Leadership in Agentic AI Era: Strategies for Business Success

Leadership in the Agentic AI era requires a fundamental shift in mindset and approach. Agentic AI has the power to automate tasks, optimize processes, and deliver results. However, it is crucial for executive leaders to understand that humans are an integral part of this equation, as their input and collaboration are essential to unlocking AI’s full potential.

Achieving success in this era requires executive leaders to strike a balance between fostering technological advancement and maintaining oversight to navigate the challenges and opportunities Agentic AI presents. AI is here to stay, and as it continues to disrupt industries, executive leaders must adapt to this disruption by redefining their roles and adopting fresh perspectives.

Harbinger recently conducted a webinar, titled “Leadership in Agentic AI Era: Board and Executive Perspectives,” hosted by Marilyn Pearson Hendricks, CEO & Managing Partner, WorkTech Advisory. This was the third episode of Harbinger’s Tech CXO Roundtable webinar series organized in collaboration with WorkTech Advisory.

The episode featured industry experts, Dr. Vikas Joshi, Founder & CEO, Harbinger Group, Dr. Steven Hunt, Founder, i3 Talent LLC, and Tim Juergensen, Founder & CEO, Change Management Specialists, LLC, who shared their experiences and offered valuable insights.

6 Considerations for Executive Leaders to Lead Through AI Disruption

The key to navigating AI disruption lies in your ability to lead with change. Let’s explore the important steps business leaders must take to succeed in the Agentic AI era.

1. Identify Business Challenges and Define Goals

Pinpoint business hurdles and establish clear objectives for your organization. Next, assess how Agentic AI can help overcome the challenges, ensuring it supports your goals and drives results for your business. It is important for executive leaders to understand that using Agentic AI for the sake of using it will not drive innovation and growth.

Your leadership in the Agentic AI era should view the technology as a strategic partner to work in collaboration with your employees. Consider how it will impact employee experience. By focusing on both AI capabilities and employee experience, executive leaders can ensure their AI initiatives optimize business processes and foster a positive work culture. This will eventually lead to long-term growth and innovation.

2. Understand and Use Agentic AI Before Deployment

Before rolling out Agentic AI-driven systems, CEOs and other C-suite executives must understand the nuances of the technology and its impact on the workforce. Don’t rely on theoretical benefits; get feedback from executives. If it’s problematic, address the issues before widespread adoption. Executive leadership in the Agentic AI era must be able to create a synergy between their workforce and AI.

3. Design Intentional and Structured Process for Innovation

When evaluating Agentic AI implementation, it is critical to ask:

• Is it feasible for our organization?
• Do we have the capability?
• Can we implement AI effectively?
• Should we build, buy, or borrow?
• What are the consequences of rejecting AI?

Agentic AI adoption must align with organizational goals and operational needs. This calls for the need to design a well-structured, intentional, and strategic process. Ensure your process embraces innovation and is built upon cohesive collaboration between leadership and workforce to drive sustainable success.

4. Hire the Right People

In this age of Agentic AI, you need to adopt a new approach when hiring for senior leadership roles, such as CTOs or CIOs, by focusing on competencies. It is critical to assess candidates based on their ability to modernize existing business processes with Agentic AI, along with building an AI-first culture by keeping ethics and governance in mind.

5. Have Realistic Expectations

Agentic AI has a wide range of applications; however, it is essential to set realistic expectations about its implementation from the beginning. Executive leaders should have a comprehensive view of what is achievable with Agentic AI beyond cost-cutting.

For example, when expanding into multiple markets, your leadership in the Agentic AI era should consider factors such as time to market, efficiency, and process effectiveness. It all comes down to understanding which tasks AI agents can handle and setting realistic expectations. However, there is often a tendency among leaders to focus only on cost reduction, ignoring other key factors.

6. Embrace Change

Navigating Agentic AI disruption is not just about keeping up with the latest advancements; it’s about understanding their value and integrating them in a meaningful way. This demands the mindset, curiosity, and dedication to continuous learning. In a world where technology is ever-evolving, leaders who embrace change and learn with agility hold a distinct advantage.

4 Must-Know Trends Influencing Leadership in Agentic AI Era

Below are the trends that will shape leadership in the Agentic AI era.

1. Business Strategy will Evolve Continually: Business strategies will continuously transform, emphasizing agility and adaptability, with the rise of Agentic AI. Rather than depending on rigid long-term plans, executive leaders will need to adopt shorter planning cycles and iterative methods to remain relevant and stay ahead in a world of Agentic AI disruption.

2. Agentic AI Will Redefine Leadership Success: Agentic AI integration into business operations will bring in a paradigm shift in leadership dynamics. As enterprises increasingly adopt Agentic AI, leaders will face the challenge of not only managing human teams but also Agentic AI systems. These systems have their own behaviors and biases, making governance more complex.

Leaders must function as curators and guides to ensure the outcomes of Agentic AI systems align with company values. Leadership in the Agentic AI era will be effective based on the ability of executive leaders to govern both people and AI agents effectively.

3. Ethical Leadership Will Become Essential: As Agentic AI systems advance, addressing risks related to accuracy, privacy breaches, and biases will become essential. Relying solely on these systems to make decisions is not enough; executive leaders must take an active role in ensuring these technologies are designed and used responsibly.

4. Decision-Making Will Become Decentralized: Leadership in the Agentic AI era will witness a shift toward decentralized decision-making, allowing teams to operate with flexibility and autonomy. There will be a new operating model where leadership is embedded throughout the organization.

Employees at each level of the organization will benefit from valuable insights and recommendations received through Agentic AI. As leadership roles become fluid, executive leaders will need to train teams to effectively use Agentic AI for making informed, data-driven decisions.

3 Essential Skills for Leadership in Agentic AI Era

Leadership in the Agentic AI era should focus on a human-centric approach more than ever. While Agentic AI can enhance task efficiency, process large datasets, and streamline complex workflows, it cannot replace the intricacies of human connection.

Here are three essential skills executive leaders must master to thrive in the Agentic AI era.

1. Resolving Disagreements and Disputes: Agentic AI can help analyze human conflicts in the workplace and suggest solutions to resolve them. However, the ability to navigate complex emotions, build trust, foster genuine understanding, and constructively resolve conflicts remains uniquely human. Executive leaders must possess this skill, no matter how extensively they may rely on AI agents.

2. Ethical and Strategic Decision-Making: Agentic AI doesn’t have the capacity to experience emotions like humans. That is why it’s important for executive leaders to integrate strategic thinking, ethical considerations, and empathy into their leadership approach.

3. Building Authentic Human Connections: Executive leaders will remain essential in cultivating strong relationships, both within their teams and with external partners. While Agentic AI can analyze data and detect patterns, the depth of human connection and ability to navigate complex interpersonal dynamics cannot be replicated by technology.