It’s worth considering which skills will be consistently valuable, even as technology capabilities and business models continue to evolve quickly.
There are three meta-skill domains, which underlie all other skill progress:
- Self-leadership
- Ability to learn new information and skills
- Mental models for analysis and decision-making
These meta-skill capabilities enable everything else.
The four most valuable skill areas, both now and going forward:
- Communication – the ability to share ideas, gaining perspectives, educating and engaging others
- Sales & Marketing – we’re always selling and persuading, reaching new customers/partners, persuading people to buy or use or change
- Finance & Markets – financial models and appreciation of interconnected markets and sub-markets are powerful toolsets with many applications
- Coding – the 4th generation digitalization of everything means that skills in coding concepts and thinking in algorithms are critical, even if you’re not a software developer per se
Note these are true for commercial ventures, non-profits, academic, and government institutions.
If your strengths and desires align with these four, terrific! Go deep, and apply broadly.
If your strengths lie elsewhere, work to combine a subset of these skills with your specific strengths to maximize your ability to deliver value over a long time.
The one thing you cannot do is to rest content, deluding yourself that continued skills sharpening and acquiring better skills is unnecessary.
