Leading in the Age of AI: How Leadership Must Evolve When Everyone Has AI
Hosted by portfolio companies Charter (Kevin Delaney, CEO) and Valence (Parker Mitchell, CEO) in partnership with The Washington Post’s WP Intelligence unit.
At the World Economic Forum in Davos this year, a panel of business leaders and experts—including Kevin Delaney (Charter), Parker Mitchell (Valence), Francine Katsoudas (Cisco), Amy Edmondson (Harvard Business School), and Klaus Moosmayer (Novartis)—discussed how leadership must evolve in an AI-driven world.
As artificial intelligence rapidly integrates into workplaces, leadership is undergoing a fundamental transformation. No longer just a tool, AI is reshaping how organizations operate, structure work, and make decisions.
Hosted by Charter in partnership with Valence and The Washington Post’s WP Intelligence unit, the conversation highlighted seven critical takeaways for leaders navigating this shift.
AI Will Be in Your Org Chart Sooner Than You Think
AI is no longer just automating tasks—it is becoming an embedded part of decision-making. Parker Mitchell, CEO of Valence, predicted that by 2025, AI will be formally integrated into org charts, performing roles that require reasoning, data processing, and strategic input. Leaders must prepare for a workplace where AI is more than just an assistant—it’s a co-worker.
Leadership Must Shift from Control to Empowerment
Traditional leadership models based on control and expertise are becoming obsolete. AI’s ability to process vast amounts of information means leaders can no longer rely on having all the answers themselves.
“If nothing else, AI kills that mental model. It just has to because it becomes clear that no, you are not the one with the answers.” — Amy Edmondson, Harvard Business School
Instead of dictating solutions, leaders must focus on asking the right questions, guiding teams through complexity, and fostering adaptability.
Leadership Visibility Matters More Than Ever
With AI handling more operational and decision-making tasks, human leaders must focus on engagement, trust, and transparency. Parker Mitchell emphasized that leaders must be visible on the AI journey, openly sharing their learning process and addressing employee concerns.
AI is Reshaping Leadership Coaching
AI-powered coaching is already transforming leadership development. Automated tools can now track progress, provide real-time feedback, and even remember key details from past sessions.
“If you’re being paid $40 an hour to be a coach on a platform and you’re coaching 40 different people in the course of a month and you’re trying to remember, ‘What did I talk about two weeks ago?’ AI can already do that better.” — Parker Mitchell
While high-quality coaching will persist, AI is set to replace lower-tier coaching models, offering scalable, personalized leadership development.
AI Adoption Must Be Bottom-Up, Not Just Top-Down
Many organizations struggle with AI implementation because strategies are often dictated from the top, while frontline employees—the ones actually using AI—are left out of the process.
“AI feels really top-down, and I think that’s a problem…We have to let our people start to play.” — Francine Katsoudas, Cisco
Cisco has taken a different approach by training hundreds of employees to experiment with AI tools, allowing them to explore how AI can enhance their work.
Ethical Leadership is More Crucial Than Ever
As AI advances, companies must anticipate long-term ethical and regulatory implications.
“We will be judged in three years from now for what we did today.” — Klaus Moosmayer, Novartis
Ethical AI governance cannot be an afterthought. Organizations must proactively establish frameworks to ensure AI transparency, fairness, and accountability—especially in high-stakes industries like healthcare.
AI Could Erode Workplace Relationships—If Leaders Aren’t Careful
One of the unintended consequences of AI is the potential reduction in human-to-human interactions. AI-powered coding assistants, for example, have been shown to decrease collaboration among developers.
“When we reach out less, our relationships deteriorate. When our relationships deteriorate, our community and our culture suffer. And then collectively, we feel less connection to the organization.” — Amy Edmondson
Leaders must ensure AI adoption enhances, rather than replaces, human connection and teamwork.
The Leadership Mandate for an AI-Powered Future
The panel made one thing clear: AI isn’t just another workplace tool—it’s redefining what leadership itself means. Leaders must shift from control to coaching, from expertise to adaptability, and from command to collaboration.
“Leadership to me is really the force that allows us to do not the things that are easy, but the things that are hard—including being vulnerable, including knowing that we’re going to be seen as imperfect and incompetent in many of the things we do, and doing it anyway.” — Amy Edmondson
AI is changing work at an unprecedented pace, and leaders who embrace this transformation will not only navigate disruption—they will shape the future of work itself.
Watch the full discussion here.
Read more on Time
Listen to Kelvin Chan with Jenny Fielding on the Venture Everywhere podcast: The Road to Nirvana. Now on Apple & Spotify and check out to all our past episodes here!
