The Best Future-Proof Skill Nobody Talks About
It’s not on the WEF list. But every boss, founder and client is looking for it.
Everyone’s obsessed with “future-proof” skills.
World Economic Forum says it’s “analytical thinking,” “creativity,” “AI literacy,”—blah blah blah.
Go ahead, update your LinkedIn. Download another free PDF checklist. And have fun.
But here’s the skill you won’t see on any World Economic Forum (WEF) report:
Be easy to deal with.
That’s it.
No app, no certificate, no LinkedIn badge required.
Why is this the ultimate cheat code for success?
Because you can teach someone to code, write, sell or run agile sprint in Jira.
But you can’t teach “not being a pain in the ass.”
Who gets invited to cool projects?
Who gets second chances, more intros, the quiet heads-up when things change?
The person who’s just… nice to work with.
You don’t have to be a pushover.
You don’t have to say yes to everything.
But if you can show up on time, keep your word, don’t cause drama and make things easier - not harder - you’re already on the “hire again” shortlist.
My “Easy to Deal With” Equation:
Future-Proof = (Show Up × Reliable × No Drama) + Be Human
Not sexy. Not headline-grabbing.
But the truth is, every job, every gig, every big success comes down to:
Would I want to deal with this person again?
So if you’re wondering what to practice, sure - learn the hot stuff: AI agents, quantum computing and the other fancy things.
But also dial up your “easy to deal with” habits and watch doors open that AI can’t even knock on.
Not on the WEF list, but ask any founder, manager or freelancer what they actually want:
They’ll tell you, “Give me someone who’s easy to deal with and I’ll figure out the rest.”
~Felix