Future Skills

What if the job you end up doing ten years from now hasn’t even been invented yet? Bernard Marr’s Future Skills: The 20 Skills and Competencies Everyone Needs to Succeed in a Digital World begins with that startling question. He argues that technological evolution—the so-called Fourth Industrial Revolution—will redefine nearly every profession, and that success won’t come from fighting machines but learning to thrive alongside them. Marr contends that the skills most crucial for the future are not just technical, like coding or AI engineering, but deeply human abilities—creativity, empathy, critical thinking, and judgment.

In Marr’s view, this transformation will make work more human, not less. As automation accelerates, repetitive tasks will increasingly be handled by intelligent systems, freeing people to focus on things machines cannot do: imagine, reason, empathize, and collaborate. The future workforce will be shaped by a mix of digital fluency and human insight—a combination he calls the currency of success.

The Fourth Industrial Revolution: Context and Challenge

Marr places today’s upheavals within a historical continuum of past industrial revolutions—from steam power to electricity to computing. The current revolution fuses technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotics, data analytics, and connectivity. But instead of replacing people, these tools enable human intelligence to flourish where machines stop short. (In The Future of Jobs Report by the World Economic Forum, similar trends are noted: 85 million jobs may be displaced, but 97 million new roles will emerge.)

Still, transformation breeds anxiety. Marr acknowledges the fear of job loss and skill obsolescence but insists that the true crisis is the growing skills gap—a chasm between what education provides and what the future economy demands. His book intends to be a bridge across that divide, offering readers a toolkit of twenty essential competencies to not only survive but thrive.

From Hard to Soft: A Shift in Value

A major theme throughout the book is the revaluation of soft skills. While digital literacy and technical expertise remain important, Marr stresses that they are necessary but insufficient. Softer abilities—communication, teamwork, adaptability, emotional intelligence—will become the true differentiators of success. These qualities are what allow humans to collaborate with machines effectively and to lead organizations through uncertainty. Schools, he argues, must therefore pivot from teaching students how to look good to algorithms to training them to think, analyze, and empathize—skills not granted by IQ but cultivated through experience and self-awareness.

The Book’s Structure and Promise

Marr divides his guide into twenty chapters, each centered on one future skill—from digital literacy and data literacy to leadership, ethical awareness, creativity, adaptability, and even self-care. Each section outlines what the skill is, why it matters, and practical ways to develop it.

To make the guide usable, Marr organizes these twenty competencies into categories. The first cluster focuses on “tech-adjacent skills”—digital and data literacy, technical competence, cybersecurity awareness—essential to working effectively in an automated world. The rest of the book delves into “human-centered skills”: critical thinking, emotional intelligence, creativity, collaboration, communication, and the personal attributes that underpin lifelong success such as curiosity, time management, and ethical awareness.

Why These Ideas Matter Now

For Marr, the timing couldn’t be more crucial. The pandemic accelerated digitization while widening inequalities and reshaping careers worldwide. In this climate, the deciding factor will not be job titles or degrees but each person’s willingness to learn, adapt, and grow. Lifelong learning—his recurrent mantra—becomes the survival strategy for the future. He cites examples like AI-assisted architects, marketers using predictive analytics, and digital avatars used for communication (such as his own AI “Digital Bernard” created with Synthesia) to show how technology augments rather than replaces human creativity.

Ultimately, the book invites you to reimagine your career and identity in partnership with technology rather than competition. “The people who will gracefully surf this wave,” he writes, “will be those who have the right mix of essential future skills.” Read in full, his roadmap feels both practical and optimistic: a vision of a digital future that remains profoundly human.

Core Idea

Technology will automate tasks, but human potential—creativity, empathy, judgment—will drive the progress of the next era. If you cultivate these 20 future skills, you won’t just keep up with the future; you’ll help create it.

Bernard Marr begins his list with digital literacy—the cornerstone of all other future skills. In his words, being digitally literate is like being fluent in the language of the twenty-first century. It’s what enables you to learn, work, communicate, and thrive in a world where technology permeates everything from sending emails to designing entire virtual cities.

Understanding the New Digital Universe

Digital literacy isn’t just knowing how to use devices. It’s about understanding digital ecosystems—the connections among software, data, artificial intelligence, and online communication. Marr compares our relationship to robots not to humans versus machines but to humans living alongside domesticated animals: they make our lives easier, but they still require care and training. He highlights the example of AI company Synthesia that created a realistic digital avatar of himself able to speak and appear in videos in multiple languages. This demonstration, he says, shows how fluency in new tools can amplify one’s productivity.

Being digitally literate also means staying safe online, protecting data, and understanding how emerging trends—from 5G to the metaverse—shape communication and business. This awareness turns technology from an obstacle into an ally.

Basic vs. Next-Level Skills

Marr divides digital literacy into two levels. The basic level includes everyday capabilities like managing passwords, sending secure messages, and navigating online platforms. In contrast, the advanced level involves grasping concepts such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and cloud computing—understanding enough to converse about them intelligently, even if you’re not an engineer. He cites the UK government’s Essential Digital Skills Framework, which emphasizes turning on devices, connecting securely to Wi-Fi, and using video calls—skills still lacking in millions of adults.

Artificial Intelligence Fluency

No digital skill matters more, Marr says, than understanding artificial intelligence. He offers mini-lessons on how machine learning consumes data to make predictions, and how AI is transforming industries from architecture to marketing. For instance, architects can feed design parameters into AI software to generate the most efficient designs. Recognizing these patterns helps you see technology as a collaborator.

The Mindset of Lifelong Learning

Technical knowledge will age quickly, Marr cautions, but attitude lasts. A positive curiosity toward new tools—reading tech magazines, exploring tutorials on YouTube, or taking free online courses—will make you more adaptable as jobs evolve. Employers should cultivate this same optimism internally by providing digital skills training and promoting a culture of continuous learning. It’s not about becoming an engineer but about feeling confident enough to work comfortably in a digital ecosystem.

Core Idea

Digital literacy isn’t just using technology—it’s understanding how it shapes your job, data, and world. When you approach tech with curiosity and confidence, you turn disruption into opportunity.

If digital literacy is learning the language of technology, data literacy is learning to interpret the messages that language conveys. Marr calls data the most valuable resource of the modern world—'more precious than oil.' He argues that the ability to read, question, and use data effectively is as important today as basic literacy was a century ago.

From Intimidation to Empowerment

Many people fear data or think it’s only for analysts. Marr dismantles that myth by showing how anyone can use data for better decisions. Whether you’re in marketing analyzing customer trends or in healthcare improving patient outcomes, data helps you understand reality more clearly. He distinguishes between quantitative data (numbers that can be measured) and qualitative data (descriptions and perceptions). Both matter for problem-solving.

He also emphasizes questioning data sources: ask where the data came from, whether it’s biased, and what’s missing. Without that skepticism, Marr warns, even the smartest algorithms may mislead. He points to Amazon’s failed hiring AI that penalized female applicants as a cautionary example of bias baked into the dataset.

Data Literacy in Daily Life

In everyday work, data literacy means being able to read dashboards, interpret charts, and communicate findings in plain English. It also includes ethical awareness—understanding privacy and consent when handling data. Marr likens presenting data to storytelling: numbers alone don’t persuade; the story behind them does. Using visuals, benchmarks, and simple headlines turns raw figures into insights everyone can act on.

Building a Data Culture

To close the global data skills gap, Marr urges businesses to create data literacy programs. Start small, identify fluent 'data translators' across departments, and help others understand how data informs their daily work. Step by step, organizations can become truly data-driven cultures where information rather than instinct shapes decisions.

Ultimately, data literacy isn’t about turning everyone into a data scientist—it’s about empowering you to make evidence-based decisions and to explain your reasoning clearly. It’s what anchors digital intelligence to human judgment.

Core Idea

Data literacy means questioning, interpreting, and narrating numbers so they reveal truths—not distort them. In Marr’s words, the future belongs to those who can 'speak data' fluently.

The flood of information you encounter daily—from social media posts to predictive analytics—demands critical thinking: the ability to evaluate sources, spot bias, and form independent judgments. Marr calls it one of humanity’s most urgent skills, especially in an era of polarization and deepfakes where truth can be digitally manipulated.

Seeing Clearly in the Age of Information Overload

Critical thinking starts with curiosity, Marr notes, but it matures through skepticism. You must learn to ask: Is this information complete? Who benefits if I believe this? What’s missing? He distinguishes critical thinking from cynicism—whereas cynicism destroys trust, critical thinking builds understanding. Humans are naturally biased creatures, yet awareness of those cognitive shortcuts—like confirmation bias or the halo effect—helps you step around them.

Overcoming Bias and Polarization

Marr illustrates our collective blind spots through studies of political misperceptions: Democrats vastly overestimate Republican wealth; Republicans overestimate Democratic lifestyles. Social media algorithms magnify these distortions by feeding us agreeable information—the infamous filter bubble. Applying critical thinking means deliberately seeking dissenting views, reading reputable sources, and resisting emotional manipulation.

Practicing the Skill

In practical terms, Marr advises you to pause before sharing or reacting to any information. Verify facts through sites like FactCheck.org and FullFact. Ask open-ended questions. And don’t fear uncertainty: good thinkers are comfortable saying “I need more evidence.” He likens this mindset to Mr. Spock’s logic in Star Trek, contrasting it with impulsive emotional responses à la Dr. McCoy.

In developing critical thinking at work, Marr suggests organizations make it part of their training—especially for roles handling data or complex decisions. Critical thinkers, he writes, are not just better employees, they’re better citizens.

Core Idea

Critical thinking transforms reaction into reflection. In an era of fake news, it’s not just clever—it’s essential for survival.

For Marr, emotional intelligence (EQ) will define leadership and collaboration in the age of AI. Machines may detect emotions through sensors and voice analysis, but they still can’t interpret or respond with empathy. EQ—the ability to understand, regulate, and express emotions constructively—remains humanity’s advantage.

EQ vs. IQ: Rethinking Success

Psychologist Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence, proved that EQ predicts success more accurately than IQ across professions. Marr reinforces this with business data: at one insurance firm, high-EQ sales agents generated premiums twice as large as their peers. The reason? Customers felt understood. Emotional intelligence isn’t sentimentality—it’s strategy.

Empathy in a Digital Age

Marr explores how technology paradoxically heightens the need for empathy. With remote work and digital communication rising, emotional nuance risks being lost. EQ bridges that divide by helping you read tone, manage stress, and create trust online. He quotes research showing empathy has declined among students since the arrival of smartphones—a trend that must be reversed if we want workplaces grounded in understanding, not cynicism.

Building EQ

You can strengthen emotional intelligence, Marr assures, through mindfulness, active listening, and reflection. Practice identifying your emotions before reacting; cultivate empathy by imagining others’ perspectives; balance reason and compassion when making decisions. (In Good to Great, Jim Collins found humility—an EQ trait—among all high-performing leaders.) Companies can measure and train EQ, integrating emotional awareness into leadership development.

Core Idea

Emotional intelligence transforms connection into collaboration. In a world awash with data, it’s EQ—not IQ—that keeps work genuinely human.

Creativity anchors Marr’s optimism about humanity’s future. He defines it simply as 'the act of turning imaginative ideas into reality.' It’s not limited to artists or inventors—it’s the everyday ability to dream of better solutions and then make them happen.

Why Machines Need Human Imagination

Marr retells stories of AI-generated art, like the Portrait of Edmond de Belamy sold for $432,500, and dancer Wayne McGregor using AI to choreograph performances. These feats show machine creativity’s limits. Algorithms can remix what exists, but they lack the spark of originality—the capacity to redefine boundaries. As mathematician Marcus du Sautoy notes in The Creativity Code, AI may become our co-creator but never our muse.

Cultivating Creativity at Every Age

Marr argues creativity should be taught as rigorously as math. He champions STEAM education (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics), citing that nearly all Nobel laureates practice art forms like music or painting. For grown-ups, nurturing creativity means daydreaming, journaling, traveling, and noticing patterns between unrelated ideas—Richard Branson’s motto 'Always Be Connecting the Dots' comes to mind.

Creativity in the Workplace

Companies can unlock innovation by freeing employees’ time and experimenting without fear of failure. Google’s '20 percent rule,' allowing staff to spend part of their week on passion projects, produced breakthroughs like Gmail. Such freedom transforms creativity from luxury into necessity.

Core Idea

Machines analyze patterns; humans imagine possibilities. Creativity turns uncertainty into invention—and it’s the most human future skill of all.

Marr calls adaptability 'the new superpower.' In a world where change is the only constant, your ability to adjust—mentally and practically—determines your success. He defines adaptability through two components: flexibility (willingness to change) and versatility (ability to change).

Measuring the New IQ

Just as psychologists measure intelligence and emotional quotient, futurists now talk about Adaptability Quotient (AQ). Organizations use tools like AQai to assess how employees respond to uncertainty, unlearn obsolete habits, and embrace new ways of working. McKinsey estimates that 375 million people might need to switch occupations or learn new skills by 2030—a staggering call for flexibility.

Mindsets That Support Adaptability

Adaptable people, Marr writes, see opportunities, not obstacles. They combine curiosity, perseverance, and emotional control. Instead of resisting transformation, they ask, 'What can I learn from this?' Practices like critical thinking, creativity, and empathy all feed adaptability. Conversely, inflexibility breeds fear, defensiveness, and resistance to progress.

Building a Culture of Flexibility

Businesses can nurture adaptability by modeling experimentation, encouraging teams to unlearn outdated policies, and celebrating small failures as learning experiences. Leaders should communicate why change matters—transparency transforms fear into curiosity. On an individual level, practicing optimism, reframing setbacks, and regularly updating your skills prepares you for volatility.

Core Idea

Adaptability turns uncertainty into possibility. The future belongs not to the strongest or smartest, but to those most eager to learn, unlearn, and relearn.

In a flatter, more agile world, Marr redefines leadership as 'the art of helping others thrive.' Whether you manage a team or lead projects as a freelancer, leadership now means empathy and accountability rather than hierarchy. He echoes Jack Welch’s dictum: before you become a leader, success is about growing yourself; after you become one, it’s about growing others.

Core Traits of Modern Leaders

Marr lists universal qualities that span his entire skillset: motivation, trust, strategic thinking, feedback, and authenticity. Great leaders recognize potential before performance and inspire others through transparency and optimism. They balance delegation with ownership—taking responsibility when things fail and sharing credit when they succeed.

Leadership as Communication and Trust

In digital workplaces, communication replaces command. Marr advocates 'leading like a parent'—a metaphor borrowed from Simon Sinek—meaning leaders must nurture, not control. That includes setting clear expectations through frameworks like Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) used by Google, which keep teams aligned while encouraging collaboration and agility.

Trust anchors all leadership behaviors. It’s earned through ethical conduct (Chapter 14), honesty, and listening. Without trust, motivation falters. With it, teams innovate and pursue long-term visions even through uncertainty.

Authenticity and Positivity

Authentic leaders embrace vulnerability and empathy—they lead from the heart. Marr reminds readers of Tom Hanks’s line in Saving Private Ryan: 'Gripes go up, not down'—a masterclass in maintaining morale. Positivity, he writes, is contagious; reframing problems as opportunities can lift an entire organization. Ultimately, leadership is less about managing work and more about cultivating growth.

Core Idea

Leadership in the digital age is not authority—it’s empathy, clarity, and purpose. You lead best when you help others become their best selves.

The final chapter of Marr’s book grounds his optimistic vision in a truth often forgotten: you can’t build future skills if you’re burned out. 'Looking after yourself,' he writes, 'is not indulgence—it’s responsibility.' In an era of constant connectivity and anxiety, self-care becomes the foundation for all learning and growth.

Redefining Balance

Work–life balance isn’t dividing time equally; it’s finding fulfillment in both. Marr draws from performance coach Sara Milne Rowe’s SHED Method—Sleep, Hydration, Exercise, and Diet—to explain how physical wellness powers mental clarity. Beyond the body, Milne Rowe identifies five energies: body, mood, mind, people, and purpose. Attending to these in daily rituals stabilizes your energy and performance.

Combating Stress and Overload

Stress undermines judgment, creativity, and empathy—the very qualities that matter most for future success. Marr cites alarming statistics: three-quarters of people report overwhelming stress; work remains one of the largest causes. He prescribes small, practical habits: walking outside, setting phone boundaries, journaling emotions, and embracing imperfection instead of perfectionism. These are modest but revolutionary in preventing burnout.

Organizations and Culture of Care

Self-care isn’t just personal—it’s cultural. Marr encourages leadership to model healthy behavior: take breaks, avoid after-hours emails, and support flexible work arrangements. Supporting employees’ mental and physical well-being isn’t charity; it’s productivity. Studies show lower stress correlates with higher creativity and engagement.

Ultimately, 'looking after yourself' closes the circle of future skills: you can’t be adaptable, curious, or emotionally intelligent without energy and rest to sustain them.

Core Idea

Self-care is the base code of human potential. To thrive in a digital world, nurture the analog system—your own body and mind.