As organizations navigate constant change amid technological advancements and market volatility, the expectations of leadership are rapidly evolving. Gone are the days of command-and-control. Instead, companies will need managers and executives who are adaptable, empowering, technologically fluent and human-centered. By investing in training, organizations will prepare their people to guide hybrid teams where humans and AI work in partnership.
The Call for Upskilling and Reskilling
The demand for new skills is accelerating. A recent study found that, for the average job, 32% of the required competencies have changed in the past three years [1]. I invite you to pause and consider that statistic for a moment. On average, one third of the capabilities a person may bring to their role today are likely to be obsolete in just three years.
Replacing the workforce is more costly than reskilling and upskilling staff, [2] so organizations are increasingly turning to Learning & Development (L&D) to keep pace. In addition to supporting employees, leadership training [3] has received particular attention.
The Leadership Challenge
With the introduction of AI, leaders have new opportunities. Training Magazine [4] revealed how executives and managers of the past often served as directors and gatekeepers of information, analyzing data and organizing work. With the support of technology, they can offload many of these tasks and focus more on being coaches, strategists and sources of inspiration.
This transformation also introduces a new responsibility: Orchestrating effective collaboration between people and machines.
Evidence suggests that blending human talent with AI creates measurable gains. In fact, a 2024 study demonstrated that teams supported by generative AI produced higher-quality work than those without AI assistance. [5] This finding reinforces a central truth: Technology does not diminish the role of people. It elevates the need for distinctly human skills.
Despite the promising success of hybrid human-AI teams, nearly half of workers feel their employers are not preparing them adequately for this integration. [6] They will need guidance from individuals who are equipped to navigate the changing workplace and support them through the transition.
What Future-Ready Leadership Looks Like
To prepare managers, L&D teams may focus their upskilling efforts on three themes:
1. AI Literacy
Leaders are unlikely to need to code algorithms; however, it’s important that they have a strong understanding of how AI works, where it adds value and where it poses risk. Recognizing that potential challenges like algorithmic bias [7], data privacy and one-size-fits-all thinking may arise from an over-reliance on technology is essential to making informed decisions. Beyond raising awareness of these risks, provide training to help participants mitigate them. Investing in solutions that elevate their capacity for perspective-taking and critical thinking can be powerful complements to intelligent systems.
2. Human-Centered Skills
As automation increases, leadership requires greater focus on empathy, ethical decision-making and communication, especially as these abilities are often missing from AI outputs. Create development solutions designed to elevate the emotional intelligence, coaching and team building competencies of executives and managers. By prioritizing these talents, individuals can build trust, promote collaboration and motivate staff to perform to the best of their abilities.
3. Adaptive Management
Our workplace environments demand flexibility, including the capacity to balance adjusting structures and workflows to integrate technology while adapting to uncertainty and supporting employees. To embrace transformation, L&D teams can boost supervisors’ cognitive agility, [8] support their personal resilience, empower them with change management strategies as well as elevate their capacity for learning and unlearning. Adopting growth mindsets will be vital to company success.
Training Strategies
Get started on developing future-focused talents by:
- Conducting a Skill-Gap Analysis: Use assessments and AI-powered analytics to identify your existing and emerging leaders’ confidence in the capabilities noted above so that you can align training programs with real needs.
- Delivering Personalized Learning Pathways: In addition to offering consistent leadership training programs for staff, be mindful to deliver just-in-time solutions as well as tailored learning experiences that participants may opt into based on their priorities, interests and gaps.
- Integrating Scenario-Based Learning: To perform at their best, individuals need opportunities to practice new competencies. Simulate decision-making in hybrid human-AI environments to give participants hands-on experience leading in the future of work.
Preparing for the Era of AI-Human Collaboration
Tomorrow’s leaders will not succeed by mastering AI alone. They will excel by weaving together human emotion, adaptability and perspective-taking with the power of intelligent tools.
Organizations that commit to upskilling and reskilling today will cultivate a pipeline of workplace influencers ready to navigate uncertainty, turn disruption into opportunity and empower their staff to succeed. The future of work is already here. By embracing transformation today and preparing your people now, your workforce and company will thrive.
Help your leaders strengthen their people skills with Emergenetics! Learn more about our solutions [9] or fill out the form below to speak with one of our team members today.