The revolution of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is already here, and company after company is applying AI for operational excellence, innovation and competitive advantages. The world has already changed at an accelerating pace for many years, but with AI becoming every man’s tool, changes are coming even faster. This calls for leadership like never before.
Agentic Leadership is about leading with AI, and leading along AI. “With AI” means having AI amplify your leadership practices by providing details and insights that you might not see yourself. “Along AI” means the use of AI will influence the psychodynamics in your organisation, causing often irrational thoughts and anxiety among the employees. So, Agentic Leadership is not about replacing good and well-known leadership practices with something new. Agentic Leadership is about amplifying leadership through AI. It is also about navigating complexity at high pace while providing opportunities and psychological safety for those employees that are affected by the use of AI. Popular speaking: How do you lead when your team is a mix of humans and AI agents?
Most AI transformations are focusing on the business advantages and the technical aspects of the introduction of AI. Only a few are concerned about leadership and the cultural implications of AI, and even fewer are doing something concrete about these aspects. History has shown that doing transformations – like Agile or digital transformation – without properly addressing leadership and culture will cause disastrous results, or no results at all. Culture still eats strategy for breakfast, and it most likely will do that until the end of time.
Leadership is about getting people to do things that they would not have done otherwise. Leadership is about setting direction and guard rails so employees understand what they are supposed to do and why they are doing it. Leadership is about providing an environment where employees can succeed and grow, have autonomy and room for manoeuvre, as well as having a sustainable work–life balance. Leadership is also about having an orientation towards achieving goals, giving inspiration and being guardians for teamwork.
Leaders must understand the complexity of organisational dynamics, and leaders must be able to navigate amid uncertainty and hyper competition. Leaders must know that it is the whole person that comes to work every day and that people’s lives over time include joy, excitement, sorrow, anxiety, losses and fear. Leaders must understand that each person is unique and that their needs vary over time, and leaders must understand that each person is doing what makes sense for them and acts according to personal intent.
Leaders must act accordingly to those understandings!
If you think leadership was difficult in the past, guess what – it has become even more difficult with the introduction of AI. Practicing Agentic Leadership is a way to support you under these circumstances..
