TL;DR: AI is changing how work gets done, but it doesn’t reduce the need for strong leadership. As organizations adopt new technology, leaders still need good judgment, strong communication and the ability to help people navigate change. These have traditionally been called “soft skills,” but there is nothing soft about them.
Artificial intelligence has moved quickly from something we were talking about to something many of us are using in our everyday work. Organizations are finding ways to use AI to analyze information, automate tasks, generate ideas and improve productivity, and we’re still learning what that will mean for the workplace over the longer term.
I don’t pretend to know exactly where AI will take us, but I do know from working with leaders and organizations for many years that change puts leadership to the test. When the way people work changes, leaders need to make good decisions with imperfect information, communicate clearly and help their teams understand where things are going. Better technology doesn’t reduce the need for good leadership and, in many ways, may make it even more important.
Are They Really “Soft” Skills?
For years, we’ve described communication, emotional intelligence, adaptability and relationship building as soft skills. I’ve never particularly liked the term because there is nothing soft about having a difficult conversation with an employee, holding someone accountable or helping a team through significant change. These are leadership skills, and they have a direct impact on how people and organizations perform.
AI may change how some work gets done, but it doesn’t change the fact that leaders are responsible for getting results through people. That requires an understanding of the people they lead, an awareness of how their own behaviour affects others and the ability to adjust their approach when circumstances change.
What AI Changes for Leaders
One of the most obvious benefits of AI is its ability to help us work with information. It can summarize large amounts of material, identify patterns, help us explore alternatives and give us a useful starting point. But having more information doesn’t necessarily make a decision easier. Leaders still need to understand the context, question what they are seeing and decide what makes sense for their organization. Ultimately, the leader remains accountable for what happens next.
AI also creates another leadership challenge: change. Employees may be interested in what the technology can help them accomplish while also wondering how their jobs will change or what will be expected of them. Leaders won’t always have the answers, particularly when the technology itself is changing so quickly, but they can be straightforward about what they know and what they don’t know.
In my experience, organizational change becomes much more difficult when communication comes too late or leaders assume people understand more than they actually do. Leaders also need to be willing to adapt themselves. Someone who has been successful doing things a particular way for 10 or 20 years may need to reconsider established processes or some of their own habits. Experience is incredibly valuable, but we also need to remain open to the possibility that what worked before may not always be the best approach going forward.
Leadership Is Still About People
For all the discussion about what AI will change, many of the fundamental challenges of leadership remain very familiar. People still need clarity about what is expected of them, teams still experience conflict, managers still need to delegate, and difficult conversations still need to happen. Technology may support some of that work, but it doesn’t remove the leader’s responsibility for building trust, creating accountability and helping people work effectively together.
This becomes particularly important during periods of change because people don’t all respond in the same way. Some will want to experiment immediately, while others will have legitimate questions or concerns. Effective leadership isn’t about convincing everyone to feel the same way about change. It is about listening, providing clarity where possible and helping people understand how to move forward.
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Developing Leaders for What’s Next
The capabilities leaders need aren’t entirely new, but the context in which they need to use them continues to change. At X5 Management, we look at leadership development across Leading Self, Leading Others and Leading the Organization. That means helping leaders understand themselves and continue to adapt, become more effective at leading people, and develop the judgment to make decisions with the broader organization in mind.
We can’t prepare leaders for every technology or situation they will encounter, and five years from now we will almost certainly be using tools that look different from the ones we use today. What we can do is develop leaders who are willing to learn, capable of adapting and prepared to lead people through whatever comes next.
There is a lot to be excited about with AI, and organizations should be exploring where it can make them better. At the same time, we shouldn’t confuse better technology with better leadership. Organizations will still need people who can make sound decisions, build trust and bring others with them through change. We may have traditionally called those soft skills, but there is nothing soft about them.
About the Author
Mike Mack, MBA, is the President and Founder of X5 Management and an executive coach, business advisor and author. For more than 20 years, Mike has worked with business owners, executives and leadership teams to strengthen leadership, improve alignment and navigate growth and transition. He is the author of SUCCESSION: The Quiet Crisis of Transition and How to Prepare for It and several other books on leadership, business and personal development.
