When you step into an office, how do you spot the leader?
Perhaps the one with the enclosed office or higher divider walls.
Or the one with gravitas and is dressed better than everyone else.
Or maybe the one whom everyone turns to for answers.
For years, we associate leadership with these things: their office, appearance and their ability to solve problems and set direction. They always seem so put-together and knowing what to say or do.
Like I shared in my previous article, being the “go-to person” became a badge of honor. 
But that is an outdated view of leadership. A view that belongs to the industrial era. 
It assumes that people are not capable, resourceful and whole. That they need a push, a carrot 
or a stick to make them move.
People are so much more than that. They can observe, feel, think and process. 
We’ve seen more focus on the humanness of the workforce during the pandemic. Mental health, boundaries and psychological safety surfaced as important areas that leaders also need to attend to, on top of their business mandate.
Today, with AI and technology growing rapidly and the generational mix in the workforce continuing to shift, many leaders are wondering, how can leaders reposition themselves to remain relevant and increase their value?
Being the source of information and solutions is no longer what sets a leader apart. AI can do that too.
Being the most efficient in preparing and analyzing reports can also be done by AI.
The ability to craft a comprehensive action plan is something that machines can do too.
This means that in order to stay relevant and irreplaceable, leaders must shift how they bring value to their teams and organization as a whole.
The future-ready leader who will thrive in the years to come won’t be the smartest or the most efficient one. They’re the ones who embrace technology 
, while harnessing the strength of their humanness. They’re the ones who develop employees who are better thinkers, decision-makers and change-ready.
It’s no longer a question of doing more, but creating value that technology can’t.
Here are three shifts every future-ready leader must begin making today.
Shift #1: From Fixer to Capability Builder
As AI and technology become part of everyday work (and life), employees have instant and convenient access to information, answers, and learning resources.
If your role as a leader is simply to answer questions, provide solutions and fix problems, then you might be out of businesssoon.
There is a strong and urgent need for leaders to focus more on developing their people so that the latter can use technology to their advantage and provide more value beyond what technology can already do.
So what is technology unable to do?
Be human.
… Being able to question the data, notice patterns and connect the dots.
… Discern between output that looks or sounds good and sound thinking process.
… Be authentic, show empathy and create genuine connection through words and actions.
What skills must leaders develop to become better Capability Builders?
- Listening more actively and being able to catch cues from body language, voice and tone shifts, patterns of speech.
- Asking better questions that will expand how employees think.
- Providing genuine feedback (whether it’s praise or improvement) that will not raise doubts like “Did my manager really mean this or is this AI?”
- Knowledge of talent and career development tools and frameworks that are agile and practical.
Shift #2: From Siloed-Thinking to Systemic Thinking
When I decided to deepen my knowledge and exposure in Agile People Leadership and People Development, one key principle stuck with me. It’s the metaphor of a Leader as a Gardener.
Just as the gardener does not direct or commandthe plants to grow, leaders must focus on cultivating an environment where teams and individuals feel nurtured and valued, so that they can grow and contribute.
For leaders to increase their value in a technology-driven organization, they must expand what and how they’re seeing things. Leaders must see the bigger picture, orchestrate how people, processes and technology work best together, and create conditions where people feel safe amidst the speed and breadth of change. To do this, leaders can start by asking themselves, “How can I shape the environment so that people succeed?”
What skills must leaders develop to become better Systems Thinkers?
- Curiosity that will lead them to ask questions and explore various perspectives.
- Growth mindset to be able to reframe challenges and embrace complexity.
- Analytical skills that will allow them to notice patterns, create connections and surface insights.
Shift #3: From “More Work” to “Better Work”
When we think of the benefits of AI, the first things that come to mind are efficiency and productivity.
Sadly, this drive to do more led to cognitive fatigue (“brain-fry” effect) in people. The overreliance on AI to offload work led to decrease in critical thinking.
The challenge is for leaders to encourage not just more work, but better quality work, with the help of AI and tech.
What does this mean?
This means that AI must be used more as a thinking partner. One that will challenge our thinking and allow us to see different perspectives that our personal biases might have prevented us to see. Thus, leaders must have the ability to support and grow AI fluency, instead of just AI literacy.
What skills must leaders develop to support their teams in creating better work with AI
- Skills that build psychological safety such as empathy, EQ, curiosity, DEI, etc.
- Better understanding of basic human fears, needs and motivators
- Coaching skills that will help build learning agility in their teams
How are you keeping up?
How are you keeping up? Do you think your leaders have the skills and support they need so that they can remain relevant and continue to add value? Or are they still stuck in their old ways that keep teams and systems rigid, stuck and unable to transform for the better?
No Special tools needed. You can start today, and do it consistently to make a difference. Coach Kurly de Guzman is a Career and Leadership Coach and one of a LinkedIn’s Top Voice based in the Philippines. She continuously seeks ways to help coaches, leaders and teams thrive through her newsletter, leadership and career development workshops as well as group and 1:1 coaching session for clients.
