It was the choice of 50% of CFOs in a recent survey by Accountemps. The distant runners-up? Speaking/presentation skills (17%) and negotiation (16%).

The emphasis on “soft” skills makes sense when you think like upper management. They need people who can not only reliably report the monthly numbers — but can also explain what those numbers actually mean to managers in other departments. The benefit of getting more vendor discounts or finding a cheaper way to run the weekly payroll may be obvious to you, but a manager in inventory, customer service or similarly “non-finance focused” department may not see it as easily.

The better able you are to relate the company’s financial goals in a way that makes sense to your peers, the more likely they are to go along with any changes that have to be made. 

And that benefits not just you, but the entire company.