In an excerpt from his book ‘The Leader’s Brain,’ Wharton neuroscientist Michael Platt talks about three leadership skills that are critical in an increasingly automated world.
In this updated and expanded edition of his groundbreaking book The Leader’s Brain, Wharton Neuroscience Initiative director Michael Platt reveals how the latest advances in neuroscience — including new insights from artificial intelligence — are transforming our understanding of effective leadership. In the following excerpt from the book, Platt explains how leaders can adapt to new technologies like AI and help their teams do the same.
“The real problem of humanity is the following: we have paleolithic emotions, medieval institutions, and godlike technologies.” — E. O. Wilson
Wilson’s observation was made in 2009, many years before the artificial intelligence (AI) revolution, during a debate at the Harvard Museum of Natural History. Nevertheless, it perfectly anticipates our current challenge of contending with AI systems whose capabilities are rapidly approaching or exceeding human levels in many domains. As a neuroscientist, I would modify his statement slightly to emphasize that we’re attempting to manage these godlike technologies not just with paleolithic emotions, but also with a Stone Age brain—neural architecture that evolved to handle the basic survival challenges of our hunter-gatherer ancestors, not to manage powerful tools that can transform how society works and how we think.
It’s not that we can’t adapt to technologies—we invented AI, after all! Consider how we’ve learned to read subtle facial expressions, voice tones, and body language on Zoom, finding ways to create genuine human connections despite the digital barrier. We lean in closer to our screens when we care, we laugh together even through delays, and we’ve developed new social signals—like the exaggerated nod or the deliberately unmuted chuckle—to show we’re truly present and engaged.
But acclimating to new technologies, especially ones that take the place of or mimic face-to-face human interactions, is hard. We struggle in large part because the human brain is not a computer—it’s more like a Swiss Army knife, with different tools for different jobs. Through use, you can make those tools a little sharper, and if you don’t use them, they can get a little duller. We are all born with a brain that’s equipped with many abilities and limitations, including the social brain network, the innovation network, the evidence accumulator and attention volume knob, divisive normalization, and so on, as we’ve learned in previous chapters. Although every one’s tools are a little bit different, you can’t change them or get rid of them. That means no matter how enthusiastic you are about AI, or any other new technology, you’re still using it with the same Stone Age brain with all its quirks and constraints.
Recognizing these limitations, we need a measured, human-centric approach to AI implementation at work. We need to design integration strategies that work with—rather than against—employees’ inherent brain capabilities. This includes strengthening skills such as cognitive agility and emotional intelligence, making better decisions through appropriate use of AI, and balancing the need to establish trust in AI with the realities of labor market disruptions. Most importantly, we must foster a culture of understanding, inclusion, and empowerment that prioritizes social connection and views AI not as a replacement for human thinking, but as a tool that complements our natural abilities while respecting their boundaries.
Understanding AI’s Role in Leadership
AI is no longer the future—it’s the present. It’s reshaping industries, redefining work, and challenging traditional leadership paradigms. For leaders, the rapid rise of AI—use of generative AI nearly doubled in the first six months of 2024, with 75% of global knowledge workers using it—presents both unparalleled opportunities and complex ethical and practical dilemmas.
Those using AI at work say it saves time, helps them focus on their most important tasks, and allows them to be more creative and enjoy their work more. These advances are being experienced in industries ranging from healthcare and finance to retail and manufacturing. AI’s ability to process vast amounts of data, recognize patterns, and deliver actionable insights is also fundamentally altering how decisions are made. For leaders, this shift is both an opportunity and a challenge—requiring them to adapt their decision-making processes to harness the full potential of AI while maintaining a human-centered approach to leadership.
These new requirements must be met as AI quickly evolves, with advancements that are outpacing organizations’ ability to adapt policies, workflows, and skillsets. Because AI breakthroughs are happening as I write this chapter, we will focus on AI’s transformative impact and the significant strategic and human shifts it is requiring from leaders, exploring its impact on leadership, decision-making, and team dynamics, rather than providing a tactical guide to using it.
Adapting to AI: Three Future-Proof Leadership Skills
Developing AI-ready leadership skills such as the following is critical for navigating the complexities of an increasingly automated world:
Cognitive flexibility. Leaders must cultivate the ability to adapt quickly to AI’s evolving capabilities and its implications for business operations and decision-making. This requires staying informed about technological advancements and being open to rethinking strategies and processes as AI tools and applications mature. Flexibility also means staying open to revisiting your current beliefs and strategies, because AI often generates insights or solutions that challenge assumptions. Great leaders stay open to using these new ideas as opportunities for growth and refinement.
Emotional intelligence. As AI takes on routine and analytical tasks, the human side of leadership—empathy, effective communication, and relationship-building—becomes a key differentiator. Leaders need to understand and address the fears and anxieties that employees may feel about AI, fostering trust and psychological safety. Emotional intelligence enables you to create a workplace culture that values both technological innovation and human connection, ensuring that employees feel supported and engaged during times of change.
Curiosity and a mindset of continuous learning. This is essential for successful AI adoption. The rapid pace of AI development demands leaders who are not only willing but eager to explore new technologies and approaches. Curiosity drives experimentation, innovation, and the ability to anticipate future challenges and opportunities. By embracing a learning culture, you can encourage your teams to develop the skills needed to thrive in an AI-driven environment, promoting resilience and adaptability across the organization.
