My answer might be a little off, but even if programming skills are essential, they are not the only thing that matter. Being able to speak in public, express

My answer might be a little off, but even if programming skills are essential, they are not the only thing that matter. Being able to speak in public, express clearly your ideas (either orally or written), being able to consider the opposite point of view, take into account the past and history when making a decision or a judgment are (IMO) essential skills. To be more at ease when speaking publicly, you could play in a play or do some impro. Joining a debating club will also help in that and will force you to consider an opposing point of view. Reading and writing, analyzing arguments will help to better structure your arguments. Reading about history and being curious about everything will help to open your views before making any decision. Otherwise: category theory (abstract maths), the link between physics and computation (see Feynman's lectures on computation).