The Leadership Shift You Can’t Opt Out Of

Liza Engel
Nov 24
3 min read

“I really don’t think AI is going to impact my work.”

If I had a dollar (or franc) for every time a leader said that, I’d be running a foundation by now.

But here’s the real question: who are they trying to convince?

The Moment We’re In

We’ve entered a new era for leadership.

You can debate whether it’s unprecedented; either way, the rate of change certainly is. And the kind of leadership it demands? It’s already overdue.

Here’s what I’m seeing: leaders are landing in one of two emotional states:

Fear

“I don’t understand enough to lead this.”

“This won’t affect me.”

“I’m not the AI type.”

Possibility

“This is our chance to reinvent work.”

“This could finally remove friction.”

“This might elevate leadership itself.”

Both are valid. Fear shows you what matters. Possibility shows you what’s next.

One thing is non‑negotiable:

A leadership shift is underway - and you don’t get to postpone it.

When everything speeds up, people look for someone who can slow down enough to think clearly and see what might lie under the surface.

5 Realities of Leading in the AI Era

1. You’re leading change you might not get to choose.

Transformation used to be scheduled. Planned. Budgeted.

Now AI lands in your organization before strategy does.

Teams experiment before leaders approve.

So the question is:

Are you leading this shift - or reacting to it?

2. You don’t necessarily need technical expertise - you need curiosity and interpretive expertise.

You don’t need to know every capability.

You need to ask even better questions:

What problem does this solve?
Where does it support our people?
Where does it introduce risk?
What decisions will it accelerate?
Where must humans stay firmly in the loop?

Interpretation - not more information - is what separates leaders from the noise.

3. Your authority will come from learning, not knowing.

AI flattens hierarchy.

Your intern might be faster than you - and that’s not a threat. It’s leverage.

People don’t trust leaders who fake it. They trust leaders who learn out loud.

4. If you stay silent on this, it will destabilize more than AI ever will.

People aren’t necessarily afraid of AI.

They’re scared of not knowing:

What’s changing?
What’s safe?
Will we be supported?
Is there a plan?

Will I have a job?

Communicate with radical transparency - or risk a trust vacuum.

5. Participation is the new control.

The best AI strategies don’t start with tools. They begin with simple questions:

What feels unnecessarily heavy?
What slows us down that shouldn’t?

How might AI remove friction?

If people help discover the change, they’ll help drive the change. You don’t have to do this on your own.

If you’re not sure where to start, try this: The 10% Lighter Experiment

This week, ask your team: “What part of your work feels heavier than it should?”

Then ask: “What small experiment could lighten it by 10%?”

No big program. No grand transformation. Just 10% lighter.

That’s often how the fundamental shift begins - not in fear, but in relief.

Start with 3 Ways to Open Up:

Open your mind: Question the assumptions you’re treating as facts.
Open your calendar: Block 30 minutes to explore one real use case. (Swap 30 minutes of scrolling for learning - it’s the most straightforward leadership hack.)
Open your conversations: Talk about what you’re learning - and what you’re still unsure about. Openness ignites momentum.