depth interviews with leading candidates for executive positions since 2008. These interviews revealed that successful candidates possess 12 teachable skills that give them an edge. Vanderbloemen emphasizes that technical skills are not unnecessary, but with AI taking over many of these activities, people need to develop skills that make them irreplaceable.
Human-to-human skills are simple yet deeper and subtler. One such skill is speed, or time-sensitive responsiveness. Vanderbloemen explains that people who respond quickly and with intention stand out from the crowd. Automated responses lack authentic human context, a trait of respect.
Another essential soft skill is self-awareness. Vanderbloemen notes that out of 250,000 interviews, 93% of people said they were above average, which is clearly impossible. True self-awareness means knowing how you react to situations and being honest about your abilities. When you’re self-aware, you’re not going to put yourself in danger or set yourself up for failure.
Developing these strengths and traits takes time and effort. It won’t happen in a day, week, month, or maybe a year or longer. These skills are something to build throughout a career and continue to develop and deepen. Vanderbloemen identifies nine other critical traits, including being authentic, admitting mistakes, and being agile and adaptable.
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They also consider having a “north star” that is a driven purpose to be essential. Some people are motivated by money, while others want to be the best or leave the world better than they found it. The higher the north star, the farther the individual goes, according to Vanderbloemen. Being regularly prepared, remaining constantly curious, and creating and maintaining connections with others are also vital soft skills.
Building a successful career requires a combination of these soft skills. It’s not just about having a few of them, but about developing and deepening all of them over time.
As AI continues to replace many technical skills, it’s essential for people to focus on developing their human-to-human skills. By doing so, they can make themselves irreplaceable and build a successful career. This is a long-term process that requires effort and dedication.
It is a process.
The outcome is a successful career.
