AI is moving fast. Really fast. And while it is great at taking routine work off everyone’s plates, it is also quietly removing the everyday practice reps employees used to rely on to build judgment, spot patterns, and learn how leaders think. In other words, AI may be clearing the inbox, but it is also stealing a few training wheels on the way out.
That is a big deal. Those small moments reviewing messy data, catching weak logic, reading the room before a stakeholder meeting were how people developed practical wisdom. If companies automate those moments without replacing the learning, the leadership pipeline can start looking less like a pipeline and more like a garden hose with a dramatic bend in it.
The answer is not another generic training module that everyone opens, skims, and immediately forgets. The answer is coaching and mentoring but not the vague “grab coffee sometime” version. Companies need coaching that is structured, intentional, and built for the AI era.
Start by getting clear about the skills leaders need now: critical thinking, sound judgment, pattern recognition, stakeholder management, prioritization, and the ability to stay calm when ambiguity shows up wearing tap shoes. Then design mentoring relationships around those skills, with clear goals, regular check-ins, and simple expectations for what progress should look like after 30, 60, and 90 days.
Coaches and mentors also need support and incentives. Being tenure or title does not automatically make someone a great coach just as owning sneakers does not make someone a marathoner. Give leaders tools for asking better questions, sharing feedback, and teaching judgment instead of simply fixing the work. Then recognize and reward the mentors who actually help people grow.
The Big Coaching Reset
The best mentoring and coaching programs match people to the skills they need to build, not just to whoever happens to be nearby on the org chart. If someone needs help navigating stakeholders, pair them with a leader who does that beautifully. If someone struggles with prioritization, connect them with a mentor who can make tough trade-offs without breaking into spreadsheet-induced hives.
Most importantly, mentors and coaches need to make invisible thinking visible. Earlier career employees used to absorb judgment by watching experienced leaders wrestle with messy decisions. AI has reduced some of those chances. So, leaders should narrate their thinking: why they chose one strategy, how they read incomplete data, what risks they weighed, and what they noticed in the room.
This does not have to be complicated. A 20-minute debrief after a meeting, a quick walkthrough of why a recommendation needs repositioning, or a short conversation about trade-offs can teach more than a formal workshop. The trick is making learning part of the work, not a special occasion requiring confetti and three calendar holds.
AI is not slowing down. Employees will keep moving into more complex work faster, and the real question is whether they will be ready. As Alison Levin, President of NBC Universal, Advertising & Partnerships, put it: “The best AI strategy in the world won’t matter if we stop producing people who can actually lead this industry forward.”
Companies that pair AI efficiency with great mentoring and coaching will build stronger leaders faster. Companies that do not may end up with fragmentation, chaos, and missed opportunity — which is not exactly the leadership trilogy anyone wants to green-light.
The good news? This is a choice. AI can shrink the learning curve, but mentoring and coaching can make sure it does not shrink the leaders. Time to reset mentoring and coaching before the robots finish organizing the calendar.
Check out these related posts:
Defining a Coaching Cadence is a Force Multiplier that Will Supercharge Performance
Coach in Real Time—The Playful Power-Up Edition
Pro Tips for Conducting Great One-on-One Meetings
Peter Mclees, Leadership Coach, Trainer and Performance Consultant
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