Great leadership has never been easy. In the age of AI, it is being redefined in real time.
Not long ago, I was preparing for a difficult conversation with a high-performing team member who was struggling. I knew they were navigating personal challenges, and while I had outlined my key points, the tone didn’t feel quite right. That’s when I turned to AI.
I provided the context: our relationship, their communication style, my intent. The AI model didn’t write the message for me, but it helped me refine it. It made my words clearer, more thoughtful and more empathetic.
That experience reinforced a belief I hold deeply. The leaders who will succeed in the AI era are those who are technically savvy but also remain deeply human.
This is why we need a new kind of leader, one who combines emotional intelligence with technological fluency.
I call this the Super Leader.
Work Is Changing, So Must Leadership
AI is reshaping how we work. It’s also reshaping who thrives at work.
According to Cisco’s 2024 AI Readiness Index, 85 percent of global business leaders believe they have less than 18 months to implement an AI strategy or risk falling behind. Yet, fewer than one in seven companies are fully prepared to adopt AI at scale. Even as companies increase investment, many are realizing they lack the infrastructure, governance and culture to fully unlock AI’s value.
That gap creates an opportunity—and a responsibility—for leadership.
Today’s employees don’t just want roadmaps; they want reassurance. They want leaders who can steer technology adoption and support people through uncertainty. That’s where Super Leaders step in.
The Four Personas of a Super Leader
As the demands of leadership evolve in the AI era, it is mindset, not title, that sets the most effective leaders apart. Those who thrive tend to embody four distinct personas:
- The Technologist embraces a growth mindset and leverages AI to drive innovation, efficiency and value.
- The Empath fosters psychological safety, inclusive dialogue and a culture of empathy.
- The Philosopher grounds decisions in ethics, purpose and long-term impact.
- The Change Agent leads with resilience, embraces uncertainty and helps teams move confidently through transformation.
Personally, I gravitate toward the Philosopher. In times of change, values are our anchor. The best leaders question assumptions, reimagine progress and always keep humanity at their core.
These personas aren’t fixed traits; they are capabilities that can be developed. At Cisco, we are creating intentional pathways to help leaders build them through training, coaching and real-world practice.
Practicing Super Leadership at Cisco
As a chief people officer, I use AI every day.
Sometimes I treat AI like a strategic coach. I’ll outline a complex problem, lay out my thinking and ask it to challenge my assumptions. Other times, I use it to prepare for sensitive conversations, factoring in elements like communication style, relationship context or even personality insights such as Myers-Briggs or Instinctive Drives. It helps me refine my message and show up with greater clarity and empathy.
AI has profoundly transformed the way I lead, allowing me to connect with greater empathy and clarity of purpose. At Cisco, we’re extending this transformative potential to our leaders by equipping them with tools and strategies to amplify their impact. Introducing AI into our organization wasn’t just about deploying cutting-edge technology—it was about fostering a culture of curiosity, experimentation and growth.
Super Leaders Embrace Emerging Technology
Leaders should feel empowered by their AI resources. At Cisco, we’re also actively working on integrating leader development opportunities into our internal AI assistant. This tool will provide prompts to guide leaders through critical moments, such as preparing for performance conversations or engaging in self-reflection to ensure they’re embodying Cisco’s Guiding Principles. Another initiative underway is using AI to support the individual growth of our employees. For example, when a manager gives feedback to a team member, Cisco’s learning platform will combine that feedback with other data points, such as the employee’s skills profile, to generate personalized learning recommendations. These might include articles, courses or micro-coaching moments, all designed to meet the employee’s unique needs. It’s a powerful way to turn insights into action and amplify the impact of our leaders.
We’re also exploring the use of AI in virtual reality simulations to enhance leadership development. These immersive experiences will offer leaders tailored scenarios where they can safely practice various situations and receive targeted feedback to refine their skills and build confidence.
Super Leaders not only embrace emerging technology but leverage it for both their own growth as well as the growth of their team.
Centering Wellness for Effective Leadership
The data is clear: The future of leadership is evolving fast. According to the Cisco-led AI-Enabled ICT Workforce Consortium, over 91 percent of ICT roles are expected to be significantly transformed by AI. Business and management roles are among the most affected, with nearly two-thirds facing high levels of disruption. Yet, the same report emphasizes that the most enduring leadership traits remain deeply human: empathy, ethics, adaptability, and communication.
In order to foster these deeply human skills, it is critical to invest in the wellness of leaders, especially during a time of transformation. How leaders show up and trailblaze in an era of disruption makes or breaks how it plays out in the workforce.
At Cisco, we are looking into hyper-personalized wellness programs to help leaders better understand how lifestyle affects their leadership style. This could look like leveraging insights from wearable tech and self-reported preferences to build customized wellness plans. We are also exploring non-tech solutions like our “whole leader” pilot program, which includes a 360 intensive assessment of leaders and leverages lifestyle coaches.
If leaders are able to invest in themselves, they will be ready to bring a truly effective style of leadership to their teams to make them more connected and human in the age of AI.
Leading with Empathy in the AI Age
Transformation isn’t just about adopting new tools, it’s about how we choose to lead with them. Even Super Leaders know change fatigue is real. It’s never been more important to lead with empathy, prioritize well-being and preserve the human connections that make organizations thrive.
Super Leaders use AI to bring clarity, not complexity. To empower, not overwhelm. To build workplaces that are not just more efficient, but more human.
That’s the future we’re building at Cisco:
Rooted in purpose. Powered by innovation. Led with intention.
