How to lead humans in the age of AI 

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Disruption has become our new workplace reality. For managers, navigating change is an everyday responsibility, not an occasional responsibility. Gallup reports that 72% of employees recently experienced workplace disruptions, and nearly a third of leaders experienced extensive disruptions.  

Today, no disruption is as prevalent as the rise of artificial intelligence. Yes, as sophisticated as AI might become, the key to successfully leading your team through change does not lie in smarter tech, but rather in fostering the fundamental human skills that AI will never be capable of delivering.  

The human role 

Quiet the noise around AI and you will find the simple truth that the most crucial workplace capabilities remain deeply human. According to World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025, essential skills like resilience, agility, creativity, empathy, active listening, and curiosity are far more valuable than technical skills.  

Those skills listed may be commonly referred to as “soft,” but in the age of AI, they are not just feel-good assets reserved for your personality hires. The future of work hinges on how well your teams adapt, connect, and perform together as humans. 
 
Of course, none of this should be surprising. Good leaders understand the importance of human-centered skills. Yet, there remains a significant gap between what we value and what we actively build in our people. Deloitte’s 2025 Human Capital Trends Report says that 71% of managers and 76% of HR executives believe prioritizing human capabilities like emotional intelligence, resilience, and curiosity, is “very” or “critically” important. 

 
This human skills gap is even more urgent when Gen Z is factored in. They entered the workforce aligned with a shift to remote and hybrid environments, resulting in fewer opportunities to hone interpersonal skills through real-life interactions. This is not a critique of an entire generation, but rather an acknowledgment of a broad workplace challenge. And Gen Z is not alone in needing to strengthen communication across generational divides, but that is a topic for another day.  
 
Adding fuel to the fire are increased workloads, job insecurity, and economic stresses. When we combine these pressures with underdeveloped human skills, we see the predictable outcomes: disengagement, confusion, and last year’s buzzword, quiet quitting. 
 
If leaders are not proactively developing their team’s human capabilities, they leave them unprepared to navigate exactly the changes they are expected to embrace.  

Find comfort in discomfort 

So what should leaders do? The answer is simple, but the practice is challenging. Leaders must embrace their inner improviser. Yes, improvisation, like what you have watched on Whose Line Is It Anyway? Or the awkward performance your college roommate invited you to in that obscure college lounge. The skills of an improviser are a proven method for striving amidst uncertainty.  

Decades of experience at Second City Works and studies published by The Behavioral Scientist confirm the principles of improv equip us to handle change with agility, empathy, and resilience.  
 
A study involving 55 improv classes, including several facilitated by The Second City, revealed a powerful truth. Participants who intentionally sought out discomfort developed sharper focus, took bolder creative risks, and reported greater confidence and improved communication skills.  
 
The lesson? Discomfort is not the problem. It is the pathway forward.  
 
Leaders must model this openly. Normalize statements like, “This feels awkward, but we’ll navigate it together.” When your team sees discomfort as an opportunity to learn rather than a flaw to fear, they will follow your example.  

Encourage authentic curiosity

Amid constant change, we crave clear answers. But sometimes rushing toward the first “right answer” closes the door to innovation and possibility.  
 
Instead, leaders should practice authentic curiosity. Ask your team, “What else could be true?” Welcome “I don’t know” moments. Create psychological safety so new ideas can surface without judgment.  
 
Curiosity keeps your teams adaptable. And according to the World Economic Forum, it remains one of the most valuable capabilities leaders can nurture.  

Make listening the cultural norm

We talk a lot about the importance of listening, but few teams actually practice it consistently.  
 
Make listening intentional and visible. Respond with the phrase, “So what I’m hearing is,” followed by paraphrasing what you heard. Pose thoughtful questions that indicate your priority is understanding, not just replying. Consciously build pauses into conversations, especially during tense or critical discussions.  
 
When team members feel heard, they are more willing to collaborate, innovate, and commit to their teams. Listening is not simply polite. It is strategic and transformative.  
 
Disruptions will not slow down. Innovative technologies will continue to emerge. New directives will always appear. Priorities will shift rapidly. But leaders who want to guide teams who thrive, not just survive, must invest in their people first.  
 
An improvisor’s skills are worth cultivating. Because, the future of work does not need smarter tools, but it will demand more empowered, resilient humans, and the improvisational leader who inspired them. 

Tyler Dean Kempf is creative director of Second City Works. 

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