Summary
AI does not replace leaders, but redefines leadership, highlighting the importance of data-driven decisions and exposing those who rely solely on intuition in an increasingly competitive strategic environment.
Imagine a board of directors discussing expansion into a new market. One senior executive defends immediate entry by saying he “feels” the region is about to take off. The belief is firm, almost unshakable. However, a few minutes of analysis with AI tools is enough to demonstrate that local consumption is not keeping up with expectations, that competitors are already planning to occupy the space and that regulatory risks are high. The intuition that seemed like a sign of courage turns out to be just a blind bet. Decisions without data today are not audacity, they are strategic blindness.
This is where the line is drawn between leaders who thrive and leaders who will be exposed. The skill needed is not mastering codes or knowing how to use software, but rather making data-driven decisions. This requires interpreting scenarios, cross-referencing information, and questioning assumptions before choosing a path.
Leaders who develop such discipline do not become hostages of AI; on the contrary, they transform technology into an amplifier of their strategic vision. Those who prefer to rely solely on “instinct” will inevitably be exposed when the results do not support their bets.
The reflection of this transformation is also clear in the SWOT matrix, a traditional strategic planning tool. Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats that previously took weeks of study to identify can be revealed by AI in just hours and based on millions of data points. In the pharmaceutical industry, for example, artificial intelligence can anticipate demand trends for certain medicines and reveal opportunities that would otherwise go unnoticed.
In sectors such as retail, it can highlight logistical weaknesses or threats from digital players before they establish themselves in the market. More than speeding up diagnoses, artificial intelligence redefines the very contours of the strategic game.
However, many leaders fall into the trap of delegating AI management to IT or data areas, believing that it is just a technical issue. This distancing is dangerous because it reduces AI to cold reports, without interpretation of context or impact on business. The consequence is that leadership stops leading, limiting itself to receiving numbers without translating them into direction. In an increasingly competitive environment, this position is equivalent to flying a plane without looking at the instruments: the flight can continue for a while, but the risk of collision is enormous.
That said, the question every leader should ask themselves today is direct and uncomfortable: Would my decisions stand up to AI scrutiny if they were analyzed tomorrow? The answer reveals whether you are prepared for an environment where hypotheses are not supported by the clarity of the data. AI doesn’t eliminate the need for leaders, but it redefines what it means to lead. It requires clarity, courage to compare insights with evidence, and discipline to transform information into strategic actions.
Leaders who embrace this change will find their visions expanded. Those who ignore this will be exposed and, ultimately, replaced not by the machine, but by the market.
Julio Amorim is CEO of Great Group, planning specialist and author of the book “Choose to Win: Creating the Habit of Achieving Dreams and Goals.”
Source: Terra
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
