Human-First Leadership in 2026: Aligning to New Expectations and Capabilities

Leadership expectations are changing, and many existing competency models no longer reflect what leaders are being asked to do day to day. In this session, we’ll explore the refreshed 10 core capabilities of great leaders and what’s driving their evolution — including the growing need for leaders who can think clearly, build trust, adapt quickly and lead with greater human awareness.
In this session, you’ll see how these capabilities translate across different leadership levels globally, and how leading organizations are moving beyond static frameworks to build them in practice. Expect a grounded, practical view on how to make leadership development relevant, scalable and connected to the realities leaders face now.
Key Takeaways:
- What’s changed in the 10 core capabilities of great leaders — and why those shifts matter now
- How leadership capability expectations differ across levels, regions and business needs
- Which human-centered skills are becoming essential to leadership effectiveness
- How organizations can move from capability frameworks to practical leadership development at scale
Speakers
![]() | Abby Paterson, Solution Architect, Hemsley Fraser Abby is a digital and blended learning specialist. Bringing 20 years’ experience from working with clients across the education, corporate, public and third sector landscapes, her core expertise has been focused on transforming learning experiences and utilizing the benefits of technology to return value and drive efficiencies. Abby’s experience has been built working with a broad range of clients across many industries: transforming learning delivery models, creating diagnostic tools, designing and delivering global blended learning programs, and advising or implementing digital-first approaches. |
![]() | Ian Klein, S.V.P of Strategic Accounts, Hemsley Fraser
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