The future of business leadership in the age of AI

AI has given us a world where intelligence is available to everyone. If you want to find out pretty much anything, you can do it instantly. You don’t even necessarily need a smart prompt or a paid licence. Just throw the question in ChatGPT and you get an answer. Knowledge has been truly democratised.

So how do businesses set themselves apart if everyone can know everything at the click of a button?

Now more than ever before, it’s about the people. With AI available to everyone, the value of the human in business becomes ever more important. It’s the ability to understand, empathise, and inspire. To succeed, these softer skills will need to be ingrained in your company’s culture – and your customer interactions.

I think the leaders who will shape the future aren’t now necessarily the smartest; they’re the most emotionally connected.

Emotional intelligence (EQ) is your competitive edge – use it

AI is powerful, but it lacks the human touch. To build and run a business infused with AI, in a world where AI is increasingly prevalent, you need to find authentic ways to connect with your people and your customers. This is where those with high EQ will thrive.

Find your leaders with high EQ

Since the start of Covid, we no longer see our teams every day. We don’t have the same office interactions to build rapport. But yet, some teams still thrive. Learn from these teams. What are they doing to build and foster trust across distance that keeps their team cohesive, motivated, and aligned?

Reimagine your recruitment

Technical skills can be learned, and AI can support (or replace) many of them – but emotional intelligence is harder to teach. Look for future team members with adaptability, empathy, and strong interpersonal skills.

When implementing AI, think EQ

As you roll out AI within your own business, emotional intelligence will play a critical role in its successful implementation. Emotional intelligence will enable leaders to navigate the human implications of AI adoption, addressing concerns, and ensuring the well-being and engagement of employees.

Build authentic customer relationships

Today’s consumers care about authentic, empathetic experiences. Understand where AI can improve customer experience, and where it can’t. A bot isn’t always the answer. Build customer-centric strategies to create lasting connections – don’t forget your human side.

The future of leadership isn’t just about thinking – it’s about feeling

The best leaders now know how to use AI to make their businesses more efficient and make data-driven decisions while still inspiring and connecting on a human level.

What are you doing to bring more EQ into your business? I’d love to hear your thoughts. At iwantmore.ai we maximise our use of AI to make sure we have more time to build human relationships with our clients. If you’d like to explore more about AI strategy development or change management when implementing or using AI in your business, connect with us.