We Need More Leaders in the Age of AI

Leaders Multiply the Impact and Innovation of their Team working alongside AI.

Middle management bloat is real. Even some of the biggest tech companies are among the worst offenders. But a recent article calling for the elimination of all middle managers made me stop and think. That's not a talent strategy, it's a misunderstanding of what good leadership actually does.

If managers were robots overseeing robots, maybe it would make sense. But great managers aren't inbox-clearers or bottlenecks. They're multipliers. They amplify the intelligence, skills, and capabilities of their teams- creating environments where people feel challenged, engaged, and motivated. Done well, that effectively doubles a team's output.

Here's the thing: people aren't machines with an on/off switch. They have hormones, colicky babies, and complex emotional liv

es. The number one driver of high-performing teams is psychological safety, and that doesn't go away with AI. It compounds.

The data backs this up. Gallup research shows that a manager accounts for 70% of the variance in team engagement. Furthermore, Google's Project Aristotle is more relevant than ever and identifies the same core ingredients of high performance:

• Psychological Safety: Open dialogue, learning from failure

• Clear Goals: Aligned to organizational priorities

• Trust and Inclusion: Belonging and mutual respect

• Meaningful Coaching: Ongoing feedback and recognition

• Strengths Development: Helping people use what they're best at

That's what great leaders do. And we need more of it, not less.

The best leaders I coach embrace technology and AI, but they're equally committed to their own growth: their EQ, their self-awareness, their ability to lead with both clarity and humanity. Every engagement I do starts with a deep dive into core values and personal principles for decision-making, because that foundation is what separates good managers from truly exceptional ones.

Yes, every business needs AI to stay competitive. But AI doesn't build high performing teams. Leaders do.