The circumstances of the last 3 years accelerated many previously developing trends at an exponential pace (e.g., distributed + hybridized work; increased use of AI, etc.) It also magnified existing issues (e.g., the limits of short-term thinking; changes in trade, technology, finance – including the risks inherent in supply chains, etc.) What this underscores is the critical importance of long-term thinking and strategic foresight.

Artificial intelligence (AI), smart systems, robotics, and the rise of deep learning and the neural net will be responsible for disintermediating an increasing number of global human workers in the future. But it will not always signal technology’s complete displacement of humans from the equation. More likely, at least in the near-term, is that automated labor will work alongside human labor and the two will reinforce one another to make the combination more productive. It is not just about automation, but augmentation. And not just about replacement, but enhancement.

As leaders navigate an evolving new work landscape, the one critical piece ripe for redefinition is culture. How can forward-thinking organizations design and execute the conditions for truly effective culture in a hybridized environment? How can it be reimagined in a more human-centric way? Organizations that treat their people with greater fairness, empathy and consideration, while removing the obstacles that prevent them from doing their best work will emerge among the winners.