The Role of AI in Leadership

People ask me what role does AI play in leadership? My answer: Nothing but research.

AI is a great tool for processing vast amounts of data. It can identify patterns, model scenarios and unveil insights for better decision making. It is up to the user to decide when to trust the output, when to check it, and when to disregard it.

AI is helpful in carrying out routine tasks such as note-taking, scheduling, generating analytical reports and general recommendations. It can also be used for creative design - for instance, and in full disclosure, the image I use in this blog is AI generated. I just fed it my photo (that’s me for sure) and gave it guidance on what I wanted the end image to look like.

AI can be used to draft communications with the intention of finding better ways for putting points across; I would highly caution against using the outcome verbdom. People can often tell when a written piece of text is computer generated; they would unconsciously reject it because they feel no connection to it. It’s too perfect, too pristine, too logical and annoyingly polished.

Leadership is about forming relationships, which are built on trust, not logic alone. Empathy, moral judgment, and navigating uncertainty are core leadership skills. AI does not have feelings to cover those core components, nor can it process unspoken relationship dynamics. Leadership is about accountability and honoring consequences of actions. AI can advise, but it cannot be held responsible especially when it relates to matters of ethical conduct.

For those concerned that AI might eventually replace human relationships, I say this: people who excessively use AI tools, such as ChatGPT, do so because such tools emulate humans in their correspondence. ChatGPT is not Google, it has the ability to learn personal preferences and adjust accordingly giving the user something they want, something aligned to their individual circumstances, something that is more like them. To the user, it might feel like talking to a friend; it is the connection that they seek, and that’s a beautiful thing to want.

As long as there is a desire for human connection, AI will never fill the gap. At the end of the day, AI’s success is due to its ability to mimic human interaction. People relying on AI need to acknowledge that AI is not a friend, it’s a compelling engagement tool.

As for the role of AI in leadership, AI is reshaping how leaders lead, but it’s nowhere close to replacing what leadership fundamentally is. Successful leaders are those who know how to integrate AI in their daily operations without losing their humanity. They do not trust AI blindly; they pause when something feels off and trust their intuition before proceeding.