Facing increased pressures amid rapid change, leaders may have an unexpected helpmate: artificial intelligence. With proper training and support, AI can potentially help in areas such as improving decision-making, and may also improve time management for leaders who want to pursue values-based leadership. As a result, as leaders become more values-based, they can better determine how AI tools will enhance the work environment for themselves and their teams.
While leadership is the ability to influence others, values-based leadership takes it to the next level by reflecting on and prioritizing what matters most. The four keys to values-based leadership are self-reflection, a balanced perspective, true self-confidence, and genuine humility. Within each principle, AI can make an impact, often in surprising and positive ways.
15 Minutes Of Daily Self-Reflection
The foundational principle of values-based leadership is self-reflection, which in simple terms means reflecting on your life, your priorities, your goals and values. By making a short, ongoing commitment (ideally 15 minutes a day) you can gain clarity and see how well (or poorly) your decisions and actions are aligned with what matters most to you.
When speaking with executives, many see the merit of self-reflection, but hesitate to add another commitment to their already jammed schedules. As I’ve heard frequently from senior leaders, there is a widespread desire to self-reflect and become more self-aware, but the fear is it will take too much time. This is where AI can become a valuable tool in values-based leadership by helping to free up more time. For example, AI can analyze vast amounts of data, summarize findings, and produce an array of options—far faster than most of us can do on our own. Add to that AI tools that can help executives with tasks such as organizing and prioritizing—all of which frees up more of the most precious resource: time to self-reflect.
Cultivate A Balanced Perspective with True Self-Confidence And Genuine Humility
This second principle emphasizes the importance of seeking to understand multiple viewpoints, especially those that run counter to our own opinion. Here, too, AI can not only help with time management, but also in producing succinct summaries from a variety of sources. Tools such as ChatGPT and GPT-4 may not replace in-depth reading in all areas, but they can help open our minds to different perspectives.
Early in my career, William Graham, the long-time chair and CEO of Baxter International, told me, “Harry, there are only two things you need to know to be a successful leader: what you know—and who knows what you don’t know.” His comment is one of the best definitions of the third principle of true self-confidence.
We embrace our strengths—we know what we know. At the same time, we’re comfortable in saying, “I don’t know, but I’ll get an answer as soon as I can.” And sometimes that answer is found through AI—particularly as we become more skilled at asking clear questions of ChatGPT to produce meaningful answers.
The fourth principle of genuine humility reminds us that every person matters and can contribute to the organization. This timeless truth takes on new meaning in the age of AI. Leaders should ensure that every person develops new skills, including how to use AI to improve performance and assume new responsibilities. Resources are widely available, from LinkedIn Learning courses to bespoke programs offered by major consulting firms.
How do you make that happen? This question brings us back to self-reflection. Thanks to the efficiency and clarity gained through AI, leaders can find more time to contemplate personal and organizational goals that align with their values—thus enhancing their values-based leadership.
This post appeared originally on Forbes online here.
