Technology has transformed the workplace and the job market. It has affected how long we stay at the same job and what skills are most in demand in our respective industries. As generative artificial intelligence (AI) reshapes the digital economy, keeping your skills and resume up-to-date is essential.

Adding leadership skills to your resume can help you take your career to new heights and help your organization reach its goals. Ahead, we share why it is so important to be a leader and some of the top leadership skills to develop. We also explore helpful tips about how to improve your leadership skills.

Why Leadership Is Important

Developing leadership skills is a great way to move your career forward. It can also help ease the stress of technological disruption in the workforce. AI can help us achieve organizational goals and create efficiencies, but it cannot replace effective leadership. A good leader combines technology and people skills to help teams succeed. A great leader impacts the way their team members feel and communicate when the workplace is experiencing disruption.

According to 2024 Gallup research, employees feel over four times more engaged at work when their leadership effectively communicates with them during disruptive times. These same employees were 65% less likely to experience burnout. In times of change and technological disruption, strong leadership skills are more important than ever.

5 Top Leadership Skills in Demand Today

The following leadership skills may not be listed on job postings. However, they can help you succeed in a leadership role. 

1. Empathy

Connecting with others and bringing the best out of them is a critical element of effective leadership. That is why empathy can be such a powerful skill for leaders. Empathy allows you to broaden your perspective by viewing situations through someone else’s perspective. As workplaces become more diverse, strong leadership is key to bringing different people together.

2. Strategic Vision

To succeed in a leadership role, you need to implement strategies that bring results to your organization. That requires strategic vision, which helps you anticipate and determine the best course of action for your team. A great example of how strategic vision can help a leader succeed is the way Apple changed how we communicate when it launched the iPhone in 2007.

The simple design helped people learn how to use smartphones. It also gave rise to social media platforms, which further disrupted the global marketplace in the decade that followed. None of that would have been possible without the strategic vision behind this historic product design idea.

3. Decision-making

Flat organizational structures are hard to maintain when a company grows. This is because companies need to engage in decision-making that requires leadership rather than management. In many cases, quick decisions need to be made to address market conditions. While building consensus can be a good approach, it takes time. Effective leaders can make quick decisions and follow up with their communication skills to explain their logic. In highly competitive industries, being nimble can mean the difference between success and failure. That is why decision-making is such an essential leadership skill.

4. Technology

Modern leaders understand how to use technology effectively. Technology powers the global marketplace and developing AI skills, for example, can help you move up in your career. As a result, the demand for technological skills is also increasing. According to 2024 McKinsey research, demand for tech skills will increase by 25% and 29% by 2030. With the inception of new technologies, it is increasingly necessary to upskill to stay competitive. 

5. Relationship Management

The evolution of digital technology has connected us to more people than at any other time in history. And while it is necessary to understand technology to succeed in your career, it is equally necessary to be able to work well with others. Relationships inside and outside an organization need to be maintained to ensure that work gets done. Leaders also need to communicate their strategies and decisions effectively. This is another area where interpersonal skills can help.

In the past, leadership skills were seen as something people are born with. However, these skills can be learned and honed over time. Today, you can improve your leadership skills in several ways. The next section offers a quick guide on gaining those skills.

How to Improve Leadership Skills

With new technologies and ways of communicating come new ways of developing career skills. Here are a few ways you can improve your leadership skills:

1. Mentorship

Mentorship is a powerful tool for developing leadership skills and expanding your network. Much of what makes for a great leader is not found in books or online content. That is why becoming someone’s mentee can give you a competitive edge in your career. It also helps you develop key leadership skills, including relationship management. Finding a mentor can be easier than you think. For example, if you know of someone in your organization with a role that you would like to explore, invite them out for coffee.