For decades, leaders have focused largely on harnessing these trends to “win” with customers. They’ve relied on tools like research, segmentation, micro-targeting, and journey maps — all supported by small armies of product managers and marketers, customer experience specialists, and others — to better understand customers.

Yet, the employees tasked with delivering actionable insights and creating memorable customer experiences are often treated as resources to be monitored. This approach, devoid of trust and defined by policies and performance management, creates a disengaged workforce caught in a doom loop of “checking the box.”

The next generation of successful companies will invest as much in improving how we work as they invest in bringing products to market. That’s because they recognize that people-centric leadership is a competitive advantage: It’s an approach that brings together talented people, aligns them around a shared purpose, and equips them with the tools and support they need to achieve ambitious goals.