Executive Development in the AI Era

Great leadership remains in high demand, but the challenge of measuring clear-cut Return on Investment (ROI) makes organizations hesitant to commit. Worse, some fear that by investing in people, they’re simply training talent for competitors. Isn’t that a catch-22? If you don’t invest in your employees, you send a clear message: you don’t care if they stay or leave.

And by investing, I don’t mean giving employees access to endless online courses from subscription-based platforms. That’s a nice perk, but it’s not enough. Expecting employees to navigate their own career paths without clear opportunities for growth within the organization only encourages them to look elsewhere.

The system is broken when your best and brightest see their most promising route to advancement as quitting for greener pastures. If your organization doesn’t offer lateral moves, fails to recognize leaders who nurture other leaders, or neglects to define clear career growth paths, you’re setting yourself up for trouble.

It’s time to walk the talk. People are your most valuable asset—so why aren’t you investing in their development? Sending the message that employees are easily discarded during tough times only drives them away. Relying on talent wars to “bribe” new hires into the company may work temporarily, but it’s a losing game for all but the wealthiest firms.

Ever wonder why so many talented people jump at the chance to join startups, despite the risks? Blaming it on greed is too simplistic. The startup world is grueling, far from a guaranteed payday. Yet many would rather face uncertainty than endure the corporate grind, where their talents feel expendable. In many companies, internal politics thrive, toxic conflicts are ignored, and managers are more focused on their own advancement than developing their teams.

The saying goes, "People leave managers, not organizations." But why do managers often fail at leading? Because many organizations prioritize damage control over development. The biggest concern seems to be minimizing the legal risks of terminations. Instead of training managers to lead effectively, we give them scripts for firing employees and hope for the best.

Has it ever occurred to you that prevention is less costly than crisis management? Ask your legal department. If your solution to challenging employees is simply terminating them, rather than guiding managers to resolve conflicts and develop talent, you’ve missed the point of leadership.

Leadership is about more than managing numbers or crises. It’s about managing people—helping them grow, even when they present challenges. Conflicts will happen; they’re unavoidable. But leaders who avoid dealing with them, who pass the problem off or fire "difficult" employees, only perpetuate a cycle of dysfunction.

To break this vicious circle, managers must realize their job is to communicate, resolve conflicts, and grow their teams. Otherwise, no amount of AI or automation will save you from the consequences of poor leadership.