As we mentioned in a recent post on our corporate LinkedIn profiles, AI is not here to replace leaders, it is here to elevate them. This was also one of the key takeaways from our recent INAC Global webinar on The Future of Work: Trends, Skills, and Reinvention, where we explored how executive leadership is evolving in response to technological advancements. One thing became clear … leaders who embrace augmented intelligence will outpace those who rely solely on experience and intuition.
Augmented intelligence isn’t about AI making decisions for us, it is about leveraging AI to enhance our own ability to think critically, anticipate risks, and act decisively. We have always known that the best leaders are those who can see patterns, make sense of uncertainty, and chart a course through complexity. Today, the difference is that AI allows us to do this with greater precision, speed, and strategic foresight.
The shift is happening fast. 67% of business leaders anticipate that generative AI will transform their organizations by 2025 (KPMG, AI Quarterly Pulse). Yet, despite this growing awareness, many executives are still a little bit hesitant, unsure of how to integrate AI into their leadership approach without losing the human touch that defines great decision-making.
But the real risk isn’t AI. The real risk is not leveraging it at all. The most forward-thinking executives don’t view AI as a competitor, they treat it as a strategic partner. They integrate AI-driven insights into their decision-making without losing the human touch of leadership as judgment, ethics, and vision.
The shift is not only redefining leadership but also reshaping the landscape of executive search. The demand for leaders who can navigate digital transformation, embrace AI, and drive innovation has never been higher. Organizations are no longer looking for executives who simply have experience, they are looking for leaders with adaptability, tech fluency, and the ability to integrate AI into their strategic thinking. We are, as INAC Global, evolving alongside these needs, identifying and attracting leaders who possess both the human and augmented intelligence required for this new era.
The real advantage comes when leaders move beyond basic adoption and develop an AI-empowered leadership mindset. This means learning to ask the right questions of AI, discerning insights from noise, and ensuring that technology serves strategy, not the other way round. It requires a shift from seeing AI as tool for efficiency to recognizing it as a co-pilot in innovation, problem-solving, and long-term value creation.
We are at a turning point. AI is no longer a futuristic concept; it is a present reality reshaping industries and workforce. The leaders who will thrive are those who don’t just acknowledge AI’s potential but actively integrate it into how they think, lead, and build organizations for the future.
The question isn’t whether AI will be part of leadership, it already is! The real question is, are we … are you adapting fast enough?
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Rui Borges, President INAC Global Executive Search and Managing Partner Ad Capita Executive Search (INAC Portugal)
Rui is the founder and Managing Partner of Ad Capita Executive Search (𝗜𝗡𝗔𝗖 𝗣𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗴𝗮𝗹), a preeminent retained Executive Search firm in Portugal since 2001. A recognized seasoned Executive Recruiter for the past 25 years, Rui has been identifiying and placing senior-level executives across sectors and geographies and has always devoted himself to emerging leaders and the buildout of executive talent pipelines. Rui is also Co-founder of our network, 𝗜𝗡𝗔𝗖 𝗚𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹, one of the leading Executive Search networks in the world. Having served this organization for over 30 years and held a variety of roles during that time, most recently as its President, Rui has always focused his energy and intercultural intelligence on building and leading a global team to drive growth, entrepreneurship, innovation and creativity to provide first-rate talent advisory services across the globe.
