AI will Make your worst leadership habit permanent

The article argues that AI tools can exacerbate existing leadership habits and make them more permanent. This is demonstrated by two executives using the same AI tool to craft status updates and decision reports. One leader used the tool to downplay problems, while the other used it to efficiently summarize a complex decision. In both cases, the AI tool produced a polished, confident output that masked any underlying issues.

Additionally, the author notes that most AI discussions in business focus on technology, budget, and competition, rather than the underlying factors that drive results. These factors, which the author calls "leader's source code," include how a leader processes uncertainty, where their focus lies under pressure, and what they unintentionally reward or avoid.

The source code shapes the organizational culture and systems. The article warns that adopting AI technologies without examining the existing source code can lead to unintended consequences. For example, an AI notetaker in a meeting may accurately capture smoothed-over disagreements, giving the impression that everything is aligned when in reality, some team members were not.

Similarly, automating approval processes may speed up the decision-making process but could also result in decisions still being routed through the original decision-maker, making the bottleneck harder to spot. To mitigate this risk, the author suggests testing your organization's source code before implementing new AI tools. This can be done through an "empty-room test" to see if authority is distributed, a "bad news test" to determine if problems are named or avoided, and an "early warning test" to gauge when issues are first detected.

By understanding and improving your organization's source code, you can ensure that AI tools enhance rather than exacerbate existing leadership habits.