As we enter the new year, I’ve been reflecting on a few pressing questions:
What skills do we need to thrive in a world increasingly shaped by AI?
What specific challenges do leaders face?
How do we prepare to meet these demands?
I’ve been leading technology-enabled change for about 30 years, which makes me sceptical of hype cycles and buzzword bandwagons. Yet, the current wave of AI transformation feels different—deeper, faster, and more profound. It feels more like the invention of the early steam engines, with a long way to go before we get electric vehicles and leaf blowers!
With two speaking engagements coming up early this year, I’ve been ruminating on these questions. Initially, I asked myself:
-What does it mean to lead in the age of AI?
That led to the questions at the top of this post. The more I ruminated, the more questions I had, so I focused first on skills.
I developed five categories of skills. And to my surprise, most of those skills turned out to be human, not technical.
Adaptive Mindset: Adaptability, curiosity, and resilience to thrive amid constant change.
Cognitive and Analytical Skills: Critical thinking, systems thinking, and data literacy to navigate complexity and make informed decisions.
Social and Interpersonal Skills: Emotional intelligence, collaboration, and communication to foster trust and effective teamwork.
Ethics, Integrity, and Values: Ensuring AI is used responsibly, promoting fairness, transparency, and inclusivity.
Change Leadership: Cultivating and nurturing innovation through curiosity and experimentation.
The list isn’t definitive or mutually exclusive. These skills work together and inform one another, forming the foundation for thriving in an AI-driven world. Are these categories a good starting point?
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