Cover Georg Chmiel, co-founder and chair of Chmiel Global Advisory (Photo: Chmiel Global Advisory)
Georg Chmiel, co-founder and chair of Chmiel Global Advisory (Photo: Chmiel Global Advisory)
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From the rise of generative intelligence to the collapse of traditional skill cycles, the next 10 years will demand a new kind of leader. Georg Chmiel shares the essential qualities that will separate those who merely respond to disruption from those who shape its future
Artificial intelligence is reshaping the world at a remarkable pace and, in doing so, is redefining what modern leadership must look like. For Georg Chmiel, co-founder of Malaysia-based Chmiel Global Advisory and a longstanding force in proptech, fintech and HR tech, the next decade will reward leaders who embrace a rare blend of agility, creativity and moral clarity. The leaders who thrive will not simply manage the rise of AI; they will elevate the human workforce that stands beside it.
Chmiel has witnessed several technological epochs throughout his career, from steering fast-growth companies like iProperty Group and iCarAsia to guiding organisations across Southeast Asia as a strategic advisor. Yet even with this perspective, he views the advent of generative AI as a profound inflection point. “What we are seeing is not just another technology cycle,” he says. “It represents a structural shift in how organisations operate.”
Above Chmiel believes the next decade will demand leaders with agility, creativity and moral clarity
Chmiel believes the next decade will demand leaders with agility, creativity and moral clarity
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The most valuable traits
At the top of his list is tech fluency. Although leaders will not need to code, he believes they must be able to “instruct AI and question AI outputs as confidently as we read financial statements.” When algorithms shape decisions, leaders must challenge outputs, interrogate assumptions and know when to intervene.
Just as vital is a strong ethical foundation. “Rapid innovation raises moral, social and environmental challenges,” he notes. “Leaders must set the tone. Weak and indecisive leaders will lose control.” For Chmiel, emotional intelligence and values remain essential because “when it comes to EQ and values, there are no shortcuts.”
Read more: From startups to decacorns: Georg Chmiel’s best management advice
Equally indispensable is resilience and adaptability. The volatility of the Covid era has provided stark lessons about how disruption can arrive overnight. “With AI, we will face new unknowns, and it is imperative that we stay calm and decisive.” Empowerment also takes centre stage. As he puts it, “Innovation cannot come from the top alone. Great leaders distribute authority, creating room for teams to experiment and move quickly.”
Above “Great leaders distribute authority, creating room for teams to experiment and move quickly,” says Chmiel
“Great leaders distribute authority, creating room for teams to experiment and move quickly,” says Chmiel
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Chmiel further highlights narrative leadership as the final indispensable trait. At a time when technology can confuse as much as clarify, Chmiel believes leaders should be a force of consistency. “A good leader must communicate clearly to everyone, from employees to investors and society, about where technology is taking the organisation and why.”
Looking ahead to what Chmiel describes as the “AI-Human Hybrid Era” over the next five years, he predicts organisations undergoing another rapid transformation: “I foresee the need for a Head of Artificial Resources sitting alongside the Head of Human Resources, managing the combined human-agentic work force.” This role will be responsible for onboarding and integrating AI entities into business life while “fiercely preserving the sanctity of human judgement.” As the half-life of knowledge shortens, leaders will need what he calls a “mindset of hyper-pivot,” continuously unlearning and relearning with humility. And because challenges surrounding climate, inequality and automation transcend borders, he believes leaders must adopt a mindset of “Global stewardship: thinking more like statesmen than just CEOs.”
Above Looking ahead, Chmiel predicts the rise of a Head of Artificial Resources to manage the hybrid workforce
Looking ahead, Chmiel predicts the rise of a Head of Artificial Resources to manage the hybrid workforce
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Driving innovation
Culture, Chmiel emphasises, will remain the crucible of innovation. “Innovation thrives in cultures that reward respectful challenge,” he says. Leaders should hire and promote people who think differently and create multiple feedback loops through meetings, digital platforms and live data.
Most critically, leaders should shape a culture that accepts human infallibility. “Talk openly about your own failures. When leaders show vulnerability, teams feel safe enough to question and explore.”
See also: From painful lessons to powerful insights: Georg Chmiel on the pitfalls leaders overlook
No matter how advanced technology becomes, some human skills are irreplaceable. “I believe two skills will remain timeless,” he says. “Firstly, emotional intelligence is foundational. The ability to build trust, motivate teams and create belonging cannot be automated. Secondly, critical thinking will become even more essential as AI-generated content proliferates. The capacity to interrogate assumptions, separate signals from noise and discern truth will be the ultimate human advantage.”
Above Chmiel warns that in an AI-driven era, “We must not lose control of the systems we create”
Chmiel warns that in an AI-driven era, “We must not lose control of the systems we create”
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Embracing balance
Balancing the promise of new technologies with the need for human-centred leadership is a principle Chmiel applies personally. “Technology must always serve a genuine human need,” he says. “When purpose drives adoption, innovation becomes meaningful.” Every decision must also pass a simple test of ethics and integrity. Leaders need only ask: “Are our people and customers meaningfully better off?”
The greatest mistake, Chmiel warns, is attempting to layer AI onto outdated systems. “Trying to ‘AI-ise’ existing processes often leads to complexity and cost. True transformation requires rethinking the business purpose, value proposition and processes from the ground up first with an AI lense.”
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Ethics remains the undercurrent to good leadership. “A common misconception is that technology automatically creates transparency and fairness. It does not,” he cautions. AI systems require supervision, strict guardrails and continuous alignment. Phenomena such as hallucinations, reward hacking and AI deliberately bending rules are well documented. As such, he believes one principle must guide leaders in the challenging era ahead: “We must not lose control of the systems we create.”
His final advice for the next generation of leaders is deliberately simple. “Pursue your passion with intent, but pair it with a deep curiosity for technology, business and ethics,” he says. “Build your ecosystem: mentors, coaches and peers who will challenge your thinking. And protect your capacity to dream boldly.” For Chmiel, the leaders of the next decade will be defined not by their ability to predict the future, but by their courage to build the human-machine partnerships required to achieve it.
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