In an A.I.-Driven World, Storytelling Is Becoming Leadership’s Most Critical Skill

In an era where algorithms curate our newsfeeds and A.I. drafts our emails, one of the most human of skills—storytelling—is reasserting itself as the decisive leadership differentiator. As we enter 2026, the ability to craft and convey compelling narratives is more than a “soft skill.” It’s a strategic imperative. Stories are the connective tissue that help people make sense of where their organizations sit, what they stand for and why their work matters, especially amid volatility, ambiguity and accelerating change.