5 Future Skills That Will Set You Apart

"The future is built by our daily, inconsistent, and changeable decisions, and every event influences all others." – Alvin Toffler

What do we need to build the future?

We've been talking a lot about the changes that society as a whole is facing. Technology has been the main driver of this transformation. And by now, we understand how much it affects our lives, particularly the job market.

But all of this - whether it's changes or companies - is built by people.

If the future is made today, what skills will be necessary to get us there successfully?

Based on the World Economic Forum's findings, I bring you five skills that, in my opinion as a professional and leader, stand out.

More than ever, we need people with vision, who can lead companies to the next level.

I'll tell you upfront that NONE of these skills are hard skills.

Join me in this conversation.

Active Learning

The first skill is quite interesting and stands out to me. The idea of active learning is that every opportunity can be used to learn. It doesn't matter where you are or who you're with; any experience can be valuable.

The key is understanding that you have the autonomy to build your own learning.

Does this mean that formal education isn't necessary? Yes and no. Let me explain.

Formal education through courses and universities continues to be very important and necessary. However, if you understand the need to build active learning, you'll likely gain much more from an academic environment.

You stop being the student who waits for the teacher to guide them and only does what's required. Your goal becomes actively seeking knowledge, even going beyond what the course might have envisioned.

Do you see the importance of having people like this in the market?

And the core of building active learning is curiosity.

So don't be afraid to explore, discover, and try new experiences. All of them will be an opportunity to hone this skill.

Persuasion and Negotiation

I imagine you've experienced a situation where a salesperson insists that you sign up for a rewards program.

The salesperson uses persuasion techniques to convince you to do what they need. Even though you might not have any intention of signing up at that moment, they often succeed.

I like this example to demonstrate that we need to negotiate in every aspect of life, even when we don't realize we're negotiating.

In the case of the salesperson, the more persuasion and negotiation techniques they know, the easier their job becomes. But even if you work in technology, for example, these techniques will still be necessary. You'll need to negotiate with your boss about salary and working hours, with your colleagues about task distribution, and with your family making noise during your home office.

Those who can negotiate well will have an advantage. This skill will become increasingly valuable.

Emotional Intelligence

I believe you're already familiar with the importance of this soft skill. More than necessary for dealing with the different situations we face daily, this skill will be crucial in the future.

It's not enough to be a professional with an impeccable resume if you can't handle difficult situations well.

If you panic at every mistake or mistreat colleagues when something doesn't go as planned, I have bad news for you.

The market will need professionals who can handle the unpredictable.

The changes will be big and significant. Without emotional intelligence, we won’t be able to build what’s necessary to face them.

Creativity and Originality

We all want to be unique and original.

This doesn't change when we think about the business world. Companies are looking for employees who are engines of innovation.

And if this skill is already required today, its value will be even greater in the future.

Machines are a great help for many of our tasks, but the unique and creative element is a human skill that's difficult to replicate.

The new era will demand very creative solutions, and it will become increasingly challenging to be original.

How do we create new experiences and products?

How do we build new worlds in the AI era?

How do we make a company stand out against strong competition?

All these questions will need creative people to answer them.

Interestingly, creativity is directly linked to active learning. The more curious you are, the more you learn, and the more creative you become.

Analytical Thinking

Finally, a skill I find very important is analytical thinking.

Creativity and learning are essential, but how do we understand which ideas will yield the best results?

Without analytical thinking, it's harder to know how to apply the solutions reached through the other skills.

The market is looking for people who can see the big picture and propose more assertive solutions.

Additionally, they should be able to notice market changes, finding opportunities for growth.

Now you might be thinking: but how am I going to develop all these skills?

I’ll tell you, it’s not necessary to have all of them.

The trend is for companies to increasingly understand the need to build complementary teams, rather than expecting a single employee to know everything.

Even so, it's important to think about how many of these skills you can improve. Which of them relate to what you do today? Which do you already have but might be ignoring?

Start becoming a professional of the future now.