Future-Proofing Leaders & CX: Soft Skills In An AI World

Forbes

15-07-2025

In a previous article, I cited a couple of studies from IBM and Accenture that reported that organizations' efforts to scale and deliver a return from their AI investments were being held back by a lack of a deep understanding of generative AI.
The studies went on to say that organisations need not only to develop this capability but also to get several other things right if they are to harness the potential of generative AI. These include leadership alignment, enterprise strategy, data cleanliness and availability, the need for a modern technological infrastructure, the right internal skills and capabilities and the ability to manage large-scale change.
The Accenture report went on to add that, in their view, talent development and new ways of working stood out as the imperative that offered the most potential to be the greatest differentiator of all of the imperatives they uncovered. However, the report noted, it was also the one that was the least developed in the organizations they surveyed.
Disappointingly, the report stopped short of outlining the skills leaders and their teams will need to develop if they and their organizations are to thrive in this new AI-powered era.
Soft skills
However, a recent report by Skiilify, a research-based learning experience provider, sheds some light on what those new skills and capabilities might be.
Their study was designed to identify the soft skills that leaders need to develop in order to thrive in an industry that is constantly evolving, the value they place on these skills, and the gaps between the perceived value of these soft skills and their actual development.
Here are the main headlines of the study:
While the survey focused on capturing the perspectives of tech leaders and the challenges they face, when I discussed the results recently with Dr. Paula Caligiuri, Co-Founder of Skiilify and a D'Amore-McKim School of Business Distinguished Professor at Northeastern University, she believed that the findings about skills deficiencies are directly translatable to all leaders.
She also noted that two other things really stood out to her from the findings.
The first was how each of these competencies was considered extremely important for the future. But, given where leaders are currently at, acquiring these new skills and competencies will require a 'big behavioural shift', Caligiuri suggests.
Secondly, Caligiuri highlighted that most respondents felt they had 3-6 years to develop these competencies. This is partly aligned with Accenture's view that 'The rapid pace of technological change has reduced the half-life of skills to less than five years.'
However, Caligiuri disagrees and warns that 'super-employees', those with deep technical skills and knowledge, as well as a mature set of developed soft skills, are in high demand right now, and that demand is only going to grow.
As a result, Caligiuri suggests that leaders should start developing these skills now, as they will take time to develop. However, she also warns that the road ahead is likely to be 'tough' and that leaders will likely face 'some bumps and bruises along the way, but that leaders should stick with it', as these skills are likely to become increasingly important in the coming years.
This is sound advice.
But, one of the most telling findings for me emerging from the research was the insight that leaders often lacked the time to develop new skills.
This is a real challenge.
Not just for leaders but for their teams too.
They not only have to create the space and time for themselves to experiment, fail, and learn, but they must also create an environment and culture that allows their team members to do the same.
In a world where the pace of technological change appears to be constantly increasing, this, for some, will feel like an impossible task.
However, that is the challenge emerging from this research.
The truth is that if we want to achieve the better customer, employee, and business outcomes that we are all striving for, then leaders and their teams must carve out time and space to learn and try new things. This is essential if they are to give themselves a fighting chance of providing a superior experience to the customers they serve.