307. What skills do leaders actually need in the age of A.I.? With Vince Sanderson

Welcome back to Truth, Lies & Work, the award-winning workplace podcast where behavioural science meets workplace culture.

As artificial intelligence accelerates and automation becomes a fixture in our workplaces, a massive shift is happening. The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs data maps out the skills that will define the next five years, and the top of the human skills list reads less like a traditional training catalogue and more like a description of a great therapist: empathy, active listening, resilience, and the ability to influence without authority.

This week, we are joined for a third time by management and leadership coach Vince Sanderson. With 14 years of coaching experience and millions of likes on social media, Vince’s mission is to teach leaders the vital human-centric skills they very often never get formal training on.

In this episode, we break down these "soft skills" into actionable workplace behaviours, discuss why a manager has more impact on an employee's life satisfaction than a therapist, and identify the single "multiplier" skill that will define successful leadership this decade.

🔑 Key Takeaways from the Episode

The Shift from "Soft" to "Core" Skills: The term "soft skills" originated in the 1960s US Army to differentiate human capabilities from equipment hardware. Today, framing them as human-centric or core skills is vital to demonstrating their financial and operational importance to a business.

Complexity Translation & Pattern Recognition: Analytical thinking in leadership isn't just about data; it’s about taking strategic plans and translating them into meaningful language so individual team members see how their role fits into the bigger picture.

The 4 Levels of Listening: Most people operate in conversational listening (waiting for their turn to talk). True leadership requires active listening—employing silence, reflection, and simple coaching questions to let employees uncover their own clarity.

Influence vs. Manipulation: Social influence is the ability to move people without relying on positional authority. The difference between influence and manipulation comes entirely down to intent—true influence serves the collective good, built on the law of reciprocity.

The Power of Emotional Regulation: To foster a resilient and psychologically safe team culture, managers must first master their own emotional regulation and be willing to role-model vulnerability and setbacks.

🎙️ Meet the Guest

Vince Sanderson is a highly sought-after management coach, keynote speaker, and content creator dedicated to helping corporate leaders bridge the training gap.

Connect with Vince:

Website: www.vincentsanderson.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vince-sanderson-9957a5254/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vincent_sanderson/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@vincentsanderson

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@vincentsanderson460

📬 Connect with Al & Leanne

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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/truthlieswork

Al Elliott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thisisalelliott

Leanne Elliott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meetleanne

Email: [email protected]

Book a call: https://savvycal.com/meetleanne/chat

🧠 Mental Health Support

If you or someone you know is struggling with workplace burnout, stress, or mental health challenges, please reach out to these free and confidential resources:

UK & ROI — Samaritans Call 116 123 or visit https://www.samaritans.org

UK — Mind Call 0300 123 3393 or visit https://www.mind.org.uk

US — Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Call or text 988 or visit https://988lifeline.org

Australia — Lifeline Call 13 11 14 or visit https://www.lifeline.org.au

Global helplines: https://findahelpline.com