Humans are Underrated

Geoff Colvin

The skills the economy values are changing in historic ways. The abilities that will prove most essential to our success are no longer the technical, classroom-taught left-brain skills that economic advances have demanded from workers in the past. Instead, our greatest advantage lies in what we humans are most powerfully driven to do for and with one another, arising from our deepest, most essentially human abilities -- empathy, creativity, social sensitivity, storytelling, humor, building relationships, and expressing ourselves with greater power than logic can ever achieve. This is how we create durable value that is not easily replicated by technology -- because we're hardwired to want it from humans. These high-value skills create tremendous competitive advantage -- more devoted customers, stronger cultures, breakthrough ideas, and more effective teams. And while many of us regard...