Abstract
Leadership practice within commercial organisations is rapidly evolving to keep pace with advances in artificial intelligence (AI) technology and shifting workplace dynamics. There are currently five distinct generations in the workforce including, Traditionalists, Baby Boomers, Generation X, Y, and Z, four of which occupy leadership positions. Leadership roles and responsibilities vary across a range of changing business models and operational environments, most of which are supported by advanced digital technologies often embedded with or enabled by AI. Each generation operates within a discrete sphere of professional leadership experience, management aptitude, and disposition towards technology. As AI continues to advance and overtake many human skills, it is anticipated that leadership roles will continue to evolve, thus requiring new knowledge and competence to stay relevant. We contend that optimal leadership will combine aspects of traditional leadership practice, such as creative and critical thinking with emerging imperatives such as AI literacy and digital intelligent system and process curation. This development paper explores this phenomenon and outlines a detailed research plan. The research will be conducted across five stages, utilising a mixed-method approach to investigating the evolution of leadership in AI-enabled organisations. A series of qualitative and quantitative studies will be employed to address articulated research questions. This research will contribute to emerging literature on leadership in the age of AI and provide practical guidance to executive teams and organisations invested in leadership development.