AI reshapes leadership in IT teams

Corporate IT departments are rewriting the rules for selecting and training future leaders. The change focuses on speed, adaptability, and accepting uncertainty when outcomes remain unclear.

Three technology executives—Marc Kermisch, chief AI and technology officer at Protolabs; Art Hu, global CIO at Lenovo; and Joe Papp, CTO at Anthro Energy—shared how their leadership pipelines are evolving. Their discussion, part of a podcast series, emphasized qualities beyond technical skills.

A key topic was the balance between experience and new perspectives. Kermisch explained that while seasoned managers provide stability, they may also cling to outdated methods. Protolabs has begun including younger voices not for their knowledge, but for their different questions.

Hu described Lenovo’s approach of pairing junior employees with senior mentors in reverse. New hires guide veterans on emerging tools and cultural shifts. The aim is to prevent stagnation by supporting mutual learning.

The executives also discussed resistance to AI adoption. Papp noted that mid-level managers often struggle when generative models disrupt long-mastered systems. Forcing adoption typically fails, as people revert to familiar tools. Anthro Energy now runs small, low-risk AI projects, such as automating internal documentation, to encourage experimentation without high stakes.

Arbitrary AI adoption targets drew criticism. Kermisch called them counterproductive, creating resentment rather than results. Lenovo ties AI initiatives to specific business problems instead of broad deployment goals. “If you can’t explain why a tool matters, no one will use it,” Hu said.

The group later role-played as leaders at a fictional company called Questionable Ideas. The scenario involved tabletop exercises dealing with the draconian and chaotic IT plans of goblins, kobolds, and gremlins. While absurd, the exercise mirrored real challenges: aligning leadership with shifting strategies, maintaining morale amid constant change, and measuring success with evolving metrics.

The panelists outlined skills they now prioritize in leaders:

Comfort with ambiguity, especially as AI’s long-term effects remain uncertain.
Ability to translate technical details into business outcomes for all employees.
Willingness to experiment even without clear returns.
Emotional intelligence to guide teams through rapid change.

Burnout emerged as a growing issue. The old leadership models—rigid hierarchies, top-down mandates, and narrow technical focus—are fading. The shift is toward adaptability. Organizations must adjust quickly or risk falling behind the next disruption.

If the fictional scenarios of Questionable Ideas taught anything, it’s that chaos can be part of the process. It’s often the price of staying ahead.