Leadership at the Edge of AI

In today’s world, it seems that everyone is using some form of Artificial Intelligence to

improve the ease and quality of communication ,or even to enhance their thinking. AI has certainly become a remarkable tool, and when used wisely, it can extend our influence, sharpen our ideas, and multiply our productivity.

But here’s the thing: AI can assist our leadership — it cannot anchor it. No algorithm can replace the courage to speak when truth is needed… or the empathy to stay silent when listening matters more. Technology can generate words, but only you can generate trust.

Leadership Still Makes the Difference

John Maxwell often says, “Everything rises and falls on leadership.” In his Law of the Edge, he reminds us that the difference between two equally talented teams is leadership.

That law is as true in the AI age as it was before. The edge isn’t in the technology we use — it’s in how we serve and connect with people.

Leadership today requires discernment:

• The wisdom to use tools without losing touch.

• The humility to lead from the front, but also from within.

• The awareness that people follow heart before they follow skill.

Breaking Free from Limiting Beliefs

In my two decades of working with leaders around the world — from boardrooms to classrooms — I’ve seen one truth play out time and again: our greatest barriers aren’t around us… they’re within us.

As John taught me years ago, “Don’t let someone else’s fences become your fences.” It’s one of those simple but deeply freeing truths.

So many capable people hesitate to take courageous steps because someone else couldn’t see their potential. Leadership requires that we see beyond the fences — beyond the limits others may place on us — and model that freedom for our teams. When a leader grows, the team expands. When a leader gets stuck, the team shrinks.

The Six Characteristics of a Great Team — with a Leader’s Lens

Over the years, I’ve watched John teach these six powerful characteristics. Let me add a few layers from my own field experience — lessons learned in real boardrooms, through real wins, and yes, real mistakes.

1. Communicate

Never lead by assumption. Clarity builds confidence; assumption breeds anxiety.

As leaders, our job is to help our teams Know, Feel, See, and Do the things that move everyone forward. Communication isn’t just transferring information — it’s transforming understanding.

Ask yourself daily: Does my team know where we’re going? Do they feel valued? Do they see how their work matters?

2. Create

Create an environment that nurtures growth — both for the team and for the individual.

The question, “What if I develop them and they leave?” comes up often. But I always ask back, “What if you don’t develop them… and they stay?”

A culture that fears growth breeds mediocrity. A culture that invests in people breeds legacy.

3. Collaborate

Great leaders don’t have all the answers — they make room for them.

Invite ideas. Encourage ownership. And when you find people with strong ideas, elevate them. Recognize, empower, and even replace yourself where possible. That’s not weakness — it’s leadership maturity.

The best leaders don’t seek control; they seek multiplication.

4. Concentrate

Focus on strengths — yours and theirs. You cannot build greatness on weaknesses.

Leverage the uniqueness of each person. When you align people’s strengths with the team’s mission, energy multiplies.

5. Consecrate

This is one of John’s most powerful, yet least understood, principles: lift others.

Consecrate your leadership to something higher than your position. Leadership is not about being the best in the team — it’s about bringing out the best of the team.

When people know you are for them, they will go with you.

6. Celebrate

Never underestimate the power of a shared win.

Celebration builds trust, momentum, and emotional equity. It tells your team, “We did this together.”

Even small wins matter. They remind everyone that progress — not perfection — is the goal.

The Thread that Ties It All Together: Be For One Another

In every healthy team, every thriving culture, and every lasting legacy, one truth endures: Be for one another. In a world where competition often drowns out collaboration, leaders who champion others stand out — and stand tall. AI can amplify your words, but only authentic leadership can amplify your people.

 Let’s lead at the edge — not just with smarter tools, but with stronger hearts.