AI is transforming the workplace at breakneck speed, but one capability remains distinctly human: the ability to influence. Studies from Harvard Business Review and the World Economic Forum confirm that influence is the #1 skillset for success in 2026 and beyond. Yet as high tech surges forward, the “human in the loop” — the interpersonal side of communication — continues to lag behind.

This Executive Briefing offers a concise, big-picture look at the forces reshaping how Sales and Training leaders communicate and lead: AI and automation, globalized teams, flattened structures, and the realities of remote and hybrid work. It’s not a skills training, but a strategic overview of where human influence matters most — and why your team’s ability to connect, persuade, and collaborate is becoming its strongest competitive advantage in an AI-accelerated world.

Elaina Zuker is President of Elaina Zuker Associates, a management training and consulting firm in Montreal. 

A seasoned businesswoman, educator, author and consultant, Ms. Zuker's clients have included Fortune 500 corporations such as At&T, American Express, IBM, Ogilvy & Mather, Bank of America, The Sheraton Corporation, Syntex Corporation and dozens of others.

Ms. Zuker holds a B.A. in Psychology, an M.A. in Management/Organizational Development and is the recipient of the Alumni Achievement Award from NYU Polytechnic University.

She is the author of 11 books, on Leadership, Management, Assertiveness, Influence and Communication. Her best-selling (150,000) book, “The Seven Secrets of Influence” a recent main selection for the Business Week Book Club, has been translated into 4 languages.

Her unique “Secrets of Influence™“ theory and training program were developed from her experience in Sales, Advertising and Marketing. That program has now been converted to an eLearning version and is delivered either as a self-paced learning program, a hybrid/blended version, or customized.

She has recently published a new mini ebook “INFLUENCE; the 7 BIG Secrets in 7 little minutes”  

Her latest book, “You X 2 - the New Peer Mentor Model for Success Now”  is now available as an ebook and in paperback.