Leadership will continue to matter far beyond the singularity—and maybe a whole lot more, because so many people today are increasingly terrible at leading a team.
For the past few decades, it seemed that the ticket to success was to be technical and not care too much about human interactions. The irony is that the world has now gotten so technical, we’ve reverted to success being measured by our ability to navigate human interactions.
One or more people will be able to lead a team of humans far better than machines. Leadership comes down to getting other people to do what you want when you aren’t there, and AI is always there. There is also no single leadership model on which the system can train. Some great leaders lead through extreme competence, others by being able to articulate an inspiring mission, and others again by demonstrating great courage and creativity in the face of adversity.
We can only hope that those in a position of real responsibility will lead not only with competence and optimism but also with values and a sense of stewardship. Being a great leader requires one to be creative, inspirational, and tough at times while compassionate at others. No algorithm can do that for us—which is precisely why we will still be looking to each other to lead.
