The potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is now live and reshaping organisations today, yet leaders have still not been issued with a map to navigate the current and future landscape. This scenario is problematic in itself, given that leaders are conventionally responsible for strategy, organisational design, decisions and outcomes. The dilemma is intensified as their teams, who might look to them for clarity, assurance and direction, realise that the answers to their questions are not forthcoming and expectation hangs in the air.
What does effective leadership look like when both leaders and teams are learning about AI in real-time? And where are the opportunities and risks for leaders in our uncertain and exciting times? We would argue that, as well as learning new skills, it is vital that leaders don’t lose sight of some fundamental practices.
The impact of AI on leadership
AI is driven by its ability to process large datasets, identify patterns, and provide actionable insights with incredible speed and efficiency. New technologies can offer tools that enable leaders to make informed decisions and respond swiftly to emerging challenges.
Yet the rise of AI is not just a technological revolution, it’s a human one. It requires organisations to re-evaluate established – and up to this point successful – business models and ways of working. It demands that we re-examine relationships, values, and principles. At the centre of this transformation are leaders who must balance learning, enabling and evolving simultaneously.
Much has been written about the transformation of leadership required. Leaders, we read, need to move from authority and positional power to facilitation, growth mindsets and curiosity. They should be transparent about the gaps in their knowledge and bring others into the learning process. As Professor Alan Brown suggests in his book Surviving and Thriving in the Age of AI: A Handbook for Digital Leaders (London Publishing Partnership), paradox 1 in the digital revolution is ‘be comfortable with being uncomfortable’.
This dynamic and inclusive approach can create powerful momentum. We would suggest that to achieve sustainable results in this picture, there are three essential acts of leadership that should not be neglected.
Time to think
In the headlong pace of innovation, leaders are increasingly expected to make decisions quickly and under pressure. Many of the leaders we work with are already overstretched and overstimulated. In this context, making space for deliberate thinking time is vital. Without the opportunity to take a longer view, assess long-term impacts and reflect, leaders risk becoming reactive rather than strategic.
Thinking time allows for the integration of complex information and the exploration of the potential unintended consequences of AI deployment, it supports clarity of vision and enables a leader to move from short-term firefighting to thoughtful decision-making.
Legitimising thinking time is an important step for leaders to take. There can be guilt and self-consciousness involved in stepping away from the heat of the action and into cooler, calmer air. We advocate making non-negotiable diary time for thinking a regular habit.
Time to build trust
Equally crucial is taking the time to build trust with others. AI transformations have systemic impacts for engineers and data scientists, employees and suppliers, customers and society. These shifts can create uncertainty, anxiety and resistance.
Leaders who invest their time in building trust create environments where teams feel confident raising concerns and bring energy to collaborating, experimenting and disrupting. Ideas flow and people flourish. Trust makes for smoother adoption of new technologies, as people are more likely to support change when they believe they have been seen and heard, and leaders are transparent and genuinely interested in their well-being. Trust doesn’t emerge from grand gestures but from consistent, small actions: listening actively, being honest about unknowns, and involving others in the tricky questions that need resolving.
A useful measure of trust can be the quality of conversations leaders are having. If they are candid, straightforward interactions where people are open and genuinely focused on each other, then trust is likely to be enhanced.
Time for themselves
With so much to take account of, it can feel counterintuitive for leaders to carve out time for themselves – to recharge, reflect, and enjoy activities that sustain their effectiveness. The cognitive and emotional demands of leading in an AI-transformed world are significant. Without personal time, burnout becomes a real threat, and with it, impaired judgment and diminished empathy. The prescription is different for everybody: exercise, time with family or friends, creative pursuits, adventure or simply the savouring of a wonderful view, a peaceful moment or a delicious cup of tea.
Personal well-being is not an indulgence, it’s a foundation for resilience and sustained leadership. By demonstrating balance, leaders also give permission for others in the organisation to take time for themselves, encouraging a healthier and more productive culture, ready for the challenges ahead.
Conclusion
Leading and learning in the age of AI hinges not just on what leaders know or do, but on how they habitually use their time: time to think, time to connect, and time to care for themselves. These practices aren’t indulgent or secondary, they are strategic and essential. They enable leaders to navigate complexity with wisdom, foster environments where innovation can blossom and sustain their energy and clarity for the long haul.
As AI continues to transform the landscape, the leaders who thrive will be those who are intentional not only about what they lead and learn, but how they lead and learn with reflection, empathy and self-awareness at the core.
