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Klaus Schwab, the founder and executive chairman of the World Economic Forum, recently wrote: “We stand on the brink of a technological revolution that will fundamentally alter the way we live, work, and relate to one another. In its scale, scope, and complexity, the transformation will be unlike anything humankind has experienced before.”¹⁸

Schwab nicely captures today’s reality. Several technologies have emerged that will completely change our world in fundamental ways. Digital technology will continue to transform everything we do, including the way we work and learn. Big data will help organizations better predict business and people issues like nothing we’ve ever seen before. Artificial Intelligence (AI) will enhance decision making and complement the work of leaders and employees. For example, IBM recently announced that it developed an AI predictive attrition program that can predict which employees will leave a job with 95 percent accuracy.¹⁹ This kind of data will become more common in the future and will assist managers to better lead their people.

In February of 2019, I gained some valuable insights into how that shaped my thinking about technological change. I took part in the Future Series (FU.SE) conference, held in Milan, Italy. The inaugural event was sponsored by Microsoft, The Boston Consulting Group, and The Adecco Group. The event brought together a broad array of business, technology, government, and policy leaders to discuss a future of work that works for everyone. I was one of the speakers, and also participated in many of the amazing sessions. Brad Smith, president and chief legal officer at Microsoft, spoke eloquently about how technology is reshaping our world and the very nature of work. He shared that technological change always follows a similar pattern. It begins slowly and gradually at first, but then change happens suddenly where the pace picks up and things take hold. He stressed that as leaders we need to not only be aware of the changes that are coming, but also be wary of the hype that typically accompanies the introduction of new technologies. We will need to have a firm grasp of new technologies and the know-how to exploit the benefits while minimizing the threats. We will also need to appreciate that in the future the way we lead will be mediated by technology, as AI will give us insights into the people we lead, what motivates them, and how to better help them succeed.