Leadership and sales training: the priorities as AI reshapes workforce

Businesses across the UK and Europe are placing increasing emphasis on leadership and sales training to adapt to the growing influence of AI and evolving market conditions, according to Lepaya’s State of Skills 2025 report.

The report, based on input from hundreds of organisations, highlights significant shifts in workforce training priorities as companies prepare for economic and technological challenges.

Leadership has become the most in-demand skill across Europe. Sales skills have also seen a marked rise, with training hours increasing by 178 percent. At the same time, organisations are adjusting their focus away from analytical skills, which have fallen from third to fifth in training priorities.

Instead, human-centric skills such as creativity, collaboration, and relationship-building are emphasised to complement AI-driven processes and ensure long-term adaptability.

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Human-Centric Skills Take Precedence

As AI reshapes workplace dynamics, businesses are increasingly recognising the value of uniquely human skills that cannot be replicated by machines.

Rene Janssen, CEO of Lepaya, said, “Leadership’s rise to the top of training priorities makes it clear that business leaders see human-centric skills as vital in efforts to navigate uncertainty and adapt to a fast-changing landscape. As AI redefines workforce priorities, businesses are increasingly moving away from more analytical skills that can be completed by machines, balancing investment in new technologies with a renewed focus on uniquely human skills.”

Data-Driven Approaches to Training

Businesses are also expected to adopt more data-driven strategies to improve workforce training. AI is playing a critical role in identifying skills gaps, personalising learning experiences, and measuring the effectiveness of training programmes.

Janssen added, “In 2025, organisations across Europe will integrate learning as a strategic priority, ensuring workforces are equipped to adapt, innovate, and lead in an era of unprecedented change. The businesses that succeed will be those that treat learning as a continuous loop, seamlessly connecting skill development to strategic goals.”