Leadership and AI: The Curveball Most Leaders Are Missing in 2025

weormond
Sep 12
1 min read

Updated: Oct 5

A glowing "AI" above a hand with tech icons around it on a dark blue digital background, conveying futurism and innovation. — GREAT LEADERS BALANCE PEOPLE & AI

Many of the leaders we work with are asking a similar question: “What can AI do for us?” But the real challenge is how to integrate leadership and AI without losing what makes teams effective.

How Leadership and AI Must Evolve Together

Most are focused on tools, automation, or cost savings. But the real curveball isn’t technology, it’s the human side.

AI is reshaping decision-making, trust, and even how teams drive value. Leaders who rely only on efficiency risk losing sight of judgment, ethics, and creativity - the very things machines can’t replace…at least not yet.

In 2025, leadership and AI must evolve together. Efficiency alone isn’t enough. Leaders need to preserve judgment, ethics, and creativity. The best leaders aren't the ones who know the most about AI. They’re the ones who know how to best balance people and technology. They don’t just add, they integrate. They understand that simply automating broken processes or biased thinking doesn’t fix the problem. They know that doing the wrong things faster isn’t better.

A simple rule of thumb: Automate for efficiency but keep people at the center for effectiveness. Efficiency saves time; effectiveness builds value. The leaders who get this balance right will move ahead the fastest.

So, rather than asking “What can AI do for us?”, a better question might be “Where does judgement matter most?” and build your AI strategy around that.