Do you also worry that AI might make you obsolete one day?

You constantly read new studies about which jobs will be done by machines in the future. Handelsblatt, for example, reported last week that 67% of managers’ tasks are automatable—planning, reporting, controlling, all the things that often fill the agenda but rarely create meaning. Even at the top management level, the potential automation rate is estimated at 55%. It sounds threatening, yes. It creates uncertainty—but in every change, there are also opportunities for those who are curious and willing to learn.

A recent study by the National Bureau of Economic Research shows something remarkable: the way leaders interact with people predicts their leadership effectiveness with AI agents. Tests with executives revealed that those who are good at solving problems with their teams are, with very high probability, also good at using AI agents effectively.

The research further shows that managers who score higher in social and fluid intelligence—who actively engage in conversations, ask more questions, listen better, and respond empathetically—are not only considered better leaders, but are also more effective at guiding AI.

In other words: good leadership remains good leadership—whether the “follower” is made of flesh and blood or of code.

AI does not replace leadership—it reflects it. It forces us to return to what real leadership is all about: asking questions, listening, providing direction, challenging others, and rethinking.

It has always been this way—and it will remain so with AI: the best leaders are not those who know everything, but those who ask better questions and are willing to shift their perspective. Leading machines, just like leading people, means: saying less, asking more; lecturing less, facilitating more. It’s not about being the smartest person in the room, but about orchestrating the intelligence of others to achieve the best possible outcomes.

AI can deliver information faster—but it cannot create meaning. It can calculate better decisions—but it cannot provide direction. It can recognize patterns in everything—but it cannot connect people. The future does not belong to managers who optimize processes and constantly generate data—but to those who create energy and purpose.

This post was published by Wolfgang Jenewein on LinkedIn on October 27, 2025. Zum Original-Beitrag