How adaptive leadership is redefining the role of managers by integrating artificial intelligence, human collaboration, and strategic decision-making.
By Alexandre Paoleschi – CEO of KYMO Investments and founder of Fenix DFA.
This is an original excerpt published on MundoRH.com. Read the full article at Mundo RH.
For a long time, the role of leadership was associated with the figure of someone who held all the answers. Leaders were expected to be oracles, centralizers, the only ones capable of making complex decisions. However, the current landscape, marked by accelerated technological transformations and new work dynamics, demands a radically different leadership model. In other words, leading well today doesn’t mean knowing everything, but rather knowing who to count on—and that includes both people and machines.
The most effective leadership, now and in the future, will be the one that combines the best of human potential with the exponential capabilities of Artificial Intelligence (AI). This approach does not replace the leader; on the contrary, it broadens their vision and their ability to generate impact.
In light of this, adaptive leadership comes into play: a new management paradigm that emphasizes flexibility and the ability to adapt to changes and complex challenges in times of constant innovation. According to the IDC study The Business Opportunity of AI, the use of generative AI jumped from 55% in 2023 to 75% in 2024. Furthermore, a Microsoft survey pointed out that, in 2023, leaders of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises across various sectors began to look more closely at AI—with 74% of them using it frequently.
Researchers from Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV) also see AI as a positive resource for companies, pointing out that those able to efficiently integrate tangible, intangible, and human resources with technology are better positioned to gain competitive advantages and contribute to sustainable development. With these technologies, leaders decentralize decisions, promote autonomy within teams, and encourage every professional to act as a “micro-leader” in their area of expertise.
In this context, AI does not emerge as a threat, but as a strategic ally: the technology that helps process data, automate tasks, and free up time for what really matters—critical thinking, creativity, and human connection.
Personally, I see no reason to fear Artificial Intelligence. I see it as a work partner capable of performing tasks that do not motivate me or that do not demand the full use of my human skills. This allows me to concentrate efforts where I can be most relevant—and I believe this is one of the primary roles of leadership: to create the conditions for everyone to thrive, including the leader themselves.
Good leadership recognizes that it doesn’t know everything, hires better people in various areas, and goes further: it builds systems supported by people and AI that, together, form a collective intelligence superior to any isolated individual. According to Human Resources specialists, Brazil still lacks good leaders—and this can affect organizational growth.
I conclude that the real challenge today is not in competing with AI, but in learning to use it wisely to improve decisions and expand the reach of our actions, thereby enhancing the aspects of our leadership.
We are facing a historic opportunity to redesign the concept of leadership. But this requires the courage to abandon old models, an openness to experiment with new ways of working, and a willingness to collaborate with emerging technologies.
The question I leave you with is: are we ready to lead with people, empowered by artificial intelligence?
