I’m not sure what “underrated” means. Or even whether these are truly “skills.” But, this article was interesting, so I synthesized and summarized what the (supposed) CEOs were looking for.

10 CEOs Answer The Question, What Are The Most Underrated Skills Most Employees Lack?

The one “skill” I take exception to was related to email. The CEO argued that a person should be able to find an email--without searching—in under thirty seconds. While I think it’s good and valuable to keep a clean inbox, I think it’s dumb to shortchange searching like that. By searching, I can find an email I need in under five seconds. Isn’t that a better use of my time?

My area for improvement: Organize and lead a team.

1. Be succinct
2. Be reliable (manage tasks/deliverables without reminders).
3. Use elegant humor
4. Write well
5. Reduce chatter (inbox zero)
6. Use lists effectively
7. Golden Skill Triangle:
   • Figure out what to do (next)
   • Write effective goals (with due dates).
   • Organize and lead a team to execute large scale plans.
8. Own the job