Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Leaders

You would be hard-pressed not to have heard how AI is evolving at such a fast rate. Tools like ChatGBT and Google Bard weren’t even a thing before 2023. With any innovation, there is both excitement and fear. While there is room for caution, leaders can tap into the power of AI. As I shared in Digital Leadership, evolving technology enables and empowers leaders to seize the moment and look for ways to fundamentally improve teaching, learning, and leadership.

Peer-reviewed research

Educators want a compelling why that imparts value when it comes to change. Look no further than using AI to conduct queries on any aspect of educational practice, such as grading, pedagogy, professional learning communities, virtual learning, or the use of technology. Be sure to specify that you are looking for peer-reviewed research that supports the practice you are trying to implement or change.

Observation comment library

Writing up observations can be a tedious process. To ease the burden as a principal, I would spend my summers developing a document containing concise commentary on virtually every strategy addressed in our observation and evaluation tool. I would then reference this when it was time to write everything up before the post-conference. AI can be used to create short narratives on any practice that you are evaluating your staff on, many of which are showcased in Disruptive Thinking in Our Classrooms. For example, you can ask why cooperative learning is a sound strategy and how to implement it correctly. 

Streamline communication

Artificial intelligence (AI) can streamline communication and collaboration among leaders and their respective staff. For example, you can use it to:

• Schedule meetings: AI can automatically suggest meeting times that work for building or district teams, all staff, departments, or PLCs. This saves time and hassle and helps ensure everyone is on the same page.
• Assign tasks: AI can automatically assign tasks within your leadership team based on their skills and availability. This helps ensure that tasks are completed on time and that everyone is contributing to the task(s) at hand.
• Provide updates on change efforts: AI can automatically generate progress reports related to strategic planning, implementation of initiatives, professional learning, and facilities updates. This can help all leaders stay on top of their work and identify potential problems.

Tools like Bard and ChatGBT can be invaluable as part of your leadership toolbox. They can help save time, reduce errors, and ensure everyone is working towards the same goals. AI-powered chatbots can be used to answer questions, provide information, and resolve problems. This can free up people to focus on more complex tasks. Project-management tools with embedded AI can help to track progress, manage tasks, and collaborate on documents. This can help to improve efficiency and coordination. Finally, AI can provide a boost to analytics that can be used to track communication patterns, identify areas for improvement, and make recommendations.

Personalized feedback

AI can generate human-like responses tailored to individuals' specific needs and preferences. This can lead to increased engagement and satisfaction among your leadership team and staff, leading to increased productivity and efficiency. Here are some ways it can personalize the feedback process.

• Provide tailored responses: AI can analyze someone’s work and provide feedback tailored to their strengths and weaknesses. This can help people improve their performance and to feel more supported.
• Suggest resources: AI can suggest resources relevant to someone’s interests or needs. This can help team members learn new skills, stay current on education trends, and find solutions to problems.
• Resolve issues: AI can be used to resolve issues between staff members. This can improve communication and collaboration and create a more positive work environment.

By providing personalized feedback, suggesting resources, and resolving issues, AI can help educators feel more supported and valued. This can lead to increased productivity and efficiency, benefiting the entire organization.

While AI has potential pitfalls, leaders can harness its power to become more effective and efficient. It can improve communication, lead to a reduced sense of stress by taking routine tasks off your plate, and help to build trust with staff. With AI as a leadership tool, time will be freed up so you can be more human.