Artificial Intelligence Requires a New Kind Of Leadership

Introduction: Embracing AI in Business

As highlighted in a recent article from Keen Alignment, AI will continue to be developed and implemented in the business world. However you may feel about this, you and your organization will need to prepare for the changes it brings. Your organization must be innovation-ready, and that is fostered through leadership.

AI’s Current Impact and Future Prospects

AI is already involved in many businesses to at least some degree. It is crunching numbers or performing mundane tasks that would take a human (or even multiple humans) much longer to complete. However, as AI continues to grow and develop, its role in the workplace will become more and more prevalent.

As Artificial Intelligence infiltrates the world of business, we may witness a large change in the way the workplace functions. A study by Microsoft found that 70% of workers would want AI to perform many of their tasks in order to decrease their workload. AI may become responsible for many of the things we find tedious or overwhelming in the workplace.

The Human-AI Partnership: Optimizing Workplace Dynamics

According to David De Cremer and Garry Kasparov in their article in the Harvard Business Review, AI Should Augment Human Intelligence, Not Replace It, the collaboration between humans and Artificial Intelligence will be the most productive model for business. They suggest that AI possesses one form of intelligence that is best put to work in a “closed management system” where the work is constantly unchanging and repetitive. Humans, on the other hand, possess the ability to imagine and anticipate future changes and deal with external factors that may alter their work. In their opinion, these two forms of intelligence working together would optimize the workplace.

Addressing Workforce Concerns: Communication and Preparation

While the results of the Microsoft study could be perceived as a sign that Artificial Intelligence will be readily accepted in the workplace, the study also determined that 49% of people are concerned that AI could replace their jobs. That is a large percentage of people who may have issues with the inclusion of AI in their day to day activities at work. You do not want AI to cause friction or distractions within your organization.

It seems essential then to have both an organization and employees who are willing to embrace change. They must be innovation-ready, and they need to have the flexibility to deal with whatever changes AI may bring to the table as this transition happens. AI will assist with many of the more monotonous or repetitive tasks, but while it can lessen the burden, it cannot replace the human element that is required for so many aspects of an organization. Creativity, problem-solving, and critical thinking are all important traits for both leaders and employees to have, particularly when change is occurring.

Leadership in the AI Era: Fostering Organizational Cohesion

It is incumbent on leadership to make sure that there is clear and transparent communication with employees to understand their concerns and prepare them for what is to come. Many leaders see Artificial Intelligence as a way to increase productivity and efficiency for their organization, while also decreasing the amount of work and stress for their employees. The Microsoft study found that business leaders were two times more interested in using AI for that purpose than as a means to reduce employee numbers. This suggests that AI could alleviate a lot of the “digital debt” many of us accumulate in the form of data and emails. This would free employees to be more creative and to have a greater focus when problem-solving. For those within your organization who are apprehensive about AI, sharing this perspective is a great way to show them that AI is meant to make their lives easier, not displace them. Even with AI, your business will not sustain success without talented and capable humans being a part of it.

This is where the importance of leadership comes into play as a key factor in helping your business transition into the era of AI. Everyone in your organization needs to be working in cohesion, both with each other and eventually with Artificial Intelligence. That will truly maximize the productivity and success of an organization that has adopted AI as part of its workforce. AI could introduce new wrinkles in the business world, but humans will still be the driving force behind what makes an organization a success. That is why leadership is so important for your business now and in the future.

Adapting Recruitment Strategies: Identifying Talent for the AI Age

To incorporate AI, firms must shift quickly from old ways of thinking to a system that is more in tune with today’s world. Given the complexity of this change, firms will need to recruit, interview, and screen candidates in a whole new way. A relationship with a recruiting firm that understands and stands for the demands of this new world is likely to produce the best results. An effective recruiting partner will partner with the company to identify the right combination of skill and experience to find the top candidates and to convey to them what the hiring company stands for.

ABOUT BRAINWORKS

BrainWorks is a recruiting organization that partners with clients to match them with recruiters who are experts in meeting their needs. Areas of specialization include: Accounting & Finance recruiting, Accounting & Finance – Interim recruiting, Alternative Investments recruiting,  Analytics, Data Science & Data Governance recruiting, Commodities Technology & Training recruiting, Consumer Products recruiters, CRM & Direct Marketing recruiting, Cybersecurity recruiting, Data & Data Insights recruiting, eCommerce & Digital Marketing recruiting, Financial Technology, Go-To-Market Search – Private Equity/Insurance and Financial Services recruiting, Human Resources recruiters, Legal recruiting, Market Research & Consumer Insights recruiting, Medical Device recruiting, Private Equity Recruiting – Portfolio Companies, Private Equity, Private Credit & Corporate Development recruiting, Sales and Marketing recruiting, Supply Chain & Operations recruiting, Tax Recruiting, Technology recruiting. We solve your hiring challenges by leveraging our vast network of highly skilled talent and our extensive, time-tested industry expertise. To learn more about how BrainWorks can help you, contact us.

• Learn more about our approach to leadership in the AI era on our Practice Leader page.
• Visit our previous blog to learn about “Unconscious Bias in Recruiting and Hiring.“
• Contact us to discuss how we can support your organization’s AI journey on our Contact Us page.