United States, October 29, 2025.- As automation upsets the global labour market, Professor Jason Wingard, an expert in leadership and the future of work, says that the key to success is no longer the mastery of technological tools, but the strengthening of human skills that AI cannot replicate. Faced with the waves of redundancies in large companies like Amazon or Paramount, he calls on managers to invest in what he calls the real « survival skills » 21st century.
Human at the heart of AI performance
The integration of artificial intelligence into the world of work has led to unprecedented productivity gains. Tools like Microsoft Copilot write, calculate and analyze at the speed of light. But according to studies by Microsoft Research and the World Economic Forum, this efficiency hides a weakness: a decrease in depth of reflection and human creativity.
The jobs of the future will therefore not depend on speed of execution, but on the ability to think differently and bring meaning where the machine cannot.
The five skills that keep the human indispensable
1. Know how to ask the right questions: IA provides answers, but only humans can identify the real problems to be solved;
2. Create what does not yet exist: Innovation, narrative and design remain the areas where human creativity exceeds the machine;
3. Connecting with empathy: Emotional intelligence and listening skills remain essential levers of leadership;
4. Interpret the consequences: Ethics, social responsibility and moral reflection cannot be automated;
5. Learning faster than technology: In a world where technical skills have a lifespan of less than three years, adaptability becomes vital.
The future of leadership: humanizing automation
Major companies such as Accenture and JPMorgan Chase are already redefining their training programs, combining mastery of AI and empathy, ethical judgment and critical thinking. A study by Harvard Kennedy School (2025) also shows that leaders who balance automation and discernment outperform their peers.
Wingard concludes: « It is not the rise of AI that threatens leadership, but the decline of reflection. »
In other words, the future belongs to those who will collaborate with the machine without ceasing to think for themselves.
W.A.
