I don’t know about you, but I’m finding more and more ways to use artificial intelligence (AI) to help with my work.
For example, just the other day I used AI to write a script for a video I’m producing. Normally, the script would have taken me between 3 and 5 hours to write, but with AI it took less than an hour.
And yes, in case you’re wondering, I used AI to help write this article.
I had to clean up and edit some of what AI wrote. Plus, I added more personality to the content in order to make it more enjoyable to read. But overall, using AI to write a first draft of this article saved me about 2 to 3 hours.
AI and the Shifting Role of Leadership
Okay, with all that out of the way, let’s talk about AI and how you can use it to improve your leadership and management skills.
Remember –– and this a the key point –– AI should be used as a tool to help you lead, not as a replacement for your leadership.
There’s a difference, and it’s an important one.
Think of AI the same way you used to think of Google –– a tool that can help increase your productivity, but not a tool that will replace you as a human being.
Alrighty then, with all that said, let’s get started, shall we?
Embracing AI can mean balancing efficiency with empathy and ensuring that technology supports — but doesn’t replace — the human qualities essential to effective leadership.
What follows are some of the tools you can use in order to incorporate AI into your work life.
AI Tools for Leaders: Enhancing Team Building, Mentorship, and Leadership Development
Team Building with AI: Team dynamics are a vital component of organizational success. AI tools like Asana can help leaders not only understand these dynamics but also create stronger bonds among team members. Some tools are particularly effective for remote or hybrid teams, where team members may feel isolated or disengaged.
Collaboration and Communication Platforms: Tools like Microsoft Teams and Slack have integrated AI features that help optimize team communication by tracking and analyzing engagement levels, flagging potential communication bottlenecks, and even suggesting new ways to engage team members. AI-powered chatbots can help answer routine questions, freeing up leaders to focus on meaningful conversations.
AI-Driven Personality and Strengths Assessments: Platforms like Crystal, which I have used and am a big fan of, use AI to analyze communication styles and personality traits to help teams better understand each other. By providing insights into team members’ strengths and communication preferences, these tools allow leaders to foster an environment where diverse personalities thrive and collaborate effectively.
Sentiment Analysis: Tools like IBM Watson Tone Analyzer can analyze written communication, such as emails and messages, to identify emotional tones like frustration or enthusiasm. By understanding the emotional pulse of the team, leaders can step in to provide support or motivation where needed.
AI Mentorship Matching: Platforms like MentorcliQ use AI algorithms to match mentors and mentees based on skills, interests, and development goals. By using data to make more personalized matches, these tools can lead to more productive mentorship relationships, especially in large organizations where finding the right pairing manually can be challenging.
Virtual Mentoring Tools: AI-driven virtual mentoring tools, such as Torch and Mentor Spaces, provide an online space for mentorship sessions, tracking progress, and sharing resources. These platforms often include AI insights, helping mentors monitor mentee engagement and progress, and adjust their approach accordingly.
Learning Platforms with AI Recommendations: Platforms like LinkedIn Learning and Udemy use AI to recommend courses and resources tailored to a leader’s developmental goals. This customization saves time and ensures that leaders focus on areas where they need the most improvement.
AI-Based Performance Review Systems: Companies are increasingly using AI in performance management tools to monitor and assess employees’ work. Tools like Betterworks use data-driven insights to track goals, engagement, and productivity, helping leaders provide more informed feedback and support employees’ growth paths.
Balancing AI with Human Leadership Qualities
While AI can provide leaders with unprecedented insights and efficiency, over-reliance on AI can be counter-productive. As a leader, you should be cautious of several pitfalls associated with an AI-heavy approach.
The Risk of Impersonal Leadership
AI’s ability to analyze data and provide insights can tempt leaders to rely too much on machine-driven conclusions about their teams. However, true leadership is inherently human, involving empathy, intuition, and trust. An over-dependence on AI can lead leaders to overlook the personal interactions that build genuine relationships.
For instance, relying solely on AI for sentiment analysis without follow-up human interaction can make team members feel undervalued. Leaders should use AI insights as a starting point, engaging directly with team members to validate findings and foster trust.
AI Bias and Inaccuracy
Although AI algorithms are powerful, they are not immune to biases. AI tools trained on biased data may replicate and even amplify existing prejudices. Leaders should be cautious of AI systems making decisions on hiring, performance evaluations, or mentorship pairing without oversight.
The risk of bias makes it essential for leaders to regularly review AI outputs critically and ensure that human judgment complements AI-driven insights. This approach minimizes the chance of inadvertently reinforcing stereotypes or overlooking qualified candidates.
Potential for Reduced Critical Thinking
Over-reliance on AI can stifle a leader’s instinct for critical thinking and problem-solving. Leaders who rely too heavily on AI insights may start to overlook alternative perspectives, unique ideas, and creative solutions.
AI should assist, not dictate, decision-making (just like it assisted me in writing this article). Leaders can avoid complacency by engaging in regular “what if” scenarios, asking themselves how they might approach a situation without AI support. This practice can help keep their critical thinking sharp and prevent blind dependence on technology.
Building a Human-Centered AI Leadership Approach
For AI to truly enhance leadership, executives should foster a culture that combines technological tools with human values. Here are some guidelines to help leaders strike the right balance:
Use AI for Support, Not Replacement: AI should act as an aid to leadership, not a replacement for human interaction. Leaders can use AI to gather insights and streamline processes, but ultimately, they must be the ones making decisions and driving team cohesion. Leaders should view AI as a tool to support their vision, not as an alternative to their role in guiding and inspiring their teams.
Foster a Culture of Empathy and Transparency: Even with AI-driven insights, leaders should prioritize transparency and empathy. Leaders can share how AI insights are used to benefit the team, such as by identifying skills gaps or tracking progress. By being open about AI’s role, leaders can demystify the technology and emphasize that it is there to support employees rather than surveil or judge them.
Encourage Continuous Learning and Adaptability: In an AI-driven future, leaders and teams must be adaptable. Leaders can cultivate a learning culture where team members are encouraged to develop both technical skills, such as data literacy, and soft skills, such as emotional intelligence. By championing continuous learning, leaders ensure that their teams remain versatile and resilient, ready to work effectively alongside AI.
Develop an AI-Ethics Framework: With AI’s increasing influence, ethical considerations are crucial. Leaders should establish an AI-ethics framework that guides how they use AI in the organization. This framework might cover issues like data privacy, bias mitigation, and transparency. When teams understand that ethical use is a priority, it fosters trust and aligns AI usage with the organization’s values.
The Good News and the Bad News About AI in the Workplace
AI holds remarkable potential for reshaping leadership by enhancing team-building, mentoring, and development efforts. When used thoughtfully, AI-driven tools can provide leaders with insights that lead to stronger teams, more effective mentorship, and better decision-making. However, the success of these tools depends on a balanced approach, where AI complements rather than replaces the human qualities at the heart of leadership.
As AI becomes more deeply integrated into the workplace, leaders have a responsibility to remain empathetic, ethical, and critical thinkers — prioritizing the values that make leadership meaningful and enduring in a technology-driven world.
By balancing technology with humanity, leaders can ensure that AI becomes a tool for positive growth, empowering both themselves and their teams.
About the Author: Jamie Turner is an internationally recognized author, professor, speaker, and CNN contributor whose clients include Coca-Cola, Mercedes-Benz, Verizon and other organizations around the globe. He has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Business Insider, Entrepreneur, Inc. and other prominent publications. Jamie is the co-author of four essential business books, the latest of which is An Audience of One published by McGraw-Hill. He is also is the founder of the Unspoken Rules of Leadership, a platform used by thousands of executives to learn better communication, leadership, productivity, and team building skills. You can follow Jamie on TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube and other social media platforms.