A 2016 Harvard Business Review article ranked the most important leadership capability as using digital technology. Creative thinking, data interpretation, and strategic planning followed closely. But human-related skills also made the list — networking, personal development and coaching, and collaboration have gained ground over the past decade.

Think back to the pandemic years. Many voiced the same concern: connections were becoming more impersonal, communication slipped out of our hands, and we became both over-accessible and emotionally distant. New, often unspoken rules emerged in digital spaces. What once felt like a clear technological miracle became uncertain ground — where even a poorly chosen emoji or the wrong platform could damage team morale and company culture.