Inclusive Leadership in the Age of AI: De Cremer’s Weighty Insight
AI is now front of mind for most business leaders, managers & employees—it is already embedded in how organisations make decisions, deliver services & interact with employees & customers. Yet many leaders have not yet formulated a clear vision as to how AI fits into the strategic operations of their business. David De Cremer, a globally acknowledged voice on AI leadership, reminds us in The AI-Savvy Leader that the real challenge is not the technology itself but the way humans partner with it.
I would like to suggest that inclusive leadership offers that critical lens through which to approach AI adoption. The future of leadership is not only about being savvy with data & algorithms—it’s about ensuring that innovation serves everyone, fairly & responsibly.
De Cremer warns that AI can amplify existing biases & inequalities if leaders treat it as a purely technical tool. A “savvy AI leader” is not just fluent in machine learning models but understands that trust, ethics & inclusion are central to unlocking AI’s potential. Soft skills do not become less relevant in the age of AI. On the contrary, they become more critical as they bring to the table nuanced assessment which AI cannot do. It is, after all, leaders who must ask:
- Who benefits from this AI decision?
- Whose voices might be excluded & need to be amplified?
- How do we balance efficiency with fairness?
According to the Freshworks Global Report 2024, the most effective AI strategies are rooted in empathy and inclusion: “Businesses succeeding with AI adoption are embracing people-first AI.”
Inclusive leadership is the ability to create environments where people are put first, where every voice matters, decisions are transparent & differences are leveraged for collective success—an indispensable approach in the AI era.
When leaders are inclusive, they:
- Challenge bias – ensuring AI systems are audited for fairness
- Bring diverse voices to the table – so development & deployment can navigate real-world complexity effectively
- Create psychological safety – allowing teams to question AI outcomes without fear
- Champion accountability – recognising that ultimate responsibility lies with people, not machines
We all are aware that the integration of AI into workplaces is accelerating. But without inclusive leadership, we risk embedding systemic inequities into technologies that will shape decisions for decades. With inclusive leadership, organisations can ensure human partnership with AI to enhance fairness, trust & productivity.
Symmetra’s call to leaders: recognise that Inclusive leadership will embrace De Cremer’s call for ethical, human-centered AI, not only protecting their organisations from reputational & legal risk—but also ensuring AI works for everyone. Leaders who combine AI savvy with inclusive leadership will define whether that future is one of exclusion or empowerment.