The New Path to the C-Suite

Job requirements at the top of corporations have changed. 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. 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. One strikingly consistent finding is that today, technical and functional expertise matters less at the top than business acumen and "soft" leadership skills do. Members of senior management now have more in common with their peers than with the people they manage. To thrive at the C-level, you must be a strong communicator, a collaborator, and a strategic thinker. You need a global mind-set and will be expected to offer your CEO deep insights on key business decisions. 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. 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.