In classic IT, the career path was simple and predictable: whoever had the most technical expertise and the best control over processes was promoted. Expertise was the currency and planning skills were the guarantee of success. Today, this paradigm is collapsing before our eyes. In a world where algorithms analyse data faster than any analyst, and generative artificial intelligence optimises code in real time, the old attributes of power are becoming a common commodity. The real challenge for the modern manager, then, is not the implementation of yet another tool, but a fundamental change in identity. Technology is forcing a shift from task management to uncertainty management.
Many technology leaders today face a question that would have seemed absurd a decade ago: if machines think, decide and predict, what task is left for humans? The answer lies not in the new technical certifications, but in a sphere that IT has for years treated neglectfully – attitude.
The trap of industrial thinking in a digital world
The paradox of today’s IT sector is that, while selling the technologies of tomorrow to customers, many companies internally still operate on the principles of yesterday. In the DACH region (and increasingly in Poland), the attachment to the industrial era model is still strong: processes must be optimised, hierarchies concretised and control is the dominant form of coexistence.
In such an environment, artificial intelligence is often misunderstood merely as a ‘faster tool’ – turbocharging for existing structures. This is a mistake. Technology actually acts like a magnifying glass: it speeds up the flow of information, creates unforgiving transparency and changes power relationships. If a leader tries to compete with AI on control, micro-management and data processing – he or she is doomed to failure. Algorithms will always be better at it.
Real transformation requires an understanding that the central questions in management have shifted. We no longer ask: “How can I control people more effectively?”, but: “How can I enable their development?”. This requires a redesign of leadership from a hierarchical model to an enabling model.
Human-Ready Leadership – an attitude, not just a method
Experts such as Pascal Bornet and researcher Niklas Volland point to the need for a new approach, termed ‘Human-Ready Leadership’. This is not another trendy agile methodology, but a fundamental attitude that combines technological competence with emotional maturity.
In a world dominated by data, the manager becomes a translator between two worlds. On the one hand, we have machine logic – precise, based on facts, but devoid of context. On the other, we have human intuition – disordered but full of meaning and moral judgement. The role of the leader is to live with this contradiction and build bridges. Those who blindly follow data (data-driven) lose sight of the wider context. Those who trust only their intuition ignore the facts. Effective leadership is about balancing both – using AI as a powerful tool, but not a substitute for human judgement.
In this view, leadership ceases to be a controlling body and becomes a source of orientation and trust. The manager no longer needs to ‘know everything’. Instead, he must know how to make sense of the information provided by the systems.
Psychological safety as a foundation for innovation
Perhaps the greatest lever available to the modern IT leader is organisational culture. Artificial intelligence excels at automating the familiar and the repetitive. However, innovation is born where we step into the unknown. AI cannot create a ‘learning space’ where experimentation is safe.
This task is entirely up to the individual. Research clearly shows that teams are most innovative when they can work without fear. A culture of error, openness and trust are no longer a nice-to-have add-on in the IT industry. They are a hard business requirement for transformation.
If a leader sanctions mistakes and demands perfection at every stage, it creates an atmosphere of paralysis. Employees will not experiment with new AI solutions for fear of the consequences of getting it wrong. Leadership in the digital age must create a ‘resonance room’ where ideas mature and responsibility is shared rather than enforced with penalties.
Self-management – transformation begins in the mirror
The most difficult piece of this puzzle, however, is not the technology or the team, but the leader himself. At the beginning of any transformation stands an awareness of one’s own limitations. In order to effectively lead people through uncertainty (and AI generates a lot of it), you must first understand yourself: your own fears, need for control and blind spots.
“Human-Ready Leadership starts with self-reflection. It requires the courage to admit that one does not have all the answers. It requires making decisions that are not always mathematically perfect, but are ‘humanly’ right.
Leaders who cling to old patterns of control are actually stunting the growth of their organisations. Those who are able to trust – both technology and people – are changing the paradigm. AI ceases to be a threat or a replacement for them and becomes a partner. Leadership becomes a process of accompaniment rather than dictating terms. It is here, in the realm of mentality, not in the server room, that the success of the digital transformation is decided.
Humanity as strategic capital
Technology is never neutral – it always reflects the values of those who use it. This gives leadership in the AI age a strong moral dimension. Managers become curators of accountability. They must ensure that decisions supported by algorithms remain transparent, understandable and fair.
Paradoxically, the more processes are automated, the more valuable the non-programmable becomes. Empathy, moral clarity and the ability to build relationships become real competitive advantages. Companies that see ‘humanity’ as a strategic asset gain customer and employee loyalty that no artificial intelligence can simulate.
