I studied 400 highly successful leaders—5 skills you need to sharpen in the age of AI: Stanford expert

The rapid advancement of AI is reshaping industries, redefining job roles, and making adaptability more critical than ever. The question isn't whether it will impact your career, but how you can prepare yourself to thrive in this evolving landscape.

As a lecturer at Stanford Graduate School of Business and the author of “The Systems Leader,” I've spent 23 years studying how professionals can navigate disruptive changes. Resilience in the AI era requires a combination of continuous learning, adaptability and relationship-building.

After studying over 400 leaders from around the world, here are the five best habits I've seen for future success:

1. Be a lifelong learner

The most successful people, the ones who build thriving careers amid uncertainty, actively seek out new knowledge and skillsets.

They understand that ignoring changes you don't like, especially when it comes to technology, is a dangerous trap that can lead to obsolescence. Break out of your usual information bubbles. Resist the urge to stick exclusively with people from the same background who all see the world the same way.

Take a class on AI or connect with colleagues who are in different stages of their careers, especially younger folks who are immersed in technology.

2. Balance strength and empathy

AI is good at logic and data analysis, but it doesn't have the capacity for genuine emotional understanding.

One of the leaders I spoke to for my research was Kathy Mazzarella, the CEO of Graybar, a company that specializes in supply chain management. She has been described as leading with an “iron fist in a soft glove.”

Mazzarella told me that while it's important to hold people accountable, when she sees someone struggling at work, she'll start with an open conversation before making any big staffing decisions.

Deciding between ambition and kindness is a false choice; successful people find a way to do both. Whether it's a skills gap, a job mismatch, or someone going through a personal challenge, how you handle each of those scenarios will not be the same.

3. Think in ecosystems, not silos

Being able to understand your place in a broader ecosystem is an increasingly critical skill.

For example, Seth Bodnar, the President of the University of Montana, needs to balance a variety of constituents, from students to alumni to faculty to administrators to the government to employers and even the cities in which his campuses reside. How to balance the needs of each party, and how each interacts with others, helps ensure that friction between key parties can be reduced if it flares up.

Success comes from recognizing how different sectors influence one another, and how innovation often comes from outside traditional silos.

One thing I encourage companies to do is draw an influence map of their ecosystem, and look for where key constituents both influence others, and are also dependent upon others. This can help visualize very complex dynamics in their ecosystem.

4. Focus on building relationships

The most effective professionals build strong relationships inside and outside their organization to gain critical insights that they might otherwise miss.

Internally, colleagues across departments provide key insights that challenge assumptions and reveal inefficiencies. An engineer may see customer obstacles differently than a marketer, and frontline employees often identify operational gaps that executives might overlook. Seeking input from people at all levels sharpens decision-making and helps prevent costly oversights.

Externally, industry peers, mentors, and customers offer outside perspectives that can be just as valuable. Because they aren't embedded in your company's culture, they're more likely to ask tough questions, point out emerging trends, or challenge conventional thinking.

5. Be comfortable with constant change

The AI revolution is real, and rather than fearing this, we should see it as a chance to evolve and grow.

During a visit to my class in 2021, Corie Barry, the CEO of Best Buy, offered some valuable advice: “You can't fall in love with how you do business today.” The only employees who thrive over time are the ones who are willing to do things completely different from the past.

By cultivating human skills, understanding industry ecosystems, embracing change, and focusing on internal and external relationships, you can build a career that not only survives but thrives in the age of AI.