If you've heard it once, you've heard it 10 million times: IT leaders have to become more business savvy than they've ever been before. But exactly which business skills do IT leaders need to learn? Bob Lewis suggests that while not all business skills are necessary for IT pros, there are 10 that really matter.

First and foremost, IT leaders should hone their listening skills, Lewis advises in a post at CIO magazine. "Good listeners have an advantage over everyone else: They're constantly learning what everyone around them knows, which makes them smarter than those who are busy showing how smart they are."

Collaboration and negotiation are essential business skills for IT folks, as is an understanding of basic business finance, Lewis writes. While it is not critical to know how to read balance sheets or cash flow statements, it is important to be able to interpret profit-and-loss statements, ROI, depreciation and how capital expenses differ from operating expenses.

Understanding the organization's business model and operating model are also vital business skills. "IT pros who understand the business model are in a position to suggest ways IT can make their company more effective--especially the IT they're working on right now. IT pros who don't are limited to talking in glittering generalities that might or might not have any relevance to making the company more successful."

My personal favorite on Lewis's top 10 list is No. 7: "Knowing how to use pronouns." Here is his advice:

"When talking to anyone: (1) Use I only to give examples of when you used to do things wrong. (2) You belongs in positive sentences, as in, "You're way ahead of me on the use of pronouns." (3) We take on the hard tasks and get them done. Use we to establish buy-in. (4) Attach they to every wrong opinion, attitude, concept, and way of working. These four rules are critical to presenting ideas in ways that maximize acceptance and minimize resistance, unlike those less-enlightened souls who have never figured them out."

The next two essential business skills--political power mapping and managing up--may be a bit trickier to master. Power mapping involves figuring out who in your company decides whether or not you will advance and who their allies and confidants are. That knowledge lets you know where to focus your networking efforts and where to steer clear. Managing up--or managing your boss--minimizes the odds that you will be given "bone-headed work," Lewis advises.

Finally, being proficient in your job is a must. "If you can't do the job you're paid to do and do it well, nobody will listen to you on any other subject no matter how brilliant your ideas might be."

For more:
- see Bob Lewis's post at CIO

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