In the past year alone, the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into various aspects of business and society has been perhaps one of the most talked about shifts in the way we work, and one of the hottest questions when it comes to thinking about how we should approach leadership and the impact of AI in the future.
It’s hard to overstate the impact on leadership. Traditional leadership paradigms are being challenged, and new approaches are required to harness the potential of AI while navigating its complexities.
This article reflects on how leaders might consider evolving their leadership style to be able to effectively leverage AI and create competitive advantage.
Let’s start with the latest research. A Jan 2024 article in Harvard Business Review titled “The Best Leaders Can’t be Replaced by AI” reflected on a recent survey of more than 600 employees across multiple industries. The findings were that employees already have more confidence in AI than in their human bosses in certain areas of leadership.
It wasn’t just doom and gloom though: the authors pointed out three uniquely human capabilities that they suggest leaders need to focus on honing, especially as AI begins to figure more in management. They were 1) awareness, 2) compassion, and 3) wisdom.
These are the most human traits imaginable and are themes that I explore in my 2020 book, Be More Human - Re-thinking the Rules of High Performance Teamwork. The wider thrust of this is how do we optimise what I think of as the “human animal”.
As neuroscientist Antonio Damasio puts it, we are not thinking creatures who feel, we are feeling creatures who think. Seeing it this way around forces us to optimise the emotional human side of how we operate. Simply put we’re not machines and we have to play to our strengths by deepening our understanding of what makes us tick as humans. It’s when we do this, we optimise our performance and that of those around us. These are skills that are frankly lacking through our education system and consequently through the work place. It is changing, but it has a lot more to go.
Let’s turn to the practical. What can you so as a leader to optimise and put yourself in the best place possible to be on front of the AI wave. Some ideas to experiment with:
Embracing Data-Driven Decision Making
AI empowers leaders with unprecedented access to vast amounts of data, enabling data-driven decision-making processes. Unlike traditional methods, which often rely on intuition and past experiences, AI offers insights based on comprehensive analysis of data patterns.
Leaders have a huge opportunity to embrace this shift by fostering a culture that values data-driven decision-making. It requires a culture that prioritises investing in the necessary infrastructure, tools, and training to enable teams to leverage data effectively.
A favourite example of mine is an insurance company that put data driven decision-making at the heart of their strategy: they ran on average 60 experiments per week - ideas could come from anywhere. They created incredible growth by experimenting their way into the future using data to drive decisions.
Cultivating Adaptability and Agility:
The pace of technological change in the era of AI favours leaders who are adaptable and agile. Organizations must be prepared to pivot quickly in response to shifting market dynamics and emerging technologies.
To succeed, Leaders need to foster a culture of innovation and experimentation, where failure is viewed as a learning opportunity rather than a setback. This requires openness to change and a willingness to challenge conventional thinking.
One of my favorite sayings is that the only true competitive advantage any business has is the speed at which it learns. It’s an approach that has favoured chips giant , NVidia, a company I researched for my latest book, The Big Bold Mindset. Jensen Huang has a saying that “we are only ever 30 days from going out of business”. It’s a mindset to keep everyone sharp, to avoid the risk of complacency and to drive that agility to keep adapting.
Fostering Collaboration Between Humans and AI:
While AI has the potential to automate many tasks, it cannot replace the human element of leadership. Effective leadership in the age of AI involves leveraging technology to augment human capabilities rather than supplanting them.
Leaders must foster collaboration between humans and AI systems, creating synergies that enhance productivity and creativity. This requires understanding the strengths and limitations of both humans and AI and designing workflows that capitalize on their respective strengths.
Leading with Ethical Considerations:
As AI becomes increasingly integrated into decision-making processes, ethical considerations become paramount. Leaders must ensure that AI systems are designed and deployed in a manner that upholds ethical principles and respects human rights.
This includes addressing issues such as bias in AI algorithms, transparency in decision making, and accountability for AI-driven outcomes. Leaders must lead by example, demonstrating a commitment to ethical behavior and fostering a culture of ethical responsibility throughout the organization.
Nurturing Emotional Intelligence:
While AI excels at tasks such as data analysis and pattern recognition, it lacks emotional intelligence—the ability to understand and empathize with human emotions.
Effective leadership in the age of AI requires nurturing emotional intelligence among leaders and team members.
This involves cultivating skills such as empathy, deep listening, and conflict resolution, which are essential for building strong relationships and fostering collaboration.
Leaders must recognize the importance of emotional intelligence in driving team performance and prioritise its development.
Redefining Leadership Roles:
The integration of AI into the workforce invites a redefinition of traditional leadership roles. Leaders who see the importance of making sure that decision-making authority is decentralized and shared among team members and AI systems are more likely to have agile faster moving companies.
This needs a shift from top-down management structures to more collaborative and inclusive approaches. It’s about leaders who empower employees to take ownership of their work and provide the support and resources needed to succeed in a rapidly changing environment.
Having a clear purpose and well understood set of values is the bedrock of shaping a culture where people are empowered to make their own decisions.
Investing in Continuous Learning:
In the age of AI, learning is no longer a one-time event but a continuous process. Leaders need to invest in ongoing learning and development to keep pace with technological advancements and evolving industry trends.
This includes staying informed about the latest developments in AI and related fields, as well as acquiring new skills and competencies as needed. Leaders who lead by example creating a culture that values and supports continuous growth and development are more likely to thrive.
Your Actions
AI is not going away. It will continue to reshape the business landscape, and leadership must evolve to meet the challenges and opportunities of the digital age.
Rather than passively read and reflect on this article, I invite you to take one specific action. Here’s three ideas to choose from:
1) Invest in developing your human skills around emotional intelligence, and understanding of yourself and others. It’s probably the single most impactful investment you can ever make.
2) Imagine a simple process to drive more experimentation with different ideas into your business. What could that process look like? Run an experiment today and see what you learn. Then iterate.
3) Find one way you can use AI to help with a current business process. Spend some time researching a couple of ideas and pick one to experiment with. Play with it (that’s how we learn best) and see what you find.
Leadership and AI Talk
Are your team and organisation looking for fresh thinking and inspiration around this topic? Caspar’s speaks to exactly this with this speech:
Navigating the Future: Harnessing Human Skills in a World of AI
Will AI decimate our livelihoods? How do we navigate an uncertain and changing world?
In this uplifting and thought-provoking talk, Caspar talks about the mindset we need to capitalise on the aspects of what makes us human, in order to turn AI to our advantage.
He will share ideas of the foundational mindset needed to tackle what looks like an impossible challenge, and examples of how different organisations are using AI to thrive.