What Good Leadership Looks Like in an AI World

As AI transforms leadership, three futures are taking shape. Each demands a new way to guide teams and drive results. 

Why leaders need a new playbook in the age of AI

Today’s executives face new pressures:

  • Experience starvation. Leaders are promoted faster with less time to build judgment through lived experience.

  • Experience compression. Executives must absorb more information in less time as best practices quickly become obsolete.

The result is a gap between what the business needs and what people can deliver. Addressing this challenge requires a fundamental shift in how leaders guide teams, develop talent and make decisions as we enter the age of AI leadership.

Transform Your Leadership Strategy for an AI-Driven World

Complete this form to speak with Gartner about reshaping your leadership approach for the age of AI.

By clicking the "Continue" button, you are agreeing to the Gartner Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

As AI transforms leadership, prepare for three possible futures

The best leaders won’t just use AI. They’ll orchestrate these futures so their teams and organizations thrive.

AI as mentor: Accelerating human growth

By 2025, 75% of employees in new roles will be trained or coached by AI first, not a person. This has the potential to drive personalized onboarding at scale, adaptive learning journeys and real-time feedback loops. Leaders who harness this shift can accelerate skill building and confidence across their teams. Take this as an opportunity to:

  • Rethink onboarding. Train new employees more effectively with AI conversation simulators to practice interactions with clients and customers.

  • Simulate complex scenarios. Use GenAI simulators to build confidence, judgment and crisis management skills without real-world consequences.

AI as reviewer: Increasing manager span of value

By 2028, 56% of CEOs expect to use AI to delayer middle management. Rather than increase middle management span of control, leaders should use AI to increase manager span of value. This frees up managers to spend less time policing processes and more time developing people, supporting change and driving business outcomes. Gartner recommends that executive leaders:

  • Focus on impact. The goal is not fewer managers, but rather more impactful ones who spend less time monitoring processes and more time developing talent and strategy.

  • Build manager capacity. Leverage AI to free up managers so they can spend more time supporting change, coaching talent and working on strategic initiatives instead of getting stuck in review mode.

AI as sounding board: A thought partner for executives

At the highest levels, generative AI is emerging as an indispensable partner that helps leaders simulate decisions, surface risks and prepare for complex conversations with unprecedented speed. Executives who embrace these tools gain a strategic edge in decision making.

GenAI is becoming important for:

  • Scenario planning at speed. Use persona-driven simulations that anticipate stakeholder (e.g., regulators, investors, the board) reactions to initiatives such as entering a new market.

  • Risk analysis and surfacing blind spots. GenAI analyzes past project data alongside current market signals to identify hidden risks or missed opportunities.

  • Board-level personas to prepare for conversations. Instantly synthesize insights from across functions before discussing big decisions or attending board meetings.

FAQs on the future of leadership with AI

How will AI change what it means to be an effective leader?

AI will shift leadership away from relying mostly on personal experience and intuition toward orchestrating human-machine collaboration. Effective leaders will use AI as mentor, reviewer and thought partner to accelerate learning, surface blind spots and enable better decisions at speed.

What new skills do executives need to lead alongside AI?

Executives must develop digital curiosity, comfort with data-driven feedback, and the ability to coach teams through constant change. Top leaders blend synthetic insights with human judgment by using AI for simulation, scenario planning and real-time coaching alongside their vision and empathy.

How can organizations prepare managers for an AI-powered future?

Start by integrating AI-powered learning tools into onboarding and development programs. Encourage managers to partner with AI for routine reviews so they can focus on talent development and strategy. Build a culture that encourages experimenting with new technology, and make continuous upskilling the norm.

Attend a Conference

Accelerate growth with Gartner conferences

Gain exclusive insight on the latest trends, receive one-on-one guidance from a Gartner expert, network with a community of your peers and leave ready to tackle your mission-critical priorities.

View Conference Calendar

Drive stronger performance on your mission-critical priorities.