There’s a lot of pressure on leaders right now to “get AI right.”

Which tools should we be using? How quickly should we adopt them? What are our competitors doing? Are we moving fast enough?

Those are important questions. But in the rush to keep up with AI, we may be overlooking a bigger one: How should we be leading differently?

Because AI isn’t just changing workflows. It’s changing how employees think about their roles, their value, and their futures. For some, that’s exciting. For others, it’s deeply unsettling.

That means communication matters more than ever. Leaders don’t need a perfectly polished AI strategy before starting the conversation. In fact, pretending to have all the answers may do more harm than good. Be transparent. Share what you know. Admit what you don’t.

It’s also time to reiterate how we value experience. AI can analyze data in seconds. But can it recognize when a client relationship is starting to fray? Can it sense that an unusual claim deserves a closer look? Can it mentor a new employee through their first hard conversation?

Experienced insurance professionals have spent decades developing that kind of judgment. Smart leaders won’t see AI as a reason to sideline that expertise. They’ll find ways to pair it with technology.

At WAHVE, we spend a lot of time thinking about the future of work. And one thing seems increasingly clear: The more technology enters the workplace, the more intentional we need to be about the human side of leadership.

AI may help us work faster. But people still decide whether they trust you enough to follow your lead. And no algorithm can do that part for you.

How has AI made you retool or refresh your leadership strategy? What has become essential for your leaders in the age of AI?