The future of leadership in an AI world
The skills that will define the next generation of tech leaders
Up until now, being a great leader in tech meant scaling teams, securing funding, and shipping products faster than the competition. Titles carried weight, and leadership often meant managing people rather than doing the work yourself.
But what does great leadership look like as AI changes the structure of how we work? When operational teams shrink, company structures flatten, and technical execution becomes easier than ever? What does leadership look like in a world where a smaller, leaner, more creative team can outpace the giants?
If you’re reading this, you’re likely a leader in tech who has already adapted to countless shifts and changes during your career. But the biggest challenge ahead isn’t just about upskilling - it’s about unlearning. It’s about letting go of the leadership playbook that worked in the past and embracing a new one built for the future.
And a new one that’s more human - where creativity, adaptability, and deep thinking matter more than titles, status, or managing.
The changes I expect to see
AI isn’t just changing how we work - it’s also changing what work looks like. There’s plenty of clickbait out there, and also some very thoughtful pieces that have informed my views.1
Based on reading, discussing these topics deeply and thinking for myself, here are some of the most significant changes I expect to see over the next 3-5 years:
Productivity gains will drive rapid team reductions. Right now, generative AI tools are improving engineer productivity by 20-30%2 - and that’s just the beginning. As AI continues to evolve, entire workflows will be automated, dramatically reducing the need for large operational teams.
Company sizes will shrink. Startups that once needed teams of 50 may soon be run by 5. It will become increasingly common to see “solopreneur” founders handling what once required entire departments.
The dependence on VC funding will change - The cost of starting and running a company will drop significantly. Many founders who previously relied on venture funding for scaling will find they can build leaner, faster, and without as much capital.
Competition will be fiercer than ever - With lower barriers to entry, more people will start companies, launch products, and compete for attention. With company sizes shrinking, starting a company might be more appealing to those looking for a new role.
Re-thinking leadership itself
With these changes, a lot of the traditional characteristics of leadership will change. Teams will be smaller, org structures will be much simpler. Leadership will be more hands-on, and engaged in the work itself.
The new skills that are needed go way beyond knowing how to use AI. They’re much more human. In many ways, it’s a welcome return to the fundamentals of great work - but after years of back-to-back meetings, focusing on the fundamentals might feel exposing or unsettling.
The four leadership skills that will define this new era are:
#1 - Intellectual honesty: Be willing to ask the hard, uncomfortable questions.
#2 - Creativity as a practice: AI will handle execution. The real differentiator will be original thinking - leaders who can solve problems in new ways, not just optimise existing ones.
#3 - Adaptability & a low ego: If your company shrinks from 100 to 10, true leadership will mean rolling up your sleeves, letting go of titles, and focusing on meaningful work.
#4 - Building real human networks: The best insights won’t come from scrolling LinkedIn - they’ll come from real conversations with people actively building and experimenting.
#1 - Intellectual honesty
If your entire career has been built in a world that AI is now reshaping, it’s tempting to dismiss the impact. “AI will never do what I do.” “This will never replace X.” “We don’t need to rethink our approach.”
I get it. If you’ve worked hard to establish yourself or hit a major company milestone, you want some sense of stability. It’s a deeply human reaction. But this isn’t the moment to put your head in the sand.
I think now is the opportunity to ask yourself some hard questions before change forces you to.
If we were starting from scratch today, how would I build this company?
Are we holding onto something because it’s familiar - or because it still works?
What assumptions about my industry no longer hold true?
Where am I resisting change because it challenges my identity or past success?
Am I making decisions based on what’s best for the future, or what feels safest now?
The first skill to thrive in the “new world” is being intellectually honest and curious. It’s not enough to draft an AI strategy just because the board or investors asked for one. It’s putting the hard questions on the table yourself and encouraging others to debate and discuss the answers.
#2 - Creativity as a practice
“I don’t think AI introduces a new kind of thinking. It reveals what actually requires thinking.” – Chip Huyen
AI is making execution faster, which means leadership will be less about how things get done and more about what should be built in the first place. The cost of starting a company will drop (as smaller teams can do more) and competition will be incredibly high.
In that world, I believe that creativity and original thinking will become the differentiating factor between companies and products. For leaders and founders, they’ll be among the most critical skills.
The leaders who thrive will be those who:
Treat creativity as a practice that needs nurturing
Make time for original thinking, even when they’re busy
Sit with discomfort and uncertainty rather than defaulting to quick answers
Actively debate and think deeply about their problem space
Creativity is often misunderstood and it’s one of the skills that I encourage and nurture in people I coach. It’s not about sudden flashes of genius - it’s about sustained curiosity. It comes from making space for real thought, questioning assumptions, and exploring ideas before they’re fully formed.
#3 - Adaptability & a low ego
For some leaders, AI will mean managing smaller teams. For others, it will mean no teams at all. Leadership will be more hands-on, more exposed, and more focused on actual impact rather than status.
This shift will test egos.
Founders who once celebrated a big VC raise may find that they don’t need one. Executives who built careers around managing large teams may need to embrace smaller, faster-moving companies where hands-on work is essential.
It might feel destabilising because the “traditional markers of success” will change. If your sense of value is tied to external accolades, this shift will be hard.
But for those who embrace it, it’s a chance to do the most meaningful work of your career. The leaders who thrive will be those who:
Approach the change with courage and curiosity, rather than scarcity and fear
Let go of title and status in favour of meaningful work
Be open to changing their definition of great leadership
Approach the change with a learner’s mindset
A lot of the work I do in coaching is helping leaders understand their strengths beyond a job title. The strongest leaders will be those who have a steady sense of self-worth - no matter how much the world around them shifts.
#4 - Building real human networks
There’s so much noise about AI right now - LinkedIn posts, reddit threads, hot takes everywhere. I hate to break it to you, but the best insights aren’t happening in comment sections. They’re happening in real-world conversations with people actively building, experimenting, and adapting.
I hosted a breakfast a couple of weeks ago for some clients, ex-clients and friends in my network. I had some of the most thought-provoking conversations about AI - including how and if it would change our political system, how we could capture this productivity to have more time for gardening (🌱) and what career progression looks like in a totally new landscape.
If you’re spending all your time reading about AI, but not discussing it with sharp, thoughtful people - you’re missing half the picture. I left that breakfast feeling deeply curious. I often leave LinkedIn feeling deeply disconnected.
Leaders who thrive will be the ones who:
Get out of their own bubble and talk to people - across industries and roles
Work relationally and collaborate with other humans (not just chatGPT)
Build strong peer support networks where real challenges - not just polished success stories - are discussed
Learn from unexpected sources, not just the loudest voices online
Hope for the value of humans 🌱
It’s understandable to feel daunted by all of this. In my work, I hear a lot of the worries and fears from leaders in tech, and this is definitely a theme. But I’m not writing this to add to that fear. I believe that with the right mindset, support systems, and approach, you can make the transition to a very different way of leading.
I’m actually hopeful. AI has the potential to make leadership more creative, adaptable, and hands-on - where the ability to think deeply, experiment and build matters more than just surviving endless back-to-back meetings.
Here is what I think you should keep in mind:
Ask the hardest questions about what’s changing
See creativity as your most valuable skill
Adapt with curiosity, not fear
Have real conversations with people actively shaping this shift
✨ If you’re a founder or executive looking for deeper coaching on strategy, leadership, or personal growth, I’d love to chat. Just reply to this email, and we can explore whether it’s a good fit.
As always, thanks for being here!
Flora
Some of the best posts I’ve read recently on AI-driven changes include Marty Cagan’s “A vision for product teams”, Evgeny Schadchnev’s “What smart people don’t get about AI”, and Seb Agertoft’s “Full- stack Founder”.