As part of the master’s course “Leading Organizational Culture Change” at the Reinhard Mohn Institute for Corporate Management, Johannes Busold provided insights into recent studies by the Liz Mohn Foundation on the topic of AI and leadership. It became clear that leaders not only drive change but are also affected by it themselves. On the one hand, they face the task of shaping the AI transformation in their organizations in a responsible and forward-looking manner. On the other hand, AI is also directly changing their own roles and leadership responsibilities.
A particular focus of the guest lecture was on how leaders themselves use AI and what role learning and professional development play in this context. Recent findings from the Liz Mohn Foundation show that AI has already become part of the daily work lives of many leaders. At the same time, it is clear that leaders need time, guidance and appropriate learning environments to use AI responsibly and support their teams in building their skills.
Together with the students, the discussion focused on the leadership tasks for which AI can be used, its limitations lie, and what framework conditions organizations must establish to ensure that AI is not only implemented technologically but that this implementation is also effectively shaped from a cultural and organizational perspective.
The guest lecture made it clear: AI is not merely a technological issue, but a leadership challenge. What matters most is how leaders frame this transformation, enable learning processes and take responsibility for shaping the interaction between humans and AI.
The Liz Mohn Foundation would like to thank Prof. Dr. Hendrik Wilhelm and the Reinhard Mohn Institute for Corporate Management, the invitation and as well as the students for their engaged and thoughtful discussion.
