From Smart to Strategic: The Leadership Upgrade AI Demands
Artificial intelligence is reshaping how every department operates — from finance to customer service. Yet one constant remains: decisions still depend on people. For now.
In this new environment, expertise gets executives to the table, but influence—the ability to shape thinking and motivate action—keeps them there. For leaders, both technical and non-technical, the challenge is clear: how do you grow influence without losing the depth of knowledge that defines your credibility?
Expertise Still Matters, But It Travels Faster
AI can now summarise reports, forecast demand, and even draft strategy decks. When information is instantly available, pure subject-matter mastery loses its scarcity value. What makes leaders stand out is their ability to:
- Translate complex data into clear next steps
- Anticipate second-order effects that dashboards miss
- Build trust by admitting uncertainty early
The message is simple: refine your technical skills, but invest equal (if not more) energy in communicating them with clarity.
Connection: The New Leadership Multiplier
Why Persuasion Skills Beat Perfect Code
A brilliant algorithm that no one adopts delivers zero return. Connection turns insight into organisational change. It involves:
- storytelling that links experience to real-world stakes
- empathy for how new tools disrupt established workflows
- credibility built through consistent follow-through.
“Your idea is only as strong as the number of colleagues
who feel ownership of it.”
Reading the AI Room
Executives weigh risk, ethics, and brand reputation when approving AI projects. Effective advocates:
- map stakeholders and their individual concerns
- offer tiny pilots rather than sweeping revamps
- highlight both value and guardrails in plain language.
Action Plan for Technical Leaders
- Pair up with a peer in operations or marketing; practise explaining your model in five sentences
- Include at least one storytelling slide in every technical presentation
- Invite frontline staff to critique early prototypes — live feedback builds empathy and improves design
Action Plan for Non-Technical Leaders
- Ask clarifying questions about model limits — it shows respect for expertise and reveals hidden risks
- Sponsor cross-functional “lunch and learn” sessions where data scientists speak in business terms
- Frame AI initiatives in outcomes (cost saved, time gained) instead of technology buzzwords
Building a Culture Where Expertise Meets Influence
Organisations thrive when they reward both depth and persuasion. That requires structural support such as:
- performance reviews that evaluate clarity of communication, not only project metrics
- forums where junior analysts can pitch innovations to senior management
- learning budgets split evenly between technical courses and communication or conversation-skill workshops.
Your Next Move
Influence does not replace expertise; it amplifies it. As AI grows more capable, the true differentiator for leaders will be the ability to align diverse teams around a clear vision. Whether you write code or craft policy, ask yourself in every meeting:
“Who else needs to understand this, and how will I make it resonate?”
That simple question keeps your ideas alive long after the slide deck closes.
Continue the Conversation at Leadership Learning Festival Singapore
These are exactly the issues we’ll explore at the Leadership Learning Festival Singapore, themed From Expertise to Influence: Leadership Presence in the Age of AI.
📅 Date: 17 October 2025
🕗 Time: 8:30 AM – 12:30 PM
📍 Venue: Singapore Land Tower, 50 Raffles Place
Join our panel of experts as we discuss how leadership presence is evolving — and how both technical and business leaders can strengthen their influence to lead with confidence in an AI-first world.
Reach out to us for our leadership and training solutions. We offer Better Conversation Skills programs, EQ Workshop for Leaders, and leader training sessions — all designed to help leaders thrive in the real moments that matter.
