As AI handles technical tasks, uniquely human skills like curiosity, empathy, and judgment become paramount. Leaders must adapt their hiring processes to screen for these non-replicable soft skills, which are becoming more valuable than traditional marketing competencies.

While technical qualifications are a baseline requirement in procurement, they are not the differentiator for success. Advanced professionals separate themselves with superior soft skills—the ability to build trust, communicate effectively, and align diverse stakeholders is what enables true strategic impact and career advancement.

Blippar's CMO, who couldn't code, attributes her success to translating complex technology into compelling messages. Turning 'image recognition computer vision' into 'the Harry Potterification of print' is a superpower that bridges the gap between innovators and the market, proving more valuable than technical expertise alone.

In collaborative fields, being a pleasant person to work with—a "good hang"—can advance your career further than exceptional talent alone. People actively avoid working with difficult personalities, regardless of their skill, which ultimately limits opportunities.

The term 'soft skills' diminishes crucial competencies like communication, collaboration, and adaptability. Calling them 'impact skills' correctly positions them as the abilities that truly move the needle and drive tangible business results, removing any connotation of being secondary to 'hard' skills.

Hard skills like programming have a half-life of just 2.5-5 years. To future-proof your career, focus on developing transferable "durable skills" like agility, receiving feedback, and persuasion. This strategy makes you a versatile "general athlete" who can thrive in any future role.

As AI handles analytical and data-driven tasks, the critical skills for salespeople shift. Emotional intelligence, listening, communication, and influencing decisions are no longer secondary 'soft' skills but have become the essential 'hard' skills that drive success and cannot be replicated by machines.

Technical skills and methodologies are commodities that can be easily learned. The skills that truly separate exceptional PMs from average ones are soft skills like storytelling, influencing without authority, and presenting effectively. These are the real force multipliers for a PM's career.

Technical proficiency is just the price of entry for an engineering role. To truly advance, engineers must understand the business context—like funding, M&A, and profitability—to align their work with strategic goals and provide maximum value.