The Importance of Training Soft Skills for Leaders in the Age of AI
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has significantly changed the landscape of work. Advancements in technology have impacted every industry and employees across all levels – from front-line workers to leaders. Business leaders are recognizing the potential of AI in redefining traditional business paradigms with a promise of unprecedented efficiency and innovation.
As AI continues to unleash its potential, the argument around whether human efforts are being replaced or aided by AI garners more attention. There is an increased focus on how AI will impact human-technology interaction in the workplace. For leaders in the organization, a concern that’s lingering is: while AI can analyze, predict, and even learn—can it truly lead?
At its core, leadership has always flourished through the complexities of human emotion, perception, and the ability to forge connections with others. While AI excels in analytical capabilities, it has yet to, and may never, replicate the nuances of human-to-human connection. This is where people skills, also known as soft skills, come into play. Soft skills such as self-awareness, emotional intelligence (EQ), creativity, problem-solving, and empathy are now more important than ever for leaders to counterweigh the growing influence of machines. Leaders in the organization must understand that the transformative abilities of the organization do not rest on technology alone but a combination of technology and touch.
Why Soft Skills in the Age of AI?
In an evolving workplace where algorithms play an influential role, there’s an imminent threat to human agency, leading employees to feel detached and alienated. Workers are fretting over an uncertain future and it’s only growing further with the incessant number of news headlines warning about the growing AI influence. Moreover, many industries are replacing employees with technology, which is further lowering the employees’ sense of belonging and motivation, jeopardizing their well-being, and, in turn, hurting business performance.
While organizations cannot afford to ignore AI, the leaders of the organization presume an essential role in shaping a culture that strikes a balance between technological advancements and human abilities. The actions of the leaders influence a lot of what happens within the organization. Leaders who empathize with their employees, communicate and collaborate with them, and come up with innovative ideas to make the best use of AI in the workplace – all of these being the embodiment of soft skills, can potentially alleviate the fears and apprehensions of the employees and promote an effective adoption of AI.
As organizations explore the nature of leadership in the age of AI, it will be important to utilize soft skills training as a growth and strategy approach while promoting employees to leadership positions.
However, the current landscape of learning and development emphasizes a disconnect between the growing need for soft skills and the available training. According to LinkedIn's 2023 Workplace Learning Report, 93% of employers consider soft skills crucial, yet only 25% of companies offer comprehensive soft skills training. This disconnect prevents organizational growth as the adoption or acceptance of AI technologies is a change process that requires leaders to be adaptable and reinforce that within the organization. Organizations must make ongoing soft skills training a priority to increase their receptiveness to change.
Top Leadership Soft Skills Crucial in the Age of AI
- Critical thinking: As AI systems automate tasks and analysis, leaders will need to rely on human intelligence for interpreting and contextualizing results, assessing implications, and making business-driven decisions.
- Effective Communication and Collaboration: Leaders need to communicate effectively and collaborate with their teams to align on business goals and navigate AI-related changes.
- Innovation: Leaders will need to find ways to foster a culture of innovation and leverage their expertise to encourage new ideas for complex challenges.
- Ethics and integrity: With the increasing influence of AI systems, leaders must ensure their ethical deployment, prioritizing fairness and preventing harm.
- Vulnerability: Employees are more impressed by vulnerable leaders who admit their mistakes, take accountability for their failures, and are self-aware about their weaknesses. In an age of AI where complex answers are readily accessible, embracing vulnerability will be key to retaining the human element of work.
- Empathy: While dealing with any big transformation such as with the influence of AI, leaders need to listen to their employees, and understand their sentiments. After all, it is not just about their vision but what their employees need.
It is evident that these skills are not likely to be replaced by AI. The fact is, people skills will always be in demand no matter how fast AI, or any other technology advances. With a strong focus on people (soft) skills, organizations can upskill, reskill, and coach their leaders to drive success at the workplace. At NIIT, we understand that by investing in soft skill development, both employers and employees can equip themselves to thrive in the ever-changing competitive and AI-driven work environment. That’s why we help our customers with a leadership and soft skills training catalog that offers best-in-class, cutting-edge pedagogy, cost efficiency, and time to deployment. Explore more in our catalog.