Key Finding: Soft Skills > Technical Skills
**86%** of Gen Z and **85%** of millennials rate soft skills as more critical for career progression than technical or AI capabilities.
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Communication and active listening
Leadership and team collaboration
Empathy and emotional intelligence
Strategic networking and relationship building
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While organizations pour resources into technical training and AI integration, a majority of today’s leaders and rising leaders are telling us they need human skills to be and do their best. This isn’t anti-technology—it’s recognizing that in our increasingly automated world, the ability to connect, influence hearts, hands, and minds, and inspire becomes even more valuable.