DEVELOPMENT a culture of exploration within your sphere of influence, sharing discoveries and encouraging experimentation with new tools and approaches.
Champion strategic thinking AI opens new frontiers for your organisation so carve out time to explore this with your exec. Develop an innovation mindset, looking for quantum leaps in processes and services. Your unique position supporting senior leadership gives you insight into strategic opportunities that others might miss.
Essential leadership traits in the age of AI
Campbell Macpherson explains how EAs can develop their strategic influence while machines handle the routine tasks
THE EXPERT
Campbell Macpherson, a speaker and business adviser on leadership and change, is an executive fellow of Henley Business School in the UK. He splits his time between England and Australia and has authored several business books about the power of change.
While executives chase the latest innovations, you’ re already discovering many of your traditional tasks can now be delegated to machines – and probably recognising that this presents a crucial opportunity. Rather than competing with AI on routine tasks, you can focus on developing the uniquely human leadership qualities that will make you indispensable in tomorrow’ s workplace.
Lead AI adoption You won’ t be replaced by AI; you’ ll be replaced by someone using AI more effectively. Embrace these tools wholeheartedly. Use AI to enhance your productivity and work quality, then engage your executives and colleagues to do the same. EAs are perfectly positioned to champion AI adoption organisation-wide, demonstrating practical applications that deliver real value.
Address AI anxieties Many colleagues worry about AI’ s impact on their roles. Create psychological safety by encouraging open discussions about this. Help people explore the possibilities rather than focus on threats. Your role in managing change means you can facilitate conversations that move teams from fear to curiosity about new technologies.
Cultivate continuous curiosity AI evolves rapidly, requiring constant learning. Stay curious about new capabilities, from large language models like ChatGPT and Copilot to specialised AI agents for various tasks. Build
Encourage healthy scepticism Today’ s AI has limitations with facts, nuance and context. While embracing AI’ s potential, maintain critical thinking skills. Question AI-generated results, use tools as starting points rather than final answers and apply your experience and judgement to validate outputs. This balanced approach protects your organisation while maximising AI benefits.
Develop your emotional intelligence Your competitive advantage lies in emotional intelligence( EQ) – self-awareness, empathy, relationship building and motivation. These human capabilities enable you to connect with people, facilitate change and build resilient cultures. While AI can suggest what to do and how to plan, only you can engage and motivate people to collaborate and deliver results.
Focus on developing both your own emotional intelligence and that of colleagues around you. EQ becomes the secret ingredient for extraordinary leadership during extraordinary change.
Embrace stewardship Stewardship means leaving your part of the organisation better than you found it. This involves more than process improvement; it means developing people. Use your influence to upskill colleagues, create opportunities for growth and build a network of emotionally intelligent, AI-embracing change leaders. S leadingwithinfluence. online
The EA advantage As an EA, you’ re uniquely positioned to thrive in an AI-driven workplace. Your role already requires the human skills that machines cannot replicate, such as relationship management, strategic thinking, emotional intelligence and change leadership. While AI handles routine tasks, you should focus on developing these irreplaceable capabilities. The EAs who will succeed are those who embrace AI while strengthening their uniquely human leadership qualities.
Summer Issue 2026 | Executive PA 51