Five leadership pitfalls in the age of AI

Many managers have not yet fully grasped the extent to which leadership has already changed in the digital age and will continue to change as the use of AI increases. On a meta-level, they are aware of what modern, contemporary leadership requires. They

• They talk, for example, of greater trust, less control, greater openness and, above all, stronger relationships, which require time that needs to be set aside, and

• are increasingly seeing themselves as relationship managers.

In everyday life, however, something quite different happens:

• Like their staff, they cling to their familiar routines and spend an endless amount of time in meetings from which they dare not escape.

• Although they talk about the new, changing world of work, they still manage and work as they used to.

• Although they call for more personal responsibility within the team, they do intervene again at the crucial moment. And:

• They are using the new digital tools without really understanding the impact that technological developments have on leadership, culture and collaboration.

In my work within and for companies, I repeatedly come across five leadership pitfalls that managers – who advocate a modern, forward-looking approach to leadership – often fall into in their day-to-day work.

Pitfall 1 – the self-deception trap:  It begins when managers believe they are far further along than they actually are. Experience can make one wise, but it can also make one complacent. Managers who are driven by ambition or who no longer question their own leadership style only think about leadership and responsibility in theory.

Pitfall 2 – the relationship pitfall: It becomes apparent when leadership is reduced to tasks, targets and processes. In hybrid teams in particular, simply sharing information is not enough. Now more than ever, people are seeking connection and trust, and need to feel that they are being seen. Building relationships takes time; however, it is the most solid foundation for getting people to go the extra mile.

Pitfall 3 – the Technology trap: You arises when digital developments are observed but not truly translated into leadership. AI is the prime example of this. It is not about mastering every tool. It is about understanding how technology is changing decision-making, roles, collaboration and responsibility. Above all, AI is not merely a tool for increasing efficiency. Rather, humans and AI can work together to achieve things that were previously impossible. However, this also requires a corresponding vision.

Pitfall 4 – the A potential crisis: She encounters leaders who simply want to ‘get through’ crises or upheavals ‘somehow’. Yet uncertainty is no longer an exceptional state of affairs. It is part of the reality of leadership. Being resilient does not just mean that the leader remains capable of taking action, but also that they develop their team accordingly: For in the future, too, one crisis or paradigm shift will follow another in quick succession. And it is precisely then that the leader must, consciously or unconsciously, provide their staff with guidance and instil in them the confidence that ‘We can do it if …’.

Pitfall 5 – the The synergy trap: This is perhaps the most recent pitfall. Many decision-makers in companies talk about humans and machines, yet too few are consciously shaping this interaction. AI can support, structure and accelerate. But it cannot replace attitude, responsibility or human judgement. Nevertheless, AI is often used primarily as a tool designed to help us reach our goals more quickly. As a result, many other potential applications remain untapped.

What all these pitfalls have in common is that they cannot be avoided through traditional skills alone. That is why we – by which I mean both managers and those, like myself, who support and advise them – must develop these skills further into flexible forms of intelligence and acquire the ability to,

• Re-interpreting situations,

• To be able to cope with contradictions,

• To shape relationships consciously,

• to contextualise technological developments and

• to provide guidance in times of crisis or upheaval,

For only then can we adapt our thinking and actions to changing circumstances and respond appropriately to each new situation or set of circumstances.

Leadership today no longer operates according to a standardised model based on the maxim ‘Do this, and that will happen’. Leadership today is a dynamic system. It, too, must learn to change without losing its human essence.