The AI race will be won by strong leadership
Technology is evolving faster than most organisations can adapt. According to Entec Si CEO Eman Al-Hillawi, as AI becomes embedded into core business processes, leaders are having to constantly adapt ways of working, as every month brings a new tool to be assessed, and possibly embedded, harnessed and scaled.
Traditionally, a seasoned leader will have grown up through the organisation, learnt on the job or be brought in based on certain specialisms or knowledge. Now, with the rapid pace of change in a world of AI advancements, management are more likely to face new challenges every day, with little to no clear guidance on what the next technology trend will be or what the future may hold. Therefore, having a change mindset can make all the difference.
Ignoring innovation can lead to organisations falling behind and being disadvantaged. AI provides an important opportunity for teams to improve productivity and redesign workflows and operating models in ways that positions them to innovate faster. However, technology alone isn’t enough, and most companies are finding that changing how work gets done is far more difficult than just deploying a new tool. Organisations often have complicated structures, and staff may be reluctant to adopt new ways of working or unwilling to shift their mindsets and capabilities.
Commitment and buy-in from the workforce are critical. The AI advantage will not go to the company that buys the most technology, it will go to the leaders who can shift culture, build confidence and equip their people to embrace change and turn new technology into meaningful business value.
A people-first ethos
People should always be at the heart of any change journey and leveraging a team-focused approach, where leaders remain adaptable to employees’ needs, will give organisations a competitive advantage.
Prioritising employees in digital transformation helps them feel valued and extends the benefits of change beyond just implementing new systems.
A people-first strategy may involve enhancing direct communication and training to address knowledge gaps, alongside internal messaging that underscores the advantages of AI adoption in a way that aims to ease employees’ fears. Significant transformation can always prompt resistance and for some team members, new technology may feel like a threat to their careers and everyday lives. To navigate this, leadership should plan ahead and have communications prepared to roll-out from the beginning of the change journey. Regular check-ins with teams can help leaders identify and address hesitancies early-on and should also take into account individuals who might need more one-to-one support.
Practically, team members need to be given time and freedom to test AI tools, experiment and build confidence. By establishing a community network of trained super users within the team, available to champion the technology and support those who need it, users can feel empowered and encouraged to build digital confidence and adopt an AI mindset.
Employees should also be upskilled so they can successfully operate in future looking organisations. For example, in the age of AI, the skills needed to perform a role effectively are shifting, and employees will need to be increasingly flexible, resilient and open to risk and experimentation, while demonstrating critical thinking capabilities to succeed.
In the age of AI, teams should learn best practise from the top down. An example and strategy should be set by leadership when rolling out new technology, encouraging the team to be curious, confident and adaptable.
If the workforce can embrace change, resistance and uncertainty will be reduced, enabling technology to be adopted, embedded and continually developed to deliver greater value, while organisations become more agile and better equipped to respond to future change.
Employees also benefit when leaders are open. While a manager might not have all the answers given the current, and rapidly evolving climate, by communicating the challenges and changes ahead and providing support and reassurance, employees learn and evolve.
The future of leadership
The reality is that, across the private sector and increasingly across all organisations, leaders are no longer managing people alone. They are also beginning to oversee AI agents that can perform tasks, make recommendations and execute increasingly complex workflows.
The number of active AI agents in organisations has tripled in the last year as LLM technology is increasingly being integrated with existing data and applications to help plan, execute, and validate multi-step workflows.
This blend of technology and people provides a unique challenge for managers. Leaders will require new skills, such as strategic thinking and AI literacy, alongside developing strict policies to govern and manage the use of AI.
To ensure compliance, there has been a significant uptick in organisations employing dedicated ethical advisors to govern AI agents and align internal controls with human values. While AI can increasingly support decision-making and execute complex tasks, human involvement is still required at the helm of organisations to manage regulation, limit bias and monitor operations effectively, ensuring trust and that decisions are appropriate, accountable and easy to trace.
Industry leaders should also harness human connection and look to others in their sector who face similar questions, pressures and hurdles to share knowledge, exchange ideas and learn from one another.
Leaders cannot slow the pace of technological advancement, and they will continue to face pressure to embrace rapid change. However, they have enormous influence over how their teams absorb, adapt to and shape AI. To see true benefits, a people-first approach must be taken to AI adoption, communications, upskilling, and change. Ultimately, the organisations that succeed will not be those with access to the most advanced tools, but those with leaders who can build trust, develop capability and create a culture that enables people and technology to thrive together.
