Jack Ma once said, “The more digital the world becomes, the more we must emphasise that which makes us most human.”
After thirty years of running leadership workshops, Ian McClean has asked thousands of participants the same question:
Who is the best leader you ever had, and what made them stand out?
The answers are remarkably consistent.
People tend to group leadership strengths into three categories:
- High IQ
- Technical Skill
- Socio and Emotional Skill
The surprise is not the categories.
The surprise is the weighting.
More than 70 percent of the reasons people choose their best ever leader are tied to social and emotional skill. In other words, the ability to connect, understand, support, listen, challenge, inspire, and communicate.
Yet most organisations still invest heavily in the first two categories, while ignoring the third or treating it as optional.
The Four Commitment Cards
In Episode 67 of the Leadership in Chaos podcast, Ian explores the four “Commitment Cards” used by the most inspiring leaders. These tools help leaders activate motivation, strengthen connections, and deepen trust in their teams.
They are practical.
They are simple.
They are rooted in decades of real leadership experience.
If you want to elevate how you show up for your people, this episode is worth your time. Listen to the full episode here.
Modern Leadership Is Human Leadership
The future of leadership is not found in technical mastery or intellectual superiority. It is found in human capability.
The leaders who will thrive are those who can bring out the best in others through connection, clarity, and empathy.
If the world is becoming more digital, then leadership must become more human.
