Let’s be honest for a second. We’ve all been there. It’s 4:45 PM on a Friday. You’ve sent your boss three emails about that urgent project approval, and… crickets. Or maybe you’ve had that performance review where the feedback was so vague ("Just keep doing what you're doing!") that you left more confused than when you walked in.
We tend to hold "human leadership" on a pedestal. We think of the inspirational speeches, the empathetic hand on the shoulder, the visionary guidance. But in the day-to-day grind of corporate life, how often do we actually get that?
That is exactly the question raised by Professors Niels Van Quaquebeke and Fabiola H. Gerpott in their provocative work, "The Now, New, and Next of Digital Leadership." They aren’t just talking about AI scheduling our meetings. They are delivering a massive wake-up call to everyone who thinks the "human touch" is the one thing machines can never replace.
Their argument? Stop romanticizing human leadership. Most of it is mediocre. And AI might actually be able to do it better.
I know, it sounds dystopian. But stick with me. As someone navigating the corporate landscape just like you, juggling teams, targets, and the occasional existential crisis about my career path, this research hit home. It breaks down the evolution of AI leadership into three distinct phases: The Now, The New, and The Next.
Let’s unpack this, because if they are right, our jobs are about to change in ways we haven’t even begun to prepare for.
The NOW: The Assistant We Already Know 📅
We are currently living in the "Now." This is the comfortable phase. It’s the phase where AI is the helpful intern that never sleeps.
In my own daily workflow, this is already reality. I use tools to transcribe my meetings, categorize my emails, and maybe even draft a polite decline to a vendor I don’t have the budget for. In this stage, AI is a support tool. It’s "Digital Leadership" in the sense that leaders are using digital tools to be more efficient.
The power dynamic hasn't shifted yet. We are still the pilots; AI is the autopilot keeping the plane steady while we drink coffee.
- What it looks like: Using ChatGPT to brainstorm strategy, using scheduling bots to find meeting times, or using data analytics dashboards to make decisions.
- The Vibe: Helpful, non-threatening, efficiency-focused.
Most organizations are stuck here mentally. We think, "Great, AI will take the boring admin work off my plate so I can focus on leading." But Van Quaquebeke and Gerpott argue that this is just the tip of the iceberg. The water is getting colder, and we are drifting into...
The NEW: The Rise of the Algorithmic Manager 📊
This is where things start to get a little uncomfortable for those of us in middle management.
The "New" phase is the transition from AI as a tool to AI as a manager. We aren't just talking about helpful suggestions anymore; we are talking about Algorithmic Management.
Think about Uber drivers or Amazon warehouse workers. They don't report to a human shift supervisor who asks how their weekend was. They report to an app. The algorithm tells them where to go, how fast to get there, and penalizes them if they fall below a certain star rating.
You might think, "Well, I’m a knowledge worker in a corporate office, that doesn't apply to me."
Are you sure?
In many large organizations, we are already seeing the creep of the "New."
- Performance Tracking: AI tools that monitor keystrokes, active hours, or analyze the sentiment of your Slack messages to see if the team is "engaged."
- Task Distribution: Project management software that automatically assigns tasks based on who has the most bandwidth, not who the manager "feels" is right for the job.
- Hiring and Firing: Resume scanners that filter out candidates before a human ever sees them, or retention algorithms that flag employees who are "at risk" of leaving.
In this phase, the management tasks—the coordinating, the monitoring, the resource allocation—are stripped away from humans.
The Personal Anecdote: I remember a colleague of mine, let's call him Mark. Mark was a "middle manager" in logistics. He spent 80% of his week just figuring out who was working which shift and reconciling spreadsheets. When his company implemented a new AI-driven ERP system, Mark panicked. The system did his scheduling in 30 seconds with 99% accuracy. Mark realized that if his value was just "managing tasks," he was obsolete.
The "New" phase forces us to ask: If I’m not managing the workflow, what am I actually paid to do?
The standard answer is: "I’m paid to lead! To inspire! To connect!"
And that brings us to the most controversial part of Van Quaquebeke and Gerpott’s thesis.
The NEXT: When the Bot Becomes the True Leader ❤️
This is the "Red Pill" moment.
The consensus view has always been: Machines do the math; Humans do the heart. We believe that empathy, motivation, and psychological safety are the exclusive province of biological beings.
Van Quaquebeke and Gerpott say: "We question that assumption."
The "Next" phase predicts that AI will take over True Leadership—the social, emotional, and motivational aspects of guiding people.
Why? Because, quite frankly, humans are often terrible at it.
The Problem with Human Leaders:
- Inconsistency: My mood depends on whether I had my morning coffee, whether I fought with my partner, or if I’m just tired. A bot is never "hangry."
- Bias: We unconsciously favor people who look like us or agree with us. An algorithm can be biased (if trained on bad data), but it can also be audited and fixed in ways a human brain cannot.
- Narcissism and Ego: How many bad bosses have you had who made decisions to boost their own ego rather than help the team? AI has no ego. It doesn't need to take credit.
- Availability: A human leader has an open door policy, theoretically. But in reality, they are in meetings all day. AI is available 24/7/365 to listen to your venting, offer advice, or clarify goals.
The "Self-Determination Theory" Angle The authors use a psychological framework called Self-Determination Theory (SDT) to explain why AI might win. Humans need three things to feel motivated: Autonomy, Competence, and Relatedness.
- Competence: AI can give you real-time, micro-feedback that actually helps you improve, unlike a boss who gives you a vague annual review. It’s like having a Duolingo owl for your job—constant, low-stakes feedback that helps you master skills.
- Autonomy: Paradoxically, being managed by a bot might feel more free. A human boss hovering over your desk feels like micromanagement. An app telling you "Task Complete" feels like a checklist. You don't have to perform "busyness" for an algorithm; you just have to do the work.
- Relatedness: This is the big one. Can you feel "related" to a bot? Surprisingly, yes. Research shows people often feel more comfortable disclosing personal problems to a chatbot because they know the bot won't judge them. A bot can be programmed to be infinitely patient and supportive.
Imagine an AI leader that remembers every one of your kids' names, checks in on your stress levels daily, offers resources the second you struggle, and never snaps at you because it’s having a bad day.
Is that "fake" empathy? Yes. Is it better than "no" empathy from a burnt-out human boss? That’s the uncomfortable question.
What This Means for You: The Survival Guide 🛡️
As a corporate professional, this research isn't just academic; it’s a roadmap for survival. If the "Now" is here, the "New" is arriving, and the "Next" is on the horizon, how do we adapt?
1. Stop Competing on "Admin" If your value proposition is that you are organized and good at spreadsheets, you are in trouble. Efficiency is now a commodity. AI will beat you at coordination every time.
2. Audit Your "Human" Value If AI can simulate empathy, you need to offer authentic connection. The one thing AI cannot do is shared human experience. It cannot understand what it feels like to be afraid of losing a job, or the joy of a promotion, because it is not alive.
- Action: Lean into vulnerability. Share personal stories. Build trust based on shared humanity, not just professional competence.
3. Become the Architect, Not the Builder In the "New" and "Next" phases, the role of the human shifts to designing the systems. If AI is the leader, humans need to be the "meta-leaders" who decide what the AI optimizes for.
- Action: Learn about AI ethics, prompt engineering, and system design. Be the person who questions the algorithm's parameters.
4. Embrace the Hybrid Don't fight it. I’ve started using AI to handle the "tough conversations" drafting. I ask ChatGPT, "How do I tell a client we are over budget without sounding defensive?" It gives me the script. That’s a "Next" level usage—using AI to enhance my emotional intelligence.
The Bottom Line: A Reality Check
Van Quaquebeke and Gerpott aren't saying humans will disappear. They are saying the bastion of leadership is falling. We can no longer hide behind the idea that "machines can't lead."
If we want to remain relevant, we have to stop romanticizing a version of leadership that rarely exists in reality. We have to be better than the bots. And considering how fast the bots are learning, that is going to be the challenge of our careers.
What do you think? Would you prefer a consistent, fair AI boss or a flawed human one? Let me know in the comments! 👇
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