It's a fact that all businesses today are trying to become technology companies--and digitally enabling the workforce is a challenge we all face. Businesses of all kinds are responding to new demands in a variety of ways, all with an eye to keeping pace with customers' demands for better products and services with a greater digital experience. The pressure is on for us leaders of companies to infuse technology throughout our business to get smarter, faster and more efficient. I'm a former English major who now lives in the heart of Silicon Valley, and I often worry that amid all this bright digital change, business leaders risk forgetting about the importance of soft skills or emotional intelligence--communication, relationship building, writing, persuasion and the art of storytelling. Digital skills are powerful, but without the human-to-human connective tissue that makes business and society function, we will actually lose out on many of the benefits of technology. Here is why we can't lose sight of cultivating communications skills in the digital world: Digital skills alone won't grow your business.

AI is disrupting every area of life, including how organizations find talent. Companies are generally aware of the ROI that comes from finding the right person for the right job. McKinsey estimated that, for highly complex roles, stars can be expected to produce 800% more than average performers. And a recent Harvard Business School study showed that there are even bigger benefits to avoiding toxic workers. Despite this crucial role of talent, organizations are still unable to attract the right talent, relying more on intuitive rather than data-driven talent identification practices -- especially at the top, where the stake are actually highest. Indeed, too many leaders are hired on the basis of their technical expertise, political influence, or interview performance.

As our world and the nature of work fundamentally changes, leaders must consider necessary new skills and accompanying mindset shifts. Changes in the world and workplace mean a shift from traditional leadership to one led by digital transformations. In order to execute effective leadership in a digital world, leaders must embrace key changes rooted in factors like technology, demographics, and cultural norms while retaining the enduring and contextual characteristics of leadership. Will I be ready to lead in 2025? I'm wondering how many of us are asking this question of ourselves.

What makes a good leader? In the past, leadership qualities focused on strength, decisiveness, and the ability to successfully carry out a plan. While these traits are still valued in leaders today, gaining – and retaining – a position of authority now requires a complex cocktail of skills including cooperation, collaboration and adaptability. In the face of Artificial Intelligence, business leadership is undergoing a further shift. How is AI disrupting corporate management, and what does it take to be a successful leader in the world of AI? Smart algorithms are decisive, unwavering, and informed.