“AI cannot remove the bottleneck if leadership remains centralised”
Redesign the decision-making process
Many organisations are using AI to complete the same work faster, only to fill the time saved with even more work. But this doesn’t necessarily improve the business.
“The real opportunity isn’t to increase activity,” says Dennis Kuipers, founder of Lancestone and author of Breaking Out Of Founders’ Prison. “It’s to redesign how decisions are made and where responsibility sits. AI cannot remove the bottleneck if leadership remains centralised.
“Productivity grows when leaders stop becoming the answer to every question,” he adds. “Clear ownership, decision-making authority and well-designed operating systems allow people to solve problems independently, with AI strengthening their judgement rather than replacing it.”
If the same decisions continue to reach senior leadership, AI has simply accelerated an inefficient process. “The organisations that will outperform over the next decade will use AI to create better ways of working, empowering people, reducing dependency and giving leaders the space to focus on strategy instead of operations,” notes Kuipers.
Focus on the human factor
“AI can certainly bring efficiency gains, but what we need to do is move beyond output as the single measure of productivity and focus on the human behind the job,” advises Lesley Cooper, founder and CEO of WorkingWell.
The organisations getting the most from AI won’t necessarily be those that move the fastest, but those that create more opportunities for their people. “Rather than generating more work, leaders should design better work by providing employees with the space to collaborate, solve problems, give and receive feedback, mentor one another, share insights and challenge the status quo,” adds Cooper.
She emphasises that, in order for this to happen, people need to know they are operating in a psychologically safe environment. “When people feel able to speak up, contribute ideas and try new approaches without fear of negative personal consequences, that’s when you can unlock their full potential. It’s also when sustainable productivity, high performance and stronger results follow.”
“What determines whether a team uses this freed-up capacity to revolutionise their impact is confidence”
Cultivate team confidence
“There’s a performance lever that most leaders are missing. It has nothing to do with technology, and it’s completely free. It’s confidence.” This is the argument from Julie Smith, executive coach and author of Contagious Confidence.
“AI is helping teams to work more efficiently, freeing up capacity,” she explains. “What determines whether a team uses this freed-up capacity to revolutionise their impact is confidence. A team united by a belief that ‘we’ve got this’ will take bold action, find creative solutions and persist through setbacks. In contrast, a team that doubts itself will struggle to make good use of the productivity gain, instead getting stuck in hesitation and second-guessing.”
Smith calls for belief-building leadership. “You can cultivate that powerful feeling of ‘we’ve got this’ in your team. You can transmit belief in yourself, belief in your team members and belief in the collective. You can be a confidence super-spreader.”
Prioritise recovery
But as AI enables us to do more in less time, we should not forget the value of slowing down and restoring our energy, say Adam Kingl and Jakub Radzikowski, authors of Executive Eats.
Today’s ‘always on’ culture leaves leaders with little to no room for proper mental and emotional restoration. “While better time management and disconnecting from technology are often promoted solutions, there is another very accessible yet overlooked tool: the daily act of cooking,” Kingl explains. “Preparing meals offers an easy and convenient way to counteract stress, cultivate mindfulness and enhance resilience.”
Radzikowski adds that sustained productivity also requires a more strategic approach to fuel. “The act of preparing your own balanced meals is indeed very rewarding and good for wellbeing in itself,” he says, “The right food choices can also provide a steady release of energy for consistent performance throughout the day.”.
The pair believe that cooking and nutrition can be antidotes that restore energy, sharpen clarity and support recovery.
“The trick of leadership today isn’t to try to do more,” he says, “but to ensure what you’re doing is truly effective”
Make time to think further ahead
According to Sharath Jeevan OBE, a legacy expert and founder of the Generational Success Lab at Oxford Saïd Business School, AI can be a powerful time-saver only if it’s used without compromising key leadership qualities of judgement and discretion. “The trick of leadership today isn’t to try to do more,” he says, “but to ensure what you’re doing is truly effective.”
In practice, very little of a leader’s time is spent on this. Much of it is dedicated to what Jeevan describes as “treading water” – spending days in meetings that don’t really move the organisation forward. “Too many leaders are focused on the second hand (next quarter) and the minute hand (next year), and not enough on the hour hand: the long-term, multi-year perspective,” he points out.
The opportunity offered by AI, says Jeevan, is to free up time towards the hour hand. “But that has to be done consciously – by revisiting your organisation’s North Star, its vision, purpose, and intended impact,” he adds. “You can’t do this in isolation; you need to involve others, including the rising generation in your workplace.”
