Becker’s has explored this question recently, diving into the trends of “quiet management” and “soft CEOs,” which bolster a CEO’s communication style and social behavior over their financial or strategic prowess.
On Becker’s LinkedIn page, we posed the question to our audience: “Which of the following skill sets do you find most important in a CEO?” Indeed, soft skills appeared to take the cake, with respondents upvoting words that evoke approachability and candor.
Here are the results of the poll, based on 1,318 votes:
1. Honesty and openness: 59% of respondents voted this
2. Compassion and empathy: 22%
3. Financial, technical knowledge: 12%
4. Charisma, public speaking: 7%
At Becker's 4th Annual CEO + CFO Roundtable, taking place November 2–5 in Chicago, more than 1,500 hospital and health system executives tackle decisions that determine whether organizations thrive or merely survive: protecting margins under cost pressure, choosing where to grow, renegotiating payer relationships, stabilizing the workforce and proving real ROI on technology. This is where leaders work through them together, face-to-face. Apply for complimentary registration now.