Real leadership comes from knowing how and when to give power to others. That means letting go and letting others step in. Encouraging your staff to step up doesn’t make you less of a leader; it makes you a much better leader.

Leadership of any kind is stressful. What if you could train for leadership using a set of tools and data that could help you take calculated risks without endangering anyone? According to a McKinsey Quarterly article, artificial intelligence may have the “potential to help you lead with clarity, specificity, and creativity.”

AI can be taught to chase pathways rather than insist on a single destination. For the leader who chooses a specific action, the AI program reacts, offering alternative sets of choices. The fluidity of design gives leaders the practice and experience they need in almost unlimited situations.

My coach is a chatbot

Many educational leaders have turned to professional coaches to overcome challenges, roadblocks, and the nagging gremlins that could prevent the dynamic innovation needed in schools.

AI-powered chatbots have the same potential to help clients reframe their thoughts and strategize for moving forward. Already assistants like Watson Assistant and Azure Bot Service provide voice assistant platforms.

Using the Watson platform, LEADx developed Executive Coach Amanda, the first chatbot taught to serve as a professional leadership coach. Amanda can answer basic questions regarding staff management, and she can also coach leaders, meaning she’ll guide you in formulating your own theories and leadership decisions.

What about the classroom?

We can expect artificial intelligence to permeate every aspect of education. AI may well transform the educational space, as well it should. It’s likely that the traditional physical space of the classroom will morph into something more fluid, thanks to AR/VR technology and artificial intelligence. Students will follow highly customized learning paths, and teachers will guide and facilitate their progress.

Artificial intelligence will guide the teachers, offering suggestions for improving instruction based on student achievement. Similar software can be developed for instructional leaders to support and grow their teachers.

Meet Ellen, the intelligent app for career development

One of the most forward edtech startups to watch in AI leadership is Nextplay.ai.

Nextplay, under the direction of Charu Sharma, created Ellen, the “intelligent mobile app that personalizes career development tailored for every employee, at scale.” The AI app incorporates what educational leaders need: mentorship, personalization, workflow synchronization, and real-time data analytics.

Although the app is not education-centric, it still addresses many similar leadership issues. You can be sure that it won’t be long until someone develops an AI teacher coach.

In the meantime, using an AI app like Ellen can save in professional development costs, hiring and training, and time spent training. Artificial intelligence helps leaders identify and grow the potential in their teams.

Leaders must encourage others to find and enable their potential. Artificial intelligence can help them do this by taking an active interest in employee growth and development. Using their emotional intelligence, great leaders inspire others to rise up to higher levels of performance.

Instructional leaders who use empathy to help their faculty and staff better understand technology and its possible role in our lives better are getting their teams ready to embrace AI.