AI and other technological disruptions, along with multiple erratic changes, are reshaping our lives. Specifically, AI is advancing faster than our ability to understand it. What once created stability now produces friction and uncertainty.
In this context, traditional leaders face a high risk of becoming irrelevant.
High-Impact Leadership, a philosophy and new leadership approach that I developed, offers a possible way forward. It helps leaders thrive and get back in the driver´s seat, anchored not in quantitative output but in broad and deep impact to create lasting value in an increasingly algorithmic, automated, and technology-driven world.
Its foundation is straightforward but radical: High-impact leaders create and magnify impact in three distinct, yet closely interrelated dimensions:
Professional dimension: They generate unique and sustainable value in a professional context, through their work, with their organizations, and for other businesses and organizations.
Personal dimension: They create high-quality results by growing themselves as leaders and individuals, and also assist others to learn, evolve, and thrive, building strong, authentic, and stimulating relationships and partnerships for the mutual benefit of all stakeholders.
Societal dimension: Most importantly, they work and live to generate value that broadly affects people, the community, and the planet to make the world a better place.
Thriving across these dimensions requires peculiar capabilities:
To be precise, it demands what I refer to as Superhuman Skills: deeply human capabilities machines or algorithms cannot (easily) replicate, such as empathy, resilience, intrinsic motivation, creativity, cognitive agility, courage, ethics, collaboration, and trust-building. These are not secondary traits. They are the building blocks of the future of leadership and humankind.
These Superhuman Skills are grounded in five core competencies every high-impact leader must build and constantly develop:
- Establishing Psychological Safety: Creating an environment where people feel safe to contribute fully, challenge ideas, and take risks without fear. This is where innovation begins.
- Developing a Growth Mindset: Seeing discomfort as fuel. Continuously learning, questioning, and adapting in a world that punishes stagnation.
- Establishing Ownership: Taking responsibility for impact, culture, and decisions. Acting proactively, especially when it’s inconvenient or unclear.
- Operating in Excellence: A persistent pursuit of higher standards. It means delivering value that matters with consistency and intention.
- Applying a Coaching Mindset: Empowering others to grow by thinking with them, not for them. Leading through curiosity, not control.
The five core competencies form a connected system. Together, they enable leaders to drive change, elevate others, and become future-ready.
Undoubtedly, we’re living in an extremely complex, completely unpredictable, and super fast-paced world. This holds true for all of us: being a leader, employee, founder, civil servant, or just a normal person. It is up to us whether risk or opportunity prevails.
High-Impact Leadership is a holistic and profound approach to make leaders and others future-ready, to be professionally successful and personally fulfilled. It requires constant learning, unlearning, and—most importantly—love for and trust in your innate capabilities and unlimited human potential. For a better, more human planet in a world soon dominated by technology.
If you want to find out more about how to become a high-impact leader, join me at my keynote at the coaching.com Summit on Wednesday, June 4 at 10:00 AM EST.
Wishing you all the best in generating high impact. For you, others, and beyond!
Best,