The AI era demands hands-on leadership – not leadership from the ivory tower

As AI ushers in a modern renaissance, a ServiceNow panel urged leaders to look beyond cost-cutting and efficiency, and instead dive in, fully engaging to drive transformative, meaningful change.

As artificial intelligence reshapes workplaces at a breakneck pace, business leaders face a critical challenge: guiding their teams through an era that demands creativity, empathy, and human-centric thinking.

At a recent ServiceNow panel, experts framed AI not merely as a tool for efficiency but also as a modern renaissance – an opportunity for growth, innovation, and societal transformation.

Nick Tzitzon, vice chairman of ServiceNow, highlighted the need for a forward-looking, inspiring mindset, observing that employees rarely feel motivated when leaders focus solely on cutting waste – a narrow approach that can stifle truly meaningful work.

“People don’t rally to conversations about how to maximise efficiency. People don’t get inspired about the idea of cutting waste,” Tzitzon said.

“Those are important things to do, and organisations should always have that ambition, because a more efficient organisation can accomplish more things. Where people get inspired by is the art of the possible.”

The panel agreed that in an era where AI has introduced a new form of work – digital labour – a business’s success in navigating this transformation will depend not just on technical expertise but also on strong interpersonal and human skills.

Claire Southey, chief AI officer at Rokt, highlighted that fostering a workforce rich in creativity and curiosity is crucial to the successful implementation of AI within organisations.

“This is not just a technology change; it’s a human change ... the majority of skills that people need to be successful in the AI era are actually interpersonal skills. It’s creativity, curiosity, adaptability, and more than anything, comfort with ambiguity,” Southey said.

While these skills are vital, Tzitzon stressed that hands-on leadership is equally essential. The only way to navigate this change, he said, is for business leaders to roll up their sleeves and actively engage in the process at every level.

“If people believe that you [leaders] are presiding over this era from the ivory tower of aloof leadership, they will not follow and they will not trust, and they will fear,” Tzitzon said.

“So I think there’s only one way to do it, which is to get in and roll up sleeves and be part of the process, as opposed to presiding above the process.”