The Workplace Skills Every Leader Must Nurture in the AI Era

Every executive I talk to these days is chasing the promise of AI — and for good reason. AI can crunch terabytes of data in seconds, identify patterns our brains would never spot and spit out predictions with machine-grade precision. It’s like hiring Sherlock Holmes, 24/7, for every spreadsheet you own.

But once you’ve optimized the analytics, streamlined operations and outsourced the repetitive, then what?

According to the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025, creative thinking now ranks as the fourth most important skill for the workforce — just behind analytical thinking, resiliency and leadership influence — and employers expect it to continue rising in importance over the next five years.

Related: How to Access the Inner Power That Makes You Irreplaceable in an AI-Driven World

What’s left for humans?

Here’s the thing: AI can help you predict where the puck is going. But it still takes a human to imagine a game no one’s ever played.

In a world increasingly defined by what machines can do, the true competitive edge lies in what they can’t. It turns out, the most irreplaceable workplace traits aren’t technical at all. They’re deeply, stubbornly human, and they’re the key to unlocking the kind of future AI can’t compute.

Creativity: The art of the unexpected

Try asking AI to invent something no one’s thought of before. It’ll give you a beautifully average answer, pulled from yesterday’s data. But innovation? That’s rarely born from averages.

At Disney, we once mashed up two unrelated worlds (cruise ships and Broadway) to create a new kind of entertainment experience at sea. There was no data model for that. Creativity lives in those collisions. It’s not linear. It’s jazz.

Innovation often comes from mashing up ideas from completely different worlds. That’s a leap only humans can make — not because we’re smarter than AI, but because we’re messier. And in mess, magic lives.

Empathy: Seeing with invisible eyes

AI can simulate sentiment, but it can’t feel. Empathy lets us read the room, understand what’s not being said and design experiences that resonate on an emotional level.

When we were reimagining the guest experience at the Disney parks, it wasn’t just about moving people through queues more efficiently. It was about understanding how a tired five-year-old felt at 3:00 p.m. in July heat and how to make that moment magical. No algorithm can hold a crying toddler’s hand or design for that level of emotional nuance.

Empathy lets you see the world through someone else’s eyes. AI has no eyes. And in a market where customer loyalty is earned through feeling seen, empathy is a powerful skill.

Curiosity: The spark that starts it all

Curiosity is the question AI can’t ask: “What if…?”

AI can optimize the answer. But only humans can invent the question. Curiosity is the fuel for imagination; without it, creativity runs dry. And let’s face it: Without curiosity, even the best strategy turns into a checklist.

Related: AI Is an Answer, But Not the Only Answer — Here’s Why It Can’t Replace Humans

Imagination: The last great frontier

Imagination is where creativity, empathy and curiosity come together to dance.

It’s what lets us visualize a better culture, a new product or an entirely different business model — before there’s any evidence it will work. It’s what turned Kodak’s camera into Instagram’s empire (well, someone else’s, because Kodak wasn’t imagining fast enough).

Imagination is the only tool that can build a bridge to a future that doesn’t yet exist. Right now, in the age of disruption, it might be your only sustainable edge.

So, where do these leaps actually happen?

Here’s the secret: Our biggest leaps don’t happen in front of a spreadsheet. They happen when we’re not trying so hard to make them.

Ever had a great idea in the shower? On a walk? While your kids were explaining Minecraft to you (for the 40th time)? That’s not a coincidence — that’s neuroscience.

Imaginative leaps live in the subconscious, and they tend to show up when we’re immersed in storytelling, play or totally new environments. I’ve seen executives light up with creative breakthroughs just because we swapped their boardroom for a room filled with Legos.

At Disney, we’d often use what we called “strategic distraction.” Get people out of the conference room. Get them laughing. Get them telling stories. Why? Because when the conscious brain relaxes, the subconscious kicks in, and that’s where the bold ideas hide.

Leaders, here’s what you can do right now

If you’re leading a team, you’re also leading their permission to imagine. So, how do you make room for the human traits AI can’t replicate?

Cross-pollinate ideas:

Bring in perspectives from outside your industry. Your next innovation might not come from your competitors; it might come from a pastry chef, a jazz musician or a five-year-old.

Use energizers:

Start meetings with playful, unexpected activities to lower the social risk of speaking up. Even a goofy question such as “What would Batman do in this situation?” can disarm fear and invite creativity.

Reward the question, not just the answer:

Too often, we reward what’s correct and punish what’s unknown. But if curiosity is the engine of innovation, we need to start celebrating the asking, not just the answering.

Create spaces where imagination feels safe:

Use signals, even physical ones, to make it clear when you’re in imaginative mode. At Disney, we had an “iD8 Room.” In other companies, I’ve seen gorilla masks, red cards or even toy wands. Whatever it takes to say: “Judgment is on pause, and wild ideas are welcome.”

You get more of what you celebrate — so celebrate curiosity, empathy and imagination.

Related: Want Your Team to Excel? Play Games With Them (Yes, Games) to Advance Their Performance to the Next Level.

Why possibility, not prediction, will define the future

In a world where technology can predict faster than ever, human imagination is becoming the last unfair advantage. The organizations that thrive won’t just be the ones that adopt AI. They’ll be the ones that also double down on what AI can’t replicate.

So, don’t just invest in automation. Invest in your people’s creativity. Train for empathy. Make curiosity a KPI. And give imagination the same weight you’d give any other business-critical metric.

Because when AI has done all it can, it’ll be your humans — messy, emotional, imaginative humans — who build the bridge to whatever comes next.

Every executive I talk to these days is chasing the promise of AI — and for good reason. AI can crunch terabytes of data in seconds, identify patterns our brains would never spot and spit out predictions with machine-grade precision. It’s like hiring Sherlock Holmes, 24/7, for every spreadsheet you own.

But once you’ve optimized the analytics, streamlined operations and outsourced the repetitive, then what?