As Executives Turn to GenAI, Who’s Really in Charge?

You might be hearing that AI is coming for leadership. But if you look a little closer, you’ll see it is already sitting in the boardroom. 

 From strategy decks written by ChatGPT to meeting summaries auto generated by Gemini, executives everywhere are weaving AI quietly into their routines. And on the surface, it looks like progress: faster insights, cleaner data, and maybe even fewer late nights.  

But here is the tension most leaders will not say out loud: as AI gets smarter, it becomes easier to hand over the hard parts of leadership – judgment, empathy, your presence – the things that do not fit neatly into a data set. 

Gallup recently found that 33% of leaders, meaning managers of managers, use AI frequently. And while it saves time, it can also turn “AI assistance” into “AI dependence.”  

AI can draft your reports. It can suggest how to deliver feedback. But it cannot replace your character. It does not understand context or what is happening beneath the surface. It does not feel the ripple effect of a decision on real human beings.  

So, as executives turn to GenAI for leverage, a deeper question emerges. Who is really leading? Us or the algorithm? 

The Allure of Delegating to the Machine 

When a tool can summarize meetings, draft performance reviews, and deliver strategy talking points in seconds, it feels like the leadership upgrade we have been waiting for. 

Even Sergey Brin admits he uses AI for leadership tasks, including delegating and promotions. And if someone who helped build the internet leans on AI, it is hard not to think, why should the rest of us hold back? 

This is where the trap begins. The problem is not that we use these tools. The problem is how we stop noticing the moment when they start thinking for us. 

Efficiency begins to masquerade as leadership. Convenience becomes competence. And without realizing it, we start outsourcing not just the work but the true art of leadership itself. 

I have seen it up close more times than I can count. Recently, an executive at a firm I work with discovered ChatGPT. His emails changed overnight. He went from short, simple sentences to long, structured messages filled with emojis, bulleted lists, and colorful paragraphs. He thought he had found a better way to communicate like a leader. His team, however, immediately saw it as inauthentic. No one told him. With every message, the trust he worked so hard to build started eroding. Not because of AI itself, but because he unknowingly stopped showing up as himself. 

AI is good at giving answers. But leadership was never about answers. Instead, it’s about awareness, earned wisdom, and forging deep connections. The danger is not that a machine will outthink us. It is that we will stop thinking deeply enough to lead. 

The New Role of the Human Leader 

AI can manage, but it cannot lead. 

Management is about systems and structure. Leadership is about purpose, trust, and meaning. People follow clarity and presence. They follow leaders who show they are grounded enough to bear the weight of real decisions. 

U.S. Army General William Taylor learned this firsthand. After testing AI-driven decision tools in Korea, he described the experience as “stress inducing,” saying it blurred the line between confidence and complacency. His point was simple. The moment you stop questioning the output, you have stopped leading. 

The leaders who excel right now use AI for input, not identity. They challenge what it gives them. They translate it into human action. And they stay connected to their own internal compass rather than outsourcing it to a model. 

When everything else becomes automated, authenticity becomes your new competitive edge. 

Leading With AI 

Leadership gets lost the moment we let the algorithm lead the way.  

So how do you use AI without losing yourself? It starts with intention. 

1. Use AI as a thought partner, not a proxy.
   Great leaders do not ask, “What should I do.” They ask, “What am I not seeing.” AI can surface blind spots, but it cannot define your valuesor your character. You still have to provide the depth. 
2. Keep human judgment as the last mile.
   No matter how smart the systemis, accountability still has your name on it. Your team needs to see you think, make a decision, and own it. Trust is built when people see you wrestling with problems then explain the why behind the route you take. Start with AI, don’t end with it.  
3. Be transparent about how you use it.
   If AI shapes part of your communication or strategy, say so. Leaders build trust when they show theirwork. They lose it when their process feels hidden. 
4. Coach your team through theAIshift.
   Your people do not need perfection; they need permission to experiment. Help them stay curious and cautious at the same time. The same goes for you. The goal is not mastery, it’s awareness. 

AI can make you faster. But speed without reflection exhausts people. Leading with AI requires intention. Tech can be smart. You still have to be wise. 

Action Steps for Today’s Executives 

AI is reshaping what leadership feels like. The real question is whether you will use it to strengthen your voice or to hide behind it.  

Here is what I tell executives I coach when they begin weaving AI into their leadership toolbox. 

1. Check what you have quietly handed off.
   Make a quick list of what AI currently helps you with: emails, reports,talking points, etc. Then ask a simple question: What part of my leadership still needs “me” the human being? Not every task requires your full energy, but some do. Stay conscious of which is which. 
2. Invest in learning, not only tools.
   AI is only as smart as the leader guiding it. Build your literacy before your dependency. Teach yourself, then yourteam, how to question AI’s output, notice its bias, and gut-check its process. This creates leaders that think, not leaders who run on autopilot. 
3. Redefine what productive means.
   If AI helps you get more done but disconnects you from the people you serve, that is notprogress. Measure your leadership by connection and impact rather than sheer output. 
4. Do not disappear behind the screen.
   AI can help shape a message, but it cannot replace you,your thought processes, or tone. People want to see you. They want to understand how you think. Keep showing up. 

Leaders do not have to choose between AI and authenticity. The ones who will stand out are those who know how to use the tool without losing their touch. 

Leadership Is Still Human Work 

AI can plan your week. It can draft your notes. It can even suggest what to say next, but it cannot care. 

That part is yours and it is the part that matters most. 

In a world becoming more automated by the day, the rarest thing is not intelligence, it’s presence and real impact. 

Lead with that. The tech will follow.