If you want to become a better leader, AI cannot teach you the skills that matter most
Artificial intelligence has transformed how organizations recruit, measure, and manage talent. Algorithms can scan résumés in seconds, predict technical proficiency, and even evaluate communication patterns. But as someone who has worked at the intersection of defense, technology, and customer experience, I have seen firsthand the skills that machines cannot capture. And often, those are the very qualities that determine success as you advance in your career.
AI thrives on structured data. It can evaluate whether someone meets baseline qualifications, how clearly they write, or whether they can code in a specific language. What it cannot reliably assess are the soft skills that come alive in ambiguous, human-driven situations. Machines can detect sentiment in text or tone, but they cannot fully grasp how a leader builds trust during moments of crisis. When I served as the first Customer Experience Officer for the Department of Defense, what mattered was not just launching digital tools but creating confidence among service members and civilians. That required empathy, presence, and listening, none of which could be measured in a dataset.
The same was true during Operation Allies Refuge, the evacuation of Afghan refugees. Requirements shifted by the hour and no playbook could account for the complexity of the moment. What mattered was how teams improvised, collaborated, and stayed resilient under pressure. AI can track performance in structured simulations, but it cannot measure how people respond when everything is uncertain.
Integrity in decision-making is another dimension that machines cannot fully replicate. In defense and national security, decisions often come with no clear right answer. Leaders must balance competing priorities, values, and risks in ways that cannot be reduced to a binary score. The weight of these choices and the integrity required to make them are fundamental to leadership.
Influence and presence also resist automation. Early in my career at Redfin, when the company was still in its earliest stages, I experienced just how important it was to inspire belief in an idea that was not yet proven. We were asking people to trust a new model of real estate that challenged long-established norms. The ability to communicate vision, to instill confidence in both customers and colleagues, and to lead through uncertainty was not something any algorithm could measure. It was human connection that turned hesitation into momentum and made it possible to move from an idea to a business.
This is why the most important skills to develop are the ones AI cannot measure. Empathy, adaptability, integrity in decision-making, resilience, and leadership presence are not nice to have. They are the foundation of leadership. They are the difference between managing tasks and leading people. And like any discipline, they are not innate. It takes both experience and opportunity to cultivate them. You learn empathy by being present in difficult conversations, adaptability by navigating uncertainty in real time, resilience by pushing through setbacks, and leadership presence by stepping into moments where others are looking to you for direction.
If you want to become a better leader, these are the skills that matter most. No algorithm can replace them, and as careers progress, their importance only grows. Technology may accelerate work, but it is human qualities that inspire trust, move organizations forward, and create lasting impact.
