AI will not make leadership less important. It will make weak leadership easier to spot and push good leaders to design workflows, guardrails, approvals and trust instead of just chasing tasks.
You address, among other things, two very important points. First, that knowledge work can in principle follow just as clear and methodical a process as the production of a physical product. However, this is unfortunately far from being recognized and accepted yet — probably because the product is not directly visible. AI could lead to this insight finally gaining broader acceptance. Equally, the second aspect — decision-making — also needs and has a clear process, for example as described in the continuum model by Tannenbaum and Schmidt. This too is something we apply inconsistently today, and here as well, the thoughtful use of AI can demand a more consistent way of acting. A very good article — I hope it opens eyes for those it concerns.
Thank you for this thoughtful comment, Uwe. I think it adds an important layer to the discussion. A lot of knowledge work always had a process, it just stayed implicit because the output was less visible. AI is making that harder to ignore. And it does the same for decisions: not by replacing judgment, but by forcing more clarity and consistency around how decisions are made, who decides and when escalation is needed.
I appreciate this because I’ve been thinking about the design work that is needed in organizations and what it means for leaders at all levels and what they need to be successful.
You address, among other things, two very important points. First, that knowledge work can in principle follow just as clear and methodical a process as the production of a physical product. However, this is unfortunately far from being recognized and accepted yet — probably because the product is not directly visible. AI could lead to this insight finally gaining broader acceptance. Equally, the second aspect — decision-making — also needs and has a clear process, for example as described in the continuum model by Tannenbaum and Schmidt. This too is something we apply inconsistently today, and here as well, the thoughtful use of AI can demand a more consistent way of acting. A very good article — I hope it opens eyes for those it concerns.
Thank you for this thoughtful comment, Uwe. I think it adds an important layer to the discussion. A lot of knowledge work always had a process, it just stayed implicit because the output was less visible. AI is making that harder to ignore. And it does the same for decisions: not by replacing judgment, but by forcing more clarity and consistency around how decisions are made, who decides and when escalation is needed.
I appreciate this because I’ve been thinking about the design work that is needed in organizations and what it means for leaders at all levels and what they need to be successful.