In an AI age, human leaders give the edge

Over coffee with a group of friends last week, the talk was all about how we're using AI at work. Some of the group were full-on enthusiasts, others rolled their eyes (as one put it: “We’ve officially hit peak AI BS”), and most of us were somewhere in between. What was clear, though, was that nearly everyone had been nudged (or shoved) by their employer to start using AI, and not always with smooth results.

One said:

“My manager asked if I’d used AI to write my latest report. I said ‘yes, absolutely’, but I didn’t. I wrote it myself, because that’s what I like doing and I’m good at it. It's wrong that I feel I should hide it”

This sparked an even bigger conversation: How did we even get here? What are employers doing to prepare for the ripple effects of AI? And what do leaders bring to the table?

AI is brilliant at speeding up routine tasks and cutting out tedious work. But without thoughtful direction, it can also create chaos - more noise, more complexity, and ironically, less productivity, according to Harvard Business Review: https://hbr.org/2025/09/ai-generated-workslop-is-destroying-productivity

This is where leaders have a unique advantage. In an AI-powered world, their human skills of empathy, emotional intelligence, and clear-sightedness are more valuable, not less. Effective leaders are the ones who can cut through the fog, build trust, and energise their teams.

Using Dan Pink’s classic trio of motivation: Autonomy, Mastery, Purpose, here are the key ways that leaders are making the difference:

• Autonomy: Giving the team the tools - and the trust - to use AI in ways that suit their roles. Setting smart guardrails, like the “30% rule” (AI does up to 30% of the work, the rest is human-led). This keeps creativity in their hands.

• Mastery: Giving people the training and support they need to become AI-savvy. Not just how to use it, but how to use it well. Characterising AI as a super keen intern - helpful, but not always reliable. So they know when to use AI and when to take the reins.

• Purpose: Talking openly about what AI means for the organisation’s mission. Cutting through the hype. Acknowledging the challenges. And most importantly, connecting the tech to what makes each person’s work meaningful. So they can still do what they’re great at and what they love doing.

It's been said many times, AI is an evolution, not a revolution. Leaders have a pivotal role in shaping a workplace that’s not just more efficient, but more human.

How is your team balancing AI with human creativity? We’d love to hear what’s working for you.

Next week: (Tackling complex problems)