The world of work is transforming quicker, and at a larger scale, than ever before—some estimate that it’s happening ten times faster and at 300 times the scale of the Industrial Revolution.

With such significant change, leaders must find new ways to build a thriving workforce, and ensure their organisations are managed in a way which enables growth, equal opportunities and protection of rights for all employees.The value of these principles shone through at The B Team’s recent workshop on leadership and the future of work at the Women's Forum for the Economy and Society Global Meeting.

Experts from companies highlighted the importance of future leaders utilizing “soft skills” to encourage creative thinking, innovation, teamwork and empathy—fundamental aspects of what The B Team calls a 100% Human workplace.

These elements are especially valuable in an increasingly digital workplace. Rapid development and deployment of technology has sparked widespread debate around the impact on jobs, workers, wages and society. In the shift toward an automated world, leaders explored what a job of the future might look like. While some roles may change, they emphasized that skills-training will be increasingly important for workers to handle those tasks which cannot be automated.The discussion fit into the larger four pillar-agenda of the Women’s Forum Global Meeting:

• Embracing our humanity: In a disrupted world, it is the people at the heart of institutions and organizations who will ultimately make them fit for the future.
• Harnessing technology: The impact of technology is not a technical issue - it's a social one. Examining the social and economic implications of game-changing technologies, such as data analytics and artificial intelligence, how to diversify and enrich the environment that gives rise to new technologies, and how to better apply new technological developments to the pursuit of a better world.
• Thriving through creativity: Creativity offers value at all scales - from personal fulfilment to world-changing invention.
• Shaping the future of work: The future of organizations depends on talent: engaging the right talent, with the necessary competencies and skills, and giving them the environment to succeed.

Although much remains uncertain around the future of work, relevant and rich conversations can help create a workforce where everyone thrives. For more information on the advantages of a 100% Human workplace, click here. To view key social media moments from the workshop, click here.