Skip to the main content.
Developing Effective Leaders

Executive coaching

Inclusive leadership

 

Supporting Working Parents

Parental transition coaching

Unlocking Talent

Insights and Research

Insights to help leaders and organisations thrive and drive growth & inclusion. 

Geraldine Gallacher Keynote Speaker

Speaker, podcaster, author and master coach. 

 

Thriving at Work

Work, Family and You

Our resource hub for working parents, carers and managers navigating work-life balance.

Podcast

Shifting the Needle

Real stories from leaders driving inclusion & equity in today’s shifting world.

Newsletters

On Balance

Fortnightly insights on leadership, equity & the future of work. For senior leaders & curious thinkers.

Research RoundUp

A monthly digest of the shifts shaping how we lead and work.

readtime logo 12 min read / October 6 2025

AI and the Future of Leadership

What will define leadership in the age of AI? Beyond empathy, it’s legitimacy built through judgment, accountability, and trust.

 

As AI accelerates how work is organised, data is analysed, and decisions are suggested, the question for leaders is no longer whether empathy will define the future of leadership. Machines are already demonstrating forms of empathy, studies show AI being rated as more empathetic than human therapists in some contexts. Empathy matters, but it’s only the starting point.

The real differentiator for leaders in an AI-driven world will be legitimacy, the credibility and fairness of their choices. That depends on three human advantages AI cannot replicate: judgment, accountability, and trust. Judgment means navigating paradoxes like speed vs. fairness or short-term returns vs. long-term reputation. Accountability means owning decisions, even when outcomes falter, with humility and transparency. Trust is built when people believe processes are fair and leaders are honest about uncertainty.

AI will always lag, relying on yesterday’s data. Leaders must be willing to pause, reframe situations, and bring diverse perspectives to the table, traits more likely to emerge in leaders who value inclusion and equality. In fact, diverse teams are sharper under pressure and better at spotting blind spots.

The leaders of tomorrow won’t be those who know all the answers, but those who ask the right questions, admit what they don’t know, and make credible, values-aligned decisions.