The best leaders I work with aren’t debating whether AI will change how they lead. Instead, they’re already making decisions based on the reality that it’s happening right now. They’re positioning themselves to capitalize on it while others are still figuring out what AI means for their business.
In my experience coaching executives, entrepreneurs, and founders across multiple industries, the smartest ones share one trait: they see the shift coming and they’re moving fast. However, these aren’t tech-obsessed leaders or early adopters by nature. Instead, they’re practical business people who understand that AI represents a fundamental change in how successful leadership operates.
Foundation: Leading with AI Intention
Start With AI Ethics
Smart leaders first set up ethical guidelines before they deploy their first AI tool. They know that getting this wrong destroys trust faster than any other mistake they could make.
Decide With Machine Intelligence
The sharpest executives combine their gut instincts with AI insights. They make calls that are both faster and more accurate than either approach alone.
Work With AI, Not Against It
Effective leaders treat AI like their best analyst and reserve their own effort for the nuanced human work that machines cannot handle.
Use AI to Self-Coach
Top performers track their development with intelligent coaching systems, turning data on their behaviour into clear growth plans.
Be Transparent About AI’s Role
Modern leaders explain when and how AI shapes their decisions so people understand the process and stay engaged.
Leaders: Building AI-Enabled Teams
Find Overlooked Talent
The best leaders use AI to discover candidates they would otherwise miss and to predict who will excel in their environment.
Build Cultures That Embrace AI
Forward‑thinking leaders create workplaces where people see AI as a tool that improves their work rather than a threat to their jobs.
Customize Communication Styles
Innovative leaders rely on behavioral data to adapt how they communicate and to give feedback that resonates with each person.
Prepare Teams for What’s Next
Smart leaders use AI to identify skill gaps early and design learning programs that ready their people for future challenges.
Ensure AI Fairness
Conscientious leaders check their AI systems. They make sure they’re not creating unfair advantages or disadvantages for different groups.
Execution: Driving Strategy Through AI
Predict What’s Coming
Leaders focused on sustainability use AI to optimize operations. They reduce waste in ways that move the needle.
Catch Problems Early
Agile leaders rely on real-time data to adjust their approach. They respond when market conditions shift without warning.
Ensure AI Treats Everyone Fairly
Conscientious leaders check their AI systems. They make sure they’re not creating unfair advantages or disadvantages for different groups.
Making Decisions Based on Current Information
Leaders use live data streams to make calls in the moment. They don’t wait for monthly reports.
Preparing Their People for What’s Next
Smart leaders use AI to identify skill gaps. They create learning programs that prepare teams for future challenges.
Customizing Their Leadership Style
Innovative leaders use behavioral data to adjust how they communicate. They give feedback to each person on their team.
Turning Information Into Action
Strategic leaders convert data into insights that drive real business results and competitive positioning.
The leaders who succeed with AI aren’t the ones chasing the next tool. They’re the ones redesigning how decisions are made, how teams operate, and how value is created. The edge doesn’t come from adopting AI. It comes from absorbing it into the core of leadership itself.
Once that shift happens, the gap widens. Every hesitation, every quarter of delay, gives AI-driven leaders deeper insight, faster execution, and a compounding advantage that’s increasingly too wide to bridge.
AI Leadership Edge: The future belongs to leaders who start now, stay curious, and build systems that work.
#1 N A T I O N A L B E S T S E L L E R
The Leadership Gap
What Gets Between You and Your Greatness
After decades of coaching powerful executives around the world, Lolly Daskal has observed that leaders rise to their positions relying on a specific set of values and traits. But in time, every executive reaches a point when their performance suffers and failure persists. Very few understand why or how to prevent it.
Additional Reading you might enjoy:
- Uncharted Waters: How To Navigate The Future Of Leadership And Business
- How Smart Leaders Are Using AI to Make Better Decisions, Faster
- The New Leadership Model for Managing Teams Powered by AI
- 4 of the Most Important Skills of the Future
- The Future of Leadership Development: How to Prepare for What’s Next
- The Massive Shifts In Leadership That Are Creating The New Future
- What Leadership Skills Will Be Needed In the Future
Of Lolly’s many awards and accolades, Lolly was designated a Top-50 Leadership and Management Expert by Inc. magazine. Huffington Post honored Lolly with the title of The Most Inspiring Woman in the World. Her writing has appeared in HBR, Inc.com, Fast Company (Ask The Expert), Huffington Post, and Psychology Today, and others. Her newest book, The Leadership Gap: What Gets Between You and Your Greatness has become a national bestseller.