Emotional Intelligence Is No Longer Optional, It’s the Leadership Imperative in the Age of AI
About the Book
AI is reshaping work across industries from automating routine, process-driven tasks to taking on increasingly complex knowledge work. It’s streamlining operations, generating personalized marketing campaigns, optimizing logistics, and even influencing hiring decisions. But for all its speed and sophistication, AI still can’t coach a struggling team, resolve human conflict, or lead with empathy and moral clarity. That’s where emotionally intelligent leadership becomes not just valuable, but critical.
In this deeply researched and timely book, Dr. Mikah Sellers reveals why emotional intelligence is the defining human advantage in an AI-driven world—and how to design leadership development programs that cultivate it for real, lasting transformation.
Based on original research and immersive fieldwork with senior executives, Forging Emotionally Intelligent Leaders in the Age of AI challenges conventional leadership development models and offers a powerful new blueprint rooted in neuroscience, adult learning theory, and is packed with insights derived from hundreds of hours of interviews with C-suite leaders.
What you will discover ❊
Why emotionally intelligent leadership is critical in the age of AI.
AI can analyze data, automate tasks, and optimize decisions—but it can’t connect, empathize, or inspire. This book reveals why the leaders of tomorrow must master the human skills machines can’t replicate.
01Why traditional leadership training fails to create real change and how to fix it.
Most programs stop at information delivery. Forging shows how to build experiences that drive lasting behavioral change and unlock leadership potential.
02The neuroscience behind transformative learning experiences.
Grounded in brain science, the book explores how emotionally resonant, experiential learning rewires the brain and accelerates personal growth.
03The formula for designing leadership development programs that transform rather than inform.
Learn a proven, research-backed model for creating programs that cultivate emotional intelligence and real-world leadership capability.
04How to scale emotional intelligence across teams, cultures, and entire organizations.
Discover practical strategies for embedding EI into your culture—from individual development to organization-wide systems that reinforce emotionally intelligent leadership.
05Written,
for people like you
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For practitioners that are ready to elevate leadership programs from check-the-box training to transformational learning experiences.
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For leaders navigating disruption who want to unlock the full potential of their teams through emotionally intelligent leadership.
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For practitioners designing scalable solutions for culture-building, leadership pipelines, and behavioral change.
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For those in the trenches seeking evidence-based methods to cultivate empathy, self-awareness, and resilience in today’s leaders.
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For those aiming to reimagine leadership development for the AI era—grounded in research, driven by purpose.
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For those who know that emotional intelligence is not “soft”—it’s the hard edge of leadership in a world AI can’t fully understand.
Benefits of the book,
told by others
“In a world racing to adopt AI, Dr. Mikah Sellers brings us back to something timeless: the human core of leadership. This book is both deeply researched and refreshingly clear-eyed about what it takes to develop emotionally intelligent leaders. For L&D professionals, it's an invitation to move from ticking boxes to genuinely reshaping mindsets.”
—Dr. Raghu Krishnamoorthy, Senior Fellow and Director, Penn CLO Program; Former Chief Human Resources Officer, GE
“This book is a bold, insightful guide to what truly drives leadership transformation. Dr. Sellers moves us beyond traditional leadership training to immersive, human-centered development, designed to equip leaders for the complex challenges of the AI era. A must-read for L&D professionals shaping the future of leadership.”
— Dr. Keith Keating, Author of Hidden Value and The Trusted Learning Advisor, Chief Learning & Development Officer, BDO
“AI is already here, reshaping our work and our decisions. But for all it can do, it still can’t listen, reassure, or build trust. That’s where emotionally intelligent leadership comes in—and it’s no longer optional. Dr. Sellers challenges us to audit our leadership programs and move emotional intelligence from the margins to the center. This book is both a wake-up call and a guide for anyone committed to helping leaders grow with integrity in the age of AI disruption. Our people—and our future—depend on it.”
—Dr. Carmen M. Allison, Chief HR and Business Enablement Officer, Hoover Institution, Stanford University
“Most leadership development books offer context-free, surface-level advice. Dr. Sellers takes us into the real challenge: leading in the age of AI. With case studies and research, he shows that emotional intelligence isn’t soft—it’s essential. This book demands reflection and action. You won’t read it without rethinking how you lead and shape future leaders in a rapidly changing world..”
——Dr. Nigel Paine, Author of The Great Reset: Unlocking the Power of Organizational Learning, and WORKPLACE LEARNING: How to build a culture of continuous employee development
About the author,
Dr. Mikah Sellers.
Dr. Mikah Sellers is a workforce futurist and enterprise transformation leader with over 20 years of experience at the intersection of leadership, learning, and innovation. His work explores how emotionally intelligent leadership—and the systems that support it—can unlock human potential in an era shaped by artificial intelligence and automation.
He earned his doctorate in Organizational Leadership and Learning from the University of Pennsylvania, with research focused on immersive, experiential executive education and emotional intelligence. A former Chief Innovation Officer and Chief Digital Officer, Mikah has led global teams and advised Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, and high-growth startups through digital and cultural transformation.
For over a decade, he taught at Georgetown University's School of Continuing Studies, where he was recognized as an award-winning faculty member for his impact on adult learners and leadership education.
Lead boldly,
it starts with a conversation.
Whether you're shaping the future of your organization or rethinking how leaders grow, meaningful change starts here. Reach out to explore speaking, partnership, or consulting opportunities with Dr. Mikah Sellers.