U.S. Executives Speak Out On Attributes For Success In Digital Economy

The ability to develop and implement business strategy is the managerial skill viewed by U.S. executives as the most critical for success in the digital economy, followed by solid operational management skills. More than 75 percent (76 percent) of 1,311 U.S. executives surveyed by management consulting firm A.T. Kearney cited development and implementation skills, while 59 percent earmarked operational management skills. An understanding of emerging technologies ranked third (cited by 53 percent). Personal traits identified as important to success included communication skills (63 percent), integrity and vision (44 percent), and the ability to coach and mentor (35 percent). Interestingly, many of the attributes widely believed to be crucial for success in the digital economy, such as risk-taking and passion, came in low on the list of necessary attributes, with less than 20 percent each.