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- As AI automates technical tasks, human-centered soft skills like empathy, communication, and adaptability become essential for success in the future of work.
- Soft skills such as emotional intelligence and adaptability hold long-term value, as they are timeless and transferable across roles and industries.
- Soft skills are harder to replicate than technical skills, making them a rare and strategic asset that provides a competitive advantage in a tech-dominated world.
This article was written by Paula Caligiuri, PhD, and Nada Sanders, PhD.
In a world captivated by technological breakthroughs, fueled by relentless disruption, and shaped by advancements in AI, it’s easy to assume that hard, technical skills — like coding, data analytics, and robotics — will reign supreme in the future of work.
But as technology advances, soft skills — the ones that have historically been considered secondary or “nice-to-have” — are becoming the real differentiators for success.
This duality of skills is highlighted by Moravec’s Paradox: What humans excel at, technology struggles with, and vice versa.
Consider that AI can quickly analyze vast amounts of data, like identifying trends in global markets within seconds, but it falters when asked to tie a shoelace or pour a cup of coffee without spilling. Machines can read and synthesize books in seconds but can neither read your spouse’s emotion nor select the possible date night to match that mood.
At work, AI can’t wince at break room coffee, sense the energy of an inspired team, or interpret the subtle expression of an exhausted colleague. Humans, not machines, can perceive and “read the air” to understand the context and respond accordingly.
Yes, the future will be powered by technology, but it will be led and coordinated by people. The more we automate technical tasks, the more critical soft skills like contextual agility, adaptability, trust, and collaboration will be.
The Case for Soft Skills
Here are five reasons why mastering these soft skills might be the hardest and most valuable thing your organization can develop for the future:
1. The more we automate, the more human we need to be.
We often assume that as AI and automation take over routine tasks, human employees will need to double down on their technical skills to stay relevant.
But the opposite is true.
The more we rely on machines to handle data, analysis, and routine decision-making, the more we will need humans to provide what machines cannot — context, creativity, and connection.
Consider customer service. Chatbots may be able to handle basic queries, but when things get complicated or emotionally charged, it’s human empathy and communication skills that make all the difference.
In an age where technology is becoming a commodity, human-centered skills will be the ultimate differentiator. In fact, we interviewed Rod Harl, the CEO of Alene Candles, who told us that their company is specifically investing in ongoing training on interpersonal communication skills. As a company, Alene Candles has won numerous awards and has grown more than 80 percent in the last five years. Rod told us that investing in talent and developing interpersonal skills “… is our secret sauce.”
2. Technical expertise has a short half-life.
Another counterintuitive truth is that technical skills have a shorter shelf life than most professionals realize.
The programming language or software tool that’s hot today may be outdated tomorrow. While technical skills will always be important, their relevance is fleeting. Today’s coding is moving to low-code and no-code AI technology.
Similarly, today’s prompts will be ineffective as quickly as the next iteration of models comes out.
On the other hand, soft skills like adaptability, cultural agility, and relationship-building are evergreen.
These skills are about the context — they transfer between jobs, companies, and industries. And the higher your leadership role, the more these skills matter.
Executives and leaders aren’t typically promoted because of their mastery of the latest coding language; they advance because they can motivate, inspire, and influence others.
3. Soft skills are strategic and can’t be easily copied.
Unlike technical skills, which can be easily quantified and replicated, soft skills are comparatively more difficult to develop and measure. They’re intangible by comparison, leading many to underestimate their importance in organizational strategy.
With sufficient funds every company can acquire technical skills and level the playing field. What’s the differentiator of success in a competitive marketplace? It’s soft skills.
Soft skills aren’t easily cultivated, which makes it difficult for competitors to imitate quickly. Developing soft skills requires employees to build self-awareness, and engage in cognitive and behavioral training, practice, and coaching.
Companies investing in development of soft skills will see compounding returns and a strategic benefit, especially in environments where change is constant.
4. EQ will be more important than IQ in the future.
For decades, we’ve been told that intelligence and expertise are the keys to success. While these factors are undeniably important, research increasingly shows that emotional intelligence (EQ) is an even stronger predictor of performance.
Understanding yourself and others, managing emotions, and handling interpersonal relationships judiciously and empathetically are what separate high performing teams and leaders from the rest.
While digital literacy was viewed as a foundational skill by the leaders we spoke to, interpersonal skills such as the ability to effectively communicate, meaningfully engage with others, garner team cooperation, and general EQ were seen as the winning skills.
Our interviews reveal that while technical skills get more press, it’s these uniquely human skills that are needed — and are in short supply in today’s marketplace.
Peter Cameron, CEO of Lenox Group, underscored that workplace success depends on the ability to cultivate personal relationships.
“Nothing replaces long term relationships that are personal — and the longer the relationship the better,” he said.
Consider the role of soft skills in succession planning. When deciding who to promote, those with executive presence who can negotiate their team’s social dynamics, navigate organizational politics, accurately read a room in a client meeting, and gracefully handle the pressure of a looming deadline are those who ascend the corporate ranks.
Many outstanding technical professionals report to those with outstanding soft skills. The reverse is rarely true.
5. The most successful companies understand the paradox of soft skills.
Perhaps the most surprising element of this shift is that the soft skills most essential for the future of work often fly in the face of conventional wisdom.
For example, we’re frequently told that assertiveness is the key to leadership. In many cases, however, it’s humility that unlocks collaboration and innovation. Listening, learning, and asking questions are often more effective than projecting an unwavering confidence.
Similarly, while ambition and drive are important, resilience — the ability to bounce back from setbacks and keep moving forward — may be even more critical.
Spencer Fung, CEO of Li & Fung, recently said to us, “I now hire for resilience.” Then he added, “I used to hire for competency. I now hire for tenacity, grit, resilience.”
As industries evolve and career paths become less linear, organizations that foster a workforce capable of navigating uncertainty and setbacks with resilience will outlast those that merely focus on avoiding failure.
The next era of work will undoubtedly demand a blend of technical and soft skills, but here’s where people get the focus wrong: the soft skills will be the hardest to cultivate and the most valuable in the long run. They will be the key differentiator in an increasingly automated world.
The question for leaders isn’t whether to prioritize the development of soft skills — it’s how to equip teams to rise to the challenge of mastering them.
Paula Caligiuri is founder and CEO of Skiilify, a digital platform for improving cross-cultural communication. She has a new book, Build Your Cultural Agility: The Nine Competencies of Successful Global Professionals, and offers a free web tool to assess cultural agility at myGiide.com. Nada R. Sanders, Ph.D., is an internationally recognized AI thought leader and expert in forecasting and global supply chain intelligence. Ranked by Stanford as one of the world’s top 2 percent of scientists, she’s a sought-after speaker and the author of 100-plus top-tier scholarly publications and seven books, including The Humachine: AI, Human Virtues, and the Superintelligent Enterprise (Routledge, Second Edition; March 11, 2024). Learn more at nadasanders.com. Both are D’Amore-McKim School of Business Distinguished Professors of International Business at Northeastern University.
