Preparing tomorrow’s
leaders
A broader mix of skills For the report, interviews were conducted with experts from across the CEMS global alliance of schools and corporations. From these, it quickly became clear that tomorrow’s leaders will need to know how to use technology to elevate their organisations, in addition to possessing the traditional mix of technical expertise and sound business fundamentals. For example, as routine tasks such as drafting reports and analysing data become increasingly automated, professionals will spend more time reviewing, curating and interpreting outputs generated by AI systems. In this sense, AI is best understood as a tool rather than a collaborator, as Kai Riemer at the University of Sydney Business School explained in the report: “Leaders must step back and remember this is a tool, not a trustworthy colleague.” The opportunity for graduates, therefore, lies in augmentation rather than automation. “The future will not be about humans or machines, but about co-existing and collaborating with machines to unlock new potential,” declared Sherif Kamel, dean of the Onsi Sawiris School of Business at the American University in Cairo and deputy chair of CEMS. This shift demands a new way of thinking about leadership, learning and talent development. For business schools, the challenge is to ensure that graduates enter the
Technological developments demand a new way of thinking about leadership and learning. Drawing on CEMS research, Nicole de Fontaines offers a series of recommendations designed to help business schools equip students with the skills needed to succeed in our AI-driven future T he world of work has been transformed by AI tools in just a few years. Estimates suggest that ChatGPT alone had 800 million weekly active users towards the end of last year, while 99 per cent of Fortune 500 companies are now using AI in some form. The question now is how business schools can help graduates and aspiring leaders use these incredible tools to increase their potential, enhance creativity and unlock new possibilities. To offer some guidance, a recent CEMS report explored ‘next-level’ leadership competencies and what it truly means for current and future leaders to be digitally skilled in a world reshaped by AI.
28 Business Impact • ISSUE 2 • 2026
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