Next Level Leadership: Leading with AI, not through AI

For five years, I have been volunteering as the chair of the specialist advisory board of the Integrata Foundation for the humane use of information technology. In this role, I have written a manifesto for intelligent and responsible AI usage with data specialists and other tech-savvy individuals – even before generative AI gained such widespread attention through ChatGPT.

Our guiding principle here was: AI should support leadership, not replace it. Leadership remains human, as it is and always will be about relationships.

Manifesto for Responsible AI Usage

In the manifesto, we have formulated nine principles that serve as guidelines for leaders:

1. Human leadership remains central – Leadership means shaping relationships. AI can provide data but cannot demonstrate authentic empathy. Therefore, the core responsibility remains in human hands.

2. Accountability cannot be delegated to technology – AI must never serve as a substitute for accountability. Those who use it must oversee its actions and bear responsibility for them.

3. AI as support, not as decision-maker – Automation can make everyday life easier, but in the end, there always needs to be a leader who has the final say.

4. Clear boundaries for AI usage – The framework for AI usage must be clearly defined: What tasks can it take on, where does its role end?

5. Regulated autonomy – If AI is to prepare or make certain decisions, there must be tiered control systems in place.

6. Transparency as a fundamental principle – Leaders and employees must understand how the AI arrives at its suggestions and analyses.

7. Every AI decision must be verifiable – People must be able to understand what mechanisms underlie an AI-based decision in order to correct it if necessary.

8. High quality standards as a benchmark – Before implementing AI, clear criteria must be defined to ensure its effectiveness, safety, and reliability.

9. Considering legal adjustments – The use of AI in leadership also requires legal frameworks that clearly clarify accountability and liability.

Responsible AI Usage Requires Leadership

Such a manifesto remains mere paper if it is not lived in practice. Therefore, we in the advisory board have developed three essential conditions for the application of these principles:

1. Clear framework conditions. It must be established in terms of time, space, and organization how AI is used in the leadership context.

2. Clear accountability. The responsibility for every decision influenced or made by AI must be assigned to a leader.

3. Comprehensive documentation. Every AI-supported decision affecting people must be transparent and traceable.

AI cannot and must not replace human leadership

These principles are intended to ensure that AI is used as a tool, never taking the place of human leadership. The guiding maxims are: The human leads; technology follows. What this means for leadership and the use of AI has been laid out in my book "Leading with Alpha Intelligence: Ready for the Future World of Work".

Lecture on AI Usage and Leadership

I also regularly explain this in lectures that I hold in companies on the "theme of AI & Leadership." If you are interested, please feel free to contact me. I would be happy to develop a lecture that fits your colleagues and your organization.

Author: Barbara Liebermeister