The must-read articles on how AI is changing leadership

How much should we really be leaning into AI as leaders? While we know it can help us gain a competitive advantage – is it also reinforcing harmful biases? Professor of Management Alex Newman shares the articles all leaders should read.

Many leaders are grappling with how artificial intelligence will impact their organisations.

But how will AI change the nature of leadership itself?

Professor Alex Newman has compiled the articles he recommends reading, which examine the impacts of AI on leadership.

Professor Newman is the Associate Dean (Faculty) and a Professor of Management at Melbourne Business School. He is one of Australia’s leading researchers in the field of management and his work has been published in leading journals including the Journal of Applied Psychology, Journal of Organisational Behavior, Human Resource Management, Human Relations, Journal of Management Studies, The Leadership Quarterly and the Journal of International Business Studies.

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The Now, New, and Next of Digital Leadership: How Artificial Intelligence (AI) Will Take Over and Change Leadership as We Know It

Niels Van Quaquebeke and Fabiola H. Gerpott

Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies

In this article, Professors Niels Van Quaquebeke and Fabiola Gerpott highlight how artificial intelligence will influence leadership in different ways and ask whether AI will support or act as a substitute for human leadership. This article provides food for thought for all leaders grappling with AI and thinking about how it may impact their work.

The Future of Leadership in the Era of AI: Do We Still Need “Leaders”?

Zuzanna Staniszewska and Geraldine Galindo

ESCP Business School Impact Paper

Dr Zuzanna Staniszewska and Professor Géraldine Galindo examine how artificial intelligence is reshaping leadership in modern organisations, as AI increasingly performs functions such as hiring, feedback, and decision-making. Drawing on Van Quaquebeke and Gerpott’s framework, they outline three possible future scenarios: the dilution of leadership through widespread AI empowerment, a revival of traditional vision-centered leadership, and the emergence of new leaders defined by ethics, systems thinking, and AI literacy. They argue that while leadership roles may transform, the need for leaders remains.

AI Is Erasing The Very Experiences That Build The Leaders We Will Need

Margie Warrell, Ph.D

Forbes

Dr Margie Warrell argues that organisations should be wary about relying too much on AI as it may reduce leadership capability across the organisation. She points out that while AI boosts efficiency, it also eliminates the challenging, “messy” experiences like conflict resolution, dealing with ambiguity and engaging in difficult interpersonal interactions that build leadership capability especially in relation to emotional intelligence and resilience. She stresses that an over-reliance on AI to undertake daily leadership activities may risk the development of future leaders who lack the critical skills needed to build trust, unite teams, and make difficult decisions. To address this issue, she points out that organisations should expose junior employees to learning experiences that strengthen human capacities alongside the implementation of AI systems.

How AI Can Perpetuate – Or Help Mitigate – Gender Bias in Leadership

Toby Newstead, Bronwyn Eager, Suze Wilson

Organizational Dynamics

Volume 52, Issue 4, October–November 2023, 100998

This article by Drs Toby Newstead, Bronwyn Eager and Suze Wilson highlights that AI-generated content can reproduce and reinforce harmful gender biases related to leadership. They present evidence of these biases and propose practical strategies for managers to use AI in ways that promote greater gender equity in leadership.

AI-First Leadership: Embracing the Future of Work

Gregg Kober

Harvard Business Review

Dr Gregg Kober argues that leaders must adopt AI-first thinking, where they work with AI to achieve their strategic goals and gain a competitive advantage. He emphasises the need to empower leaders to integrate AI into daily workflows, translate strategy into action and spot opportunities others might miss. Kober stresses that in order to succeed, organisations should invest in developing AI-first capabilities across all leadership levels. This starts with developing foundational AI knowledge, cultivating an AI mindset and honing AI skills to foster a culture that combines human creativity with AI potential. 

AI for Business: A Guide to AI Adoption

Jon Whittle

Professor Newman also recommends Institute for Digital Innovation and AI Professorial Fellow Jon Whittle's new book, AI for Business: A Guide to AI Adoption, for further guidance on how leaders should be thinking about AI. The book covers everything leaders need to know about AI, including AI strategy and use cases, governance and risk, AI ethics, organisational structure, cybersecurity and ESG. Jon writes based on 30 years' experience applying AI in large organisations such as NASA and CSIRO.

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