Tomorrow’s leaders will need new skills to deal with the realities of the fast-moving, interconnected and technology-driven workplace. The good news is that these leadership skills can be learned and are still required even when bots and machines are part of the workforce. Here are 14 leadership skills of the future workplace.

1. 14 Essential
Leadership Skills
During The
4th Industrial Revolution

2. © 2018 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
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IntroductionIntroduction
Just because your colleagues in the future workplace will include artificial intelligence
and bots, doesn’t mean that human leadership skills won’t be necessary. In fact,
leadership skills will be vital to success. Tomorrow’s fast-moving, interconnected and
technology-driven world will require leaders to adapt to the new realities of the 4th
industrial revolution in order to succeed. While some individuals are born with innate
leadership abilities, the leadership skills of the future workplace can also be learned by
individuals with a passion for doing so.
14 Essential Leadership Skills During
The 4th Industrial Revolution

3. © 2018 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
Due to the speed of change in the future workplace, leaders will have to agile and able to
embrace and celebrate change. Successful leaders during the 4th industrial revolution will see
change not as a burden but as an opportunity to grow and innovate.
Actively Agile
14 Leadership Skills of the Future Workplace

4. © 2018 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
Just as employees will need a healthy amount of emotional intelligence, it will be critical for
leaders in the future workplace to be able to perceive, understand and manage emotions—
theirs and their team’s.
Emotional Intelligence (EQ)
14 Leadership Skills of the Future Workplace

5. © 2018 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
Tomorrow’s leaders will need to find a balance between confidence in their own abilities and
decisions, and being humble about their place in the organization. Future leaders will take all
the unique skills of the team working together to drive initiatives and leaders won’t be viewed
as the critical cog to success. Tomorrow’s leaders will encourage others to shine.
Humbly Confident
14 Leadership Skills of the Future Workplace

6. © 2018 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
Leaders will need to earn the respect of their team by holding themselves accountable. The
workplace of the future will become more transparent and collaborative. In this environment,
it’s crucial for a leader’s actions to be in alignment with the company’s goals and objectives.
Accountable
14 Leadership Skills of the Future Workplace

7. © 2018 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
In any organization there are multiple stakeholders and a future leader will need a big-picture
vision and be able to understand how each stakeholder, whether it's employees, suppliers,
shareholders or another, will be impacted by decisions. This requires a leader to strategically
determine how to meet all stakeholders' needs effectively.
Visionary
14 Leadership Skills of the Future Workplace

8. © 2018 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
There won’t be a clear roadmap to follow in the workplace of the future. This requires a leader
to have the courage to face the unknown and navigate difficult circumstances. Possibly even
more essential is the courage to change course in the event the situation calls for a new
strategy.
Courageous
14 Leadership Skills of the Future Workplace

9. © 2018 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
Leaders will need flexibility in the future to accommodate the shifting demands of workers,
workspaces, and tools. What resulted in success in the past won't be the formula for
tomorrow's success, so leaders need to flex to accommodate the new reality. And, the reality
is expected to shift regularly, so leaders won't be able to be complacent.
Flexible
14 Leadership Skills of the Future Workplace

10. © 2018 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
The 4th industrial revolution fuelled by technologies such as artificial intelligence, blockchain,
robotics, internet of things, big data, augmented reality, and more. Just about every industry
and company will change because of technology. Leaders will need to understand and have
conversations and make decisions about technology. The ability to understand what tech can
do for an organization is essential, and leaders must continuously embrace new platforms and
tech tools.
Tech Savvy
14 Leadership Skills of the Future Workplace

11. © 2018 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
As a result of the influx of machines into the future workplace, leaders will need to be even
more human. A human’s intuition is the ability to “read” what’s not being said and is at the
moment a uniquely human skill. A leader who is willing to have conversations around what’s
not being said and to hear the good, bad and ugly from their team will be poised for future
success.
Intuitive
14 Leadership Skills of the Future Workplace

12. © 2018 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
Future leaders won’t stay in their corner office. It will be imperative that leaders in the future
work alongside their employees and get to know their strengths and weaknesses to help them
acquire new skills and help drive their professional development. They will be very
collaborative.
Collaborative
14 Leadership Skills of the Future Workplace

13. © 2018 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
Leaders will need to quickly assess a situation and learn what they need in order to make
effective decisions. Along with this, they will need to be open to coaching and learning from
the subject matter experts on their team.
Quick Learners
14 Leadership Skills of the Future Workplace

14. © 2018 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
Our future workplaces will be diverse and global. Effective leadership requires someone adept
at appreciating and leveraging the differences every individual brings to the team from their
individual perspectives.
Culturally Intelligent
14 Leadership Skills of the Future Workplace

15. © 2018 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
With a multigenerational and multicultural workforce, leaders will need to exude authenticity.
These are the ones best able to build connections and trust. Leaders will need to be authentic
in times of uncertainty and failure just as they need to be when they are excited about
success.
Authentic
14 Leadership Skills of the Future Workplace

16. © 2018 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
While the pace of the future workplace will be quick and it will require flexibility, a future
leader will need to maintain focus on the objectives of the organization. They provide the
stability employees need even when the pace of change could make it easy to pivot from one
priority to another. A strong leader will be able to cut through the chaos and make sure
everyone knows what’s important.
Focus
14 Leadership Skills of the Future Workplace

17. © 2017 Bernard Marr , Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
© 2018 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
Bernard Marr is an internationally best-selling author, popular keynote speaker, futurist, and a
strategic business & technology advisor to governments and companies. He helps
organisations improve their business performance, use data more intelligently, and
understand the implications of new technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data,
blockchains, and the Internet of Things.
LinkedIn has ranked Bernard as one of the world’s top 5 business influencers. He is a frequent
contributor to the World Economic Forum and writes a regular column for Forbes. Every day
Bernard actively engages his 1.5 million social media followers and shares content that
reaches millions of readers.
Visit The
Website
© 2017 Bernard Marr , Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
© 2018 Bernard Marr, Bernard Marr & Co. All rights reserved
Bernard Marr is an internationally best-selling author, popular keynote speaker, futurist, and a
strategic business & technology advisor to governments and companies. He helps
organisations improve their business performance, use data more intelligently, and
understand the implications of new technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data,
blockchains, and the Internet of Things.
LinkedIn has ranked Bernard as one of the world’s top 5 business influencers. He is a frequent
contributor to the World Economic Forum and writes a regular column for Forbes. Every day
Bernard actively engages his 1.5 million social media followers and shares content that
reaches millions of readers.
Visit The
Website

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