MANAGERS and leaders need to make the right call when adopting technology to speed up digital transformation.

With artificial intelligence (AI), however, implementation is critical now more than ever, to attain dominance and maintain relevance among competitors.

The AI revolution has truly enlightened and amazed the enterprise by simulating human intelligence processes at an incredible speed. Its ability to digest large amounts of data, improve work processes, provide insights, and save costs have made it one of the most sought-after solutions.

Nevertheless, a leader’s role extends beyond deciding on the employment of the technology.

Managers need to be able to navigate, coordinate, and take the right steps to deploy AI as it involves shifting the dynamics in operations by incorporating machines in work processes.

Without the right leadership skills, AI will not achieve maximum optimization and workflows will face more disruption. In fact, managers must use their emotional intelligence, a feature that AI doesn’t possess, to prepare current manpower to work alongside the technology.

By exercising empathy and promoting credibility, leaders must ensure that employees understand how their tasks will be more significant and meaningful after certain work processes are taken over by AI.

Further, managers must prepare employees for a more automated and digital working environment and train them to develop effective teamwork skills.

In other words, employees must be able to work collaboratively with other relevant teams towards accelerating the process of leveraging AI and achieve operational goals.

The right leaders with the right skills are crucial to the process of bridging the gap between human intelligence and AI. As smart as AI can be, it ultimately lacks the soft skills required to establish a stable work momentum between machines and employees.

Further, managers need to be able to lead AI itself.

They need to be able to wisely plan out which work processes will be streamlined by AI and how to best structure it into the business model to ensure it benefits the operation and increases market value.

Despite its capabilities, AI still needs training in the initial stages of its deployment.

Managers must upskill themselves to be able to feed AI with the right data, and ‘groom’ it to carry out relevant processes while staying ethical instead of just relying on the technology to perform optimally on its own.

When AI enters the work environment, managers need to motivate employees to stay steadfast in adapting themselves to the shift in work processes. Managers must keep in mind that every action of theirs influences how operational goals are achieved and how employees execute their tasks.

Chartering the right path for the technology and employees is key to a successful AI deployment. Pair it with effective communication and situational awareness, and AI can help ensure a smooth transition to machine-based processes.

A corresponding relationship between AI and great managers is the key to succeed in a competitive digital economy. After all, AI is the stepping stone to greater advances in technology solution adoption.