Let’s not tiptoe around it—AI isn’t coming. It’s already here. And it’s moving faster than most schools are ready for.
While some leaders are just waking up to the possibilities of generative AI, others are panicking about its potential to upend everything from lesson planning to student assessment. But as someone who’s worked in education for over three decades—as a teacher, principal, professor, and now global leadership speaker—I can tell you this:
The real question isn’t how AI will change education. It’s how educational leaders will lead through it.
Because in this age of automation, one truth will always hold: In a hyper-connected world, human connection is still the currency of leadership.
Don’t Let AI Replace What Makes Schools Work
AI can streamline systems, personalize instruction, and reduce busywork. It can analyze data faster than any administrator and draft parent emails in seconds. These tools have incredible potential—if they serve the right purpose.
But AI can’t read the look in a child’s eyes when they’re on the edge of giving up. It can’t walk into a teacher’s room after a rough day and say, “I’ve got your back.” It can’t build trust. And it certainly can’t create the kind of authentic, human-centered culture that allows both staff and students to thrive.
That’s where relational intelligence comes in.
Relational intelligence is the ability to connect deeply, communicate authentically, and lead through trust—not just tasks. And as AI grows more powerful, relational leadership becomes more essential.
The future of education doesn’t belong to the schools with the best technology. It belongs to the leaders who know how to blend innovation with empathy, automation with authenticity.
Technology can support the mission—but it can’t be the mission. Schools are not machines; they’re ecosystems of human growth, and every initiative must be filtered through that lens.
AI Without EQ Is a Recipe for Disconnection
We’ve seen this before.
We built testing systems that measured everything but potential. We created scripted curricula that strangled teacher creativity. We buried educators under compliance checklists, then blamed them for burnout.
Now, AI offers us another crossroad.
Used right, AI can give teachers more time to connect with students, not less. Used wrong, it becomes another system of surveillance and standardization.
This is where leadership matters most. If you lead with trust, AI becomes a tool. If you lead with fear, it becomes a threat.
“Relational intelligence is how we ensure AI enhances humanity—not erases it.”
We must ask: what are we optimizing for? Efficiency without empathy is dangerous. We’re not just preparing students to navigate the world—we’re shaping what kind of world they’ll help create.
Schools should be a place where technology supports connection, not undermines it. Where students and staff feel seen, not scanned. Where innovation is embraced—but never at the cost of belonging.
3 Principles for Leading in the Age of AI
1. Lead With People, Not Just Platforms
If your AI implementation plan starts with a product instead of a purpose, back up.
Start by asking:
- What problems are we really trying to solve?
- Who does this help?
- Will it lighten the load for teachers or add new layers of stress?
AI should simplify, not suffocate.
And before any rollout, ask your people. Involve educators in the decision-making. Co-design the process. That’s not a nice extra—it’s leadership.
If technology becomes another top-down mandate, it will create resentment. But if it’s introduced through collaboration, grounded in mission, it becomes a catalyst for real change.
2. Build Trust Capital Before Tech Capital
No technology will fix a broken culture.
If your staff doesn’t feel safe, heard, and supported, don’t expect them to embrace the latest tool with open arms. Innovation without inclusion leads to resistance.
Relational leaders:
- Listen before launching
- Provide meaningful, ongoing professional development
- Model vulnerability and growth
Too many leaders launch initiatives without understanding the emotional landscape of their schools. Trust isn’t built in staff meetings or surveys. It’s built in daily interactions. In how you respond to feedback. In whether you follow through.
When trust is high, teams are willing to stretch. When it’s low, even small changes feel like threats.
3. Prepare Students for a Human-Centered Future
We’re not preparing kids for the industrial age. We’re preparing them for a world where AI will be in every profession. But the most employable, empowered students won’t be the ones who act like machines.
They’ll be the ones who know how to:
- Think critically
- Solve problems ethically
- Build relationships
- Lead with empathy
These aren’t “soft skills”—they’re survival skills. In a world where AI can write a report, solve a math problem, or create a design, what sets people apart is their ability to connect, reflect, and lead.
The schools that will thrive aren’t the ones that teach students how to compete with AI—they’re the ones that teach students how to collaborate with humanity.
What AI Can’t Replace
AI can do a lot. But it can’t:
- Build a culture
- Earn trust
- Inspire belief
- Heal a hurting student
- Mentor a struggling teacher
- Navigate the nuance of conflict or compassion
It can’t shake a student’s hand. It can’t listen with empathy. It can’t build a community.
That’s leadership. That’s relational work. And that’s your edge.
If your influence stops with your title or your tech stack, you’re not leading. You’re managing.
The more automated education becomes, the more human leaders must be.
5 Action Steps for School Leaders
Let’s get practical. Here’s how to lead with relational intelligence in an AI world:
- Audit the Human Element
Ask yourself: Where am I prioritizing people over processes? Where am I not? Carve out consistent, protected time for informal connection. Your presence in a hallway conversation, a drop-in during planning, or a note of encouragement can ripple farther than a dozen memos. - Use AI to Free Up Connection Time
Don’t just automate to save time—automate to create space. Reinvest that space where it matters: coaching a new teacher, joining a class discussion, or having a real conversation with a student. If AI helps us reclaim time, let’s use it to deepen trust, not just cross off more to-dos. - Train for Tech and Trust
Professional development needs a mindset shift. This isn’t about mastering a tool; it’s about maintaining humanity. Pair AI tutorials with sessions on empathy, SEL, and trauma-informed teaching. Equip staff to use AI wisely—but remind them their greatest asset isn’t efficiency, it’s empathy. - Model Responsible Use
You are your school’s most visible example of how to balance innovation with intention. Don’t just use AI—talk openly about it. Share how it helps, where it falls short, and how you’re navigating that tension. Let your humility and curiosity set the tone. - Redefine Success
Begin to expand your data dashboard to include metrics like school climate, staff satisfaction, and student voice. Celebrate progress in relationships, resilience, and reflection. The future belongs to schools that measure connection—not just completion.
Bonus Step: Elevate Student Voice
Create opportunities for students to shape how AI is used in their classrooms. Invite them into conversations about ethics, identity, and innovation. They don’t just want to be heard—they want to be included. And they’ll remember the leaders who gave them that chance.
Final Thoughts: Lead the Shift, Don’t Just Survive It
AI is not a threat to great leadership. But it is a test.
It’s a test of your priorities. Your mindset. Your willingness to innovate without losing your humanity.
The best school leaders in the AI era won’t be the ones who automate the most. They’ll be the ones who connect the deepest.
They’ll use tech to empower, not replace. They’ll measure what matters. And they’ll remember that no matter how advanced our tools become, leadership will always be relational.
Because in the end, AI will change everything except what matters most: the power of human connection.
That’s not old school. That’s future-ready.
Dr. Brad Johnson is a globally recognized speaker, author of 15 books including Relational Intelligence: The Key to Exceptional School Leadership and Empowering Students. Ranked #3 on the Global Gurus list in Education, Dr. Johnson helps educators lead with purpose, connection, and impact in a rapidly changing world. Follow him on X, Instagram, and LinkedIn @DrBradJohnson.