What skills do managers need?

AI can compare several scenarios in seconds. But when two options look equally convincing, someone has to spot what the analysis misses, make a decision and explain it to the team. We explored the skills this takes at the latest Centre of Excellence roundtables in Prague and Brno.

The Prague discussion took place on 27 October 2026 at 17:30 in Room 5 at NEWTON University. The Brno roundtable followed on 29 October 2026 at 17:30 at the NEWTON Business Club on our Brno campus.

We organised both events with the Czech Management Association to explore which management skills will hold their value and which new ones people in leadership roles will need to develop. 

• Prague event programme 
• Brno event programme

Faster analysis puts judgement to the test

Imagine you want your team to respond to customers faster. AI might spot a spike in demand and suggest changing the shift pattern. As a manager, you still need to ask whether that spike reflects a lasting trend or a brief surge after a campaign. Before changing the rota, you also need to speak to the people who know where work gets held up.

That decision calls for both technical and people skills. You need to know what to ask, how to check what the recommendation is based on and when to look for more evidence. You also need to listen to the people affected, explain why you made the change and check whether it worked. One habit worth revisiting is signing off on every routine step. As more of that work is automated, managers need to set clear rules and decide when a person should review the result.

Two generations around one table

Business Leadership students Martin Rada, Tomáš Vít, Nela Novotná and Eliška Vébrová took part in the Prague roundtable. Yvona Tošnerová and Michal Karcol brought their experience as managers to the discussion. ‘I was struck by the students’ openness and the interest they showed in the discussion,’ moderator Olga Girstlová wrote afterwards. Jiří Koleňák’s reflections on the Prague roundtable

Discussions like these give students a chance to make their case to people with more experience and to change their minds when someone makes a better argument. The students’ questions, in turn, give managers a chance to explain practices they take for granted at work. This is how we bring management education and practice together at the Centre of Excellence. More about the Centre of Excellence

Watch the highlights from the Prague roundtable