Leadership Skills in the AI Era: Beyond Traditional Management
The first time an AI system disagreed with my architectural decision and turned out to be right, I realized something fundamental had changed—not about AI, but about what leadership means. This wasn't a story about better technology; it was about how my role as a leader needed to evolve. The skills that made me effective in leading human teams weren't suddenly obsolete, but they required significant adaptation when AI became part of the equation.
If you're a tech leader today, you've likely felt this tension. As research shows, AI's impact on productivity is real but nuanced—it's not a silver bullet that solves all problems automatically. You know the traditional leadership skills that matter: technical depth, business domain knowledge, interpersonal skills, and political navigation. These haven't disappeared. But AI introduces a new dimension where these skills must expand and adapt. You're no longer just leading people or directing tools; you're orchestrating a hybrid environment where human judgment, traditional management wisdom, and AI capabilities need to work in harmony.