Why Leaders Should Go Slower to Go Faster
Why Leaders Should Go Slower to Go Faster
Publish Date: 2026-03-09 16:42:00
Source Domain: www.psychologytoday.com
Artificial intelligence can summarize research, analyze data, generate ideas, and propose strategic decisions in seconds. It’s a true breakthrough.
But when it comes to leadership, it’s never been just about simple analysis to get to the right decision. It’s also about making sense of complexity combined with uncertainty, weighing trade-offs, understanding people and their motivations, and considering long-term consequences.
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This creates a paradox at the center of modern leadership: AI encourages speed, but great leadership often requires slowing down to reflect. And the leaders who succeed in today’s AI-frenzied world are likely to be those who know when, and how, to do both.
The Hidden Risk of AI-Driven Decisions
AI adoption is happening fast. According to a survey conducted by McKinsey last year, nearly 90 percent of the companies surveyed reported experimenting with AI.
AI is already being used support human reflection and personal insight. Many leaders are now using AI tools as thinking partners. Instead of asking AI only for answers, many leaders now use it to explore questions like:
- What assumptions might I be making in this situation?
- What perspectives might I be overlooking?
- What risks could emerge from this decision?
Applied this way, AI could help expand thinking.
But using AI doesn’t automatically make you a great leader. In fact, many of the leaders I’ve worked with are feeling a bit overwhelmed by how to fully implement and benefit from AI. If anything, AI has challenged their leadership versus made it better.
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Research shows that people often rely on mental shortcuts when making decisions, especially under pressure. Daniel Kahneman’s work on “System 1” and “System 2” thinking explains the difference. System 1 thinking is fast and…
