As a manager, I found myself drowning in the same cycle every week: after back-to-back meetings, I’d spend hours summarizing key points, drafting reports, and sifting through endless emails.
I felt constantly stuck in administrative tasks instead of focusing on growing the business and leading my team.
The demands were never-ending, and it quickly became clear that the more I tried to manage it all, the less time I had for the things that really mattered, like talking to my team (which was dreadful, too, to be frank).
I was so busy that I barely had time to step away from work. But was I really being productive? Did any of it move the metaphorical needle?
The sad truth is, it didn’t. It wasn’t just frustrating; it was exhausting. Late nights became the norm, and the big-picture thinking kept getting pushed aside.
Something had to change. So, I turned to AI.
At first, I wasn’t sure if it would help. But as I integrated AI tools, I saw a shift. My AI co-pilot(s) took over the routine tasks: meeting summaries, practicing conversations, reports, and performance analysis, freeing up 10-15 hours of my time per week. It wasn’t just automation; it adapted to my workflow and actually made me a better leader.
Then I shared it with other managers, and they all said the same thing: Why didn’t we do this sooner?
That’s when I realized this isn’t just a personal fix. It’s a playbook for every manager who wants to escape the admin trap and lead with impact.
What’s a co-pilot?
An AI co-pilot is fundamentally different from traditional tools. While conventional software executes specific commands, a co-pilot actively collaborates with you, anticipating needs, offering suggestions, and adapting to your management style. The difference between managers who thrive with AI and those who struggle often comes down to understanding what a true AI co-pilot relationship looks like.
Unlike traditional tools that simply execute commands. It’s the difference between having an assistant who waits for instructions versus a trusted partner who thinks ahead.
What makes an effective AI co-pilot in your management practice?
- It understands your specific business context
- It learns your preferences over time
- It handles data-heavy tasks while you focus on human elements
- It offers proactive suggestions without constant prompting
While all sectors are seeing particularly transformative impacts, certain aspects of a manager’s job are much more open to being taken over by AI than others. For instance, not every meeting needs you to take down what’s happening, and AI notetakers are all the rage and some of the most common uses we see in action.
But there’s more to the story. If I were to look into my AI co-pilots stack, here’s a handy list of what you will get:
- Fireflies AI for the aforementioned meetings
- ClickUp AI to get project summaries, help draft emails, and create task descriptions
- Grammarly AI: Improves email and document writing quality
- Risely AI for practicing difficult conversations before I head into meeting rooms
- ChatGPT for other functional tasks, Claude for creative ones
Let’s explore how it works in detail.
How does AI turn into a co-pilot for managers?
The most significant management evolution I’ve witnessed as a manager isn’t happening in boardrooms or MBA programs. It’s in the beautiful dance between human judgment and artificial intelligence. What begins as a basic productivity tool can transform into something far more powerful: a true co-pilot that fundamentally changes how you lead.
From Tool to Co-Pilot
I remember the moment AI became more than just a tool for me. Preparing for a meeting and drowning in market data, I asked ChatGPT to identify patterns I might have missed. What came back wasn’t just a summary. It was an insight that completely shifted our growth strategy.
Then, I took it a step further. Honestly, the insights were great. But presenting them meant calling out a colleague harshly and suggesting big changes. I was not sure how the team would take it. I was sure it was backfiring.
So I went to Merlin, an AI coach inside Risely, and asked to role-play as my team member. I configured it to match my team members’ behaviors and added the scenario we needed to play out. After a couple of conversations, I asked Merlin for suggestions to improve my approach. It was mind-blowing to see the coach in action!
In the end, I had great notes and impeccable points to discuss, both of which would have made it a success.
You’ll likely experience a similar journey, moving from simple task delegation to developing a genuine partnership in which your human judgment and AI’s analytical power contribute their unique strengths.
This shift from tool to co-pilot marks a fundamental change in managers’ operations. With AI taking on routine tasks, managers can focus on strategic decision-making, relationship-building, and innovation. But the impact goes beyond just freeing up time. It transforms how core management functions are executed.
Let’s discuss the areas where this collaboration has made the most significant difference.
Management Functions Most Transformed
AI is helping managers save time and focus on what matters most. Tasks like analyzing customer feedback and preparing communications are quicker, freeing time for coaching and building relationships. Plus, AI-driven scenario planning makes decisions more data-driven, not just based on gut feeling.
The following three areas are the most prominent changes I’ve seen.
- Data analysis has seen the most dramatic transformation. One manager I work with went from spending weekends making sense of customer feedback to having actionable insights delivered in minutes.
- Communication preparation has been reimagined, too, potentially freeing up nearly a third of your time for the human work that truly matters, coaching team members and building relationships.
- Scenario planning has perhaps evolved most impressively. Instead of relying on gut feeling or limited data points, you can test multiple approaches and see likely outcomes before making decisions.
New Skills You’ll Need to Develop
To get the most out of AI, you can’t just rely on the tools themselves; you have to invest time in learning how to use them effectively. The leaders who see real impact from AI treat it as an evolving skill set rather than just a set of software. They understand how their interaction with AI tools can make or break their effectiveness.
What skills do you need to master to get the most out of AI as a manager?
- Prompt Engineering: The quality of AI outputs directly reflects the clarity and specificity of your inputs. Leaders who master prompt engineering can get more accurate, relevant, and actionable insights from AI.
- Data Interpretation: While AI can analyze massive amounts of data, interpreting it in the context of your team’s needs is critical. This skill helps you make informed decisions based on AI’s analysis.
- Ethical Decision-Making: As AI begins influencing decisions, understanding the ethical implications and ensuring transparency will be crucial for maintaining trust within your team.
- Change Management: Implementing AI successfully means leading your team through change. Building skills in managing transitions and guiding your team through new workflows will ease the process and reduce resistance.
- Continuous Learning: AI is evolving rapidly. Staying on top of new developments and learning how they apply to your industry ensures you’re not left behind.
By investing time in these areas, you’ll be well on your way to making AI an indispensable tool for leadership.
You’ll also need to sharpen your ability to evaluate AI suggestions, especially for people’s decisions. There’s an art to knowing which recommendations to accept, modify, or override with human judgment.
AI Can Make You More Human, Not Less
One of the most surprising things I’ve discovered about using AI is how it’s actually helped me become more human, not less. For example, there was a time when AI suggested a very efficient way to allocate resources based purely on data. But when I looked at the solution, it didn’t feel right. It would have meant reducing support for my team during a critical period.
How are AI copilots changing the workplace and managers?
AI copilots are changing how you work, but finding the balance between AI efficiency and human leadership can be challenging. If you’re noticing dips in engagement or struggling with how to use AI effectively, you’re not alone.
You might find yourself leaning too much on AI, using it for everything from communication to decision-making, or avoiding it altogether. The most successful managers know how to draw the line. They use AI for tasks like meeting summaries and data analysis, but they trust their judgment when it comes to decision-making. Striking this balance is key to making AI work for you while maintaining the human touch that great leadership requires
What limitations weren’t anticipated?
AI can optimize tasks like scheduling with impressive precision, but it’s imperfect. Many managers have noticed that while AI helps with the logistical side, it misses the human elements, like emotional fatigue or interpersonal issues within the team. AI might not be able to read the room the way you can. Recognizing these blind spots helps you step in when AI can’t fully replace human insight. You are often restricted because organizations push for AI adoption more in technical areas than managerial ones.
What ethical concerns should you address?
As AI starts influencing decisions, there are growing questions about transparency. Should you tell your team when AI has played a role in a decision? Who owns the insights AI gathers from team conversations? These are important conversations to have early on. Setting clear ethical guidelines ensures that AI remains a helpful tool and doesn’t create unnecessary dilemmas or trust issues within your team.
How can you measure the true ROI of using an AI copilot?
A McKinsey study indicated that Portugal could boost its productivity to match the EU average by 2030 if approximately 30% of its workforce is retrained in generative AI. This highlights AI’s potential to transform productivity, but measuring its true value goes beyond just time savings.
For managers, the real ROI of using an AI copilot isn’t just about freeing up time and reducing the mental load. AI can help you automate routine tasks such as scheduling, data analysis, and performance tracking, allowing you to focus on more impactful leadership activities.
Track metrics like reduced decision-making time, improved team engagement, or faster response times to key business challenges to truly measure ROI. By focusing on both time savings and the quality of leadership decisions, you’ll get a clearer sense of how AI drives long-term value for you and your team.
Wrapping Up
The most successful leaders aren’t replacing their judgment with algorithms but mastering human-AI collaboration. This partnership allows managers to focus on relationship-building and strategic thinking while AI handles analytical tasks.
As you implement AI copilots in your practice:
- Identify which management responsibilities would benefit most from AI assistance
- Preserve the irreplaceable human elements that define great leadership
- Remember that technology is just one piece; thoughtful integration is key
- Focus on expanding possibilities rather than just efficiency gains
- Consider starting with one copilot opportunity to begin your journey
The goal isn’t to automate leadership but to elevate it.