For the last few years, empathy has taken a public beating. And yet, AI predicts that managers will be required to have refined soft skills more than ever in the years to come. Let’s unpack this.

In many leadership circles—and especially in the broader political and cultural climate—empathy has been reframed as softness, indecision, or even weakness. “Strong leadership” has too often been reduced to certainty, dominance, and speed. Listening became optional. Nuance became inconvenient.

And yet, quietly, the research never changed.

Organizations that perform well over time still rely on leaders who can regulate themselves, read a room, listen without defensiveness, and lead people who don’t think, look, or work exactly like them. The data has been consistent, even when the narrative hasn’t.

So why do I think AI predicts that emotional intelligence and so-called “soft skills” will come back into focus over the next decade?

Because the systems leaders are managing are becoming more complex, not less.

Work today sits at the intersection of rapid technological change, multigenerational expectations, globalized teams, and ongoing social uncertainty. In that environment, command-and-control leadership breaks down quickly. You can’t brute-force trust. You can’t mandate engagement. You can’t shame people into sustainable performance. (I mean, you CAN do these things, but what will the outcome be? Disarray, splintered relationships, and stymied progress).

In theory, if we can get through this volatile epoch, leaders will see the operational skills needed to succeed: emotional regulation, clear (non-inflaming) communication, and adaptability.

That said, I’m not exactly sure when AI thinks this will become “important” again. It’s probable that the leaders who will thrive in the next decade won’t be the loudest or the most forceful. They’ll be the ones who can hold complexity, listen well, make decisions without collapsing into reactivity, and lead across difference without losing themselves… but will the people with power acknowledge this? Time will tell, just as the pendulum swings.

Empathy isn’t weakness. It’s capacity.

And the more strained our systems become, the more that capacity will matter.