Navigating command in the AI-dominated era
In the modern age, the emergence of advanced Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) raises questions about its impact on leadership. As AI revolutionizes productivity, content creation, marketing, and various aspects of life, the temptation to extend its influence to leadership arises. But the question persists: Can AI help create better leaders?
The key to understanding this is recognizing that leadership isn't a product of technology, but technology can indeed aid in shaping leaders. There have been three distinct periods throughout history where technology played a significant role in leader development:
- In the pre-modern era, technology helped leaders craft and master tools that overcame human weaknesses. Leaders who excelled in this tech-savviness became formidable forces.
- During the industrial era, technology magnified our limited abilities, enabling us to be more productive through strategic technology usage. Leaders during this timeserve as managers, determining the most suitable tool or automation equipment for a given task and ensuring the right elements for ideal outcomes.
- In the digital era, AI helps extend human capabilities further, allowing us to allocate time more efficiently and automate repetitive work. This prompts us to consider which tasks we can delegate to free up our time for designing our lives.
Whenever the era, the common denominator remains: technology helps us overcome our limitations and create something superior to what we could have achieved alone.
CEOs and other leaders, however, are tasked with guiding organizations through the limitations of the technology available or in use. The role of leadership isn't to make our lives easier but to use our limited resources in a meaningful way. For a more in-depth exploration of this concept, refer to "The Question Concerning Technology." by Martin Heidegger.
Leveraging our knowledge and experience to its fullest potential requires technology as a complement, helping us overcome our constraints. In turn, we require leaders to help us achieve goals that exceed our individual capabilities. Different areas of technology necessitate distinct leadership styles, and mastering these styles is crucial for organizations to thrive in the digital age.
The premodern era.
During this period, leaders who mastered the use of tools helped individuals survive and prosper. Leaders were primarily experts in this area, using their knowledge and experience to design and perfect better tools.
In the digital era, a similar leader would be adept at using AI technology, helping everyone understand the opportunities and risks associated with developing AI tools that may simplify life in the short term but complexify it in the long term. Such a leader must stay updated on all AI advancements, as the entire organization depends on their expertise.
The Industrial Era.
Leaders during the industrial age focused on managing the use of technology by determining the most suitable equipment or tool for a particular task and assigning the best person for the job. The ultimate goal was to maximize productivity.
In the digital era, we need a leader with the necessary experience to create systems, structures, and train manpower for using current technology in a way that benefits the organization. As technology evolves rapidly, there is a need for constant collaboration between experts to establish a minimum viable truth - a shared understanding that is based on facts and technological realities. Leaders who sustain this minimum viable truth within their organization prioritize keeping things up-to-date with the latest technological advancements, regulations, policies, and standards to ensure the organization follows relevant and accessible norms.
The digital era.
Leaders in the digital era are responsible for debating and mediating between different use cases of technology, meeting the organization's needs and the needs of the people attempting to design their lives using technology. Leaders must use their experience and expertise to facilitate collaboration between different teams to achieve goals beyond individual capabilities.
Leaders must foster a culture in which everyone participates in deciding the best use of new technology, making conscious decisions that benefit the organization and its employees. By bringing people together to learn from one another, leaders can create a united front that leverages the power of collective knowledge.
Leadership in the AI Age
Technology and leadership serve separate yet interrelated purposes: technology frees up time, and leadership helps us use our limited resources in ways that make sense for ourselves and others. In the digital era, effective leaders are those who can strike the right balance between technology and creativity to achieve meaningful outcomes.
Leading successfully in the AI age demands time and effort, and leaders must create conditions that enable others to use their knowledge and skills despite their time constraints. By using technology thoughtfully, leaders can complement their limited capabilities and focus on tasks that truly matter.
As we strive to make our lives easier, we may overlook the difficult tasks that make life more meaningful. In our pursuit of a future where AI may replace humanity, leaders must question the ways we manage technology in our daily lives to ensure the preservation of humanity and the pursuit of meaningful work.
Source:The Art of Leading in the AI Age by Pia LauritzenSnB 2023/05.
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