Empowering Leadership: The Role of AI in Enhancing Strategic Decision-Making, Organizational Processes, and Emotional Intelligence

Abstract

In an era of rapid technological disruption and organizational uncertainty, the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) presents both opportunities and challenges for leadership. This thesis explores the impact of emerging AI-driven tools on leadership, with a focus on strategic decision-making, organizational processes, and emotional intelligence. Using a qualitative research design based on semi-structured interviews with four senior leaders from various European industries, the study finds that AI tools augment leadership by enhancing decision-making efficiency, streamlining organizational operations, and requiring a balanced integration of emotional intelligence and ethical oversight to enable effective human-AI collaboration. The research contributes to leadership theory by proposing and validating a conceptual framework for AI-powered leadership, outlining the competencies and organizational conditions necessary for the successful integration of AI. The findings underscore the importance of leaders developing both technical fluency and human-centric capabilities to remain effective in an increasingly AI augmented environment.