The Essential Leadership Skill That Becomes More Valuable in the Age of AI

As technology transforms how we work, trust, communication and human connection are becoming essential leadership capabilities.

As technology becomes more capable, the qualities that distinguish exceptional leaders are changing. 

Information is abundant. Intelligence is increasingly accessible. Tasks that once required considerable time and expertise can now happen almost instantly. 

But organizations still depend on something technology cannot provide: leaders who can build trust, navigate difficult conversations, develop others and create genuine human connection. 

Those capabilities are becoming more important, not less. 

This October, the Berkeley Institute for Human Connection (BIHC), in partnership with Hawaii Business Magazine, will bring an immersive three-day executive leadership experience to Honolulu. 

Led by Dr. Mark Rittenberg, Distinguished Teaching Fellow at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business and longtime leadership educator and executive coach, the program moves beyond lectures and traditional leadership training. Participants learn through experience, dialogue, coaching, reflection and practice, working on the real human challenges leaders encounter every day. 

The goal isn’t simply to become a more effective individual leader. It’s to become the kind of leader who creates environments where other people can communicate more openly, take greater ownership, navigate challenges and perform at their best. 

As artificial intelligence transforms the workplace, human connection may become one of leadership’s greatest competitive advantages. 

Leading Human Connection
October 26–28, 2026
AC Hotels by Marriott Honolulu 

Register Here

Early bird registration is available through September 15.