The C-Suite Paradox: Why Change Management Is Obsolete [Davos Insights]

Hello friends,

Fresh from my Davos talk on "Leadership in the Wake of AI," I've reached a conclusion that's transforming how I coach executives: traditional change management is obsolete. Here's why.

From Discrete Events to Continuous Evolution

➡️ We've been thinking about change all wrong. We label changes as discrete events (perhaps to reduce our anxiety?), when in reality, we're experiencing continuous evolution.

As I shared in my recent ATD podcast, we're wired to welcome change when it's in our control and push back when it's not. Sound familiar? The paradox is clear: we keep treating change as a series of initiatives to "manage," when it's actually our permanent operating system.

The breakthrough comes when we stop treating change as something extraordinary and start seeing it as our natural state.This isn't semantics—it fundamentally shifts how we lead.

The Dissolution of Traditional Role Boundaries

➡️ Look at what's happening at Moderna—they've merged their HR and tech departments

This isn't just restructuring; it's recognition that the boundaries between people and technology are artificial constraints. With AI handling routine operations, our talent can focus on what humans do best: strategy, innovation, and connection.

Remember when Chief eCommerce Officers were essential? They've largely disappeared as online sales became mainstream. Chief AI Officers might follow the same path as AI becomes ubiquitous. The silos we've built to "manage" functions are dissolving before our eyes.

Leadership Now Requires Multidisciplinary Skills

➡️ The path to CEO now frequently runs through the COO role, demanding skill integration across traditionally separate domains.

Executives who thrive aren't specialists in change management—they're integrators who connect previously separate disciplines.

Let's address something important: the misleading distinction between "hard" and "soft" skills. Did you know this terminology originated in the U.S. military between 1968-1972? The military coined "soft skills" to contrast with "hard skills" that involved working with machinery. Ironically, in 1972, the U.S. Army's own Soft Skills Training Conference recommended "use of the terms 'soft skill' and 'hard skill' be deemphasized or discontinued" because the distinction created confusion and wasn't relevant to the jobs.

In the age of AI, we need a vocabulary reset. These aren't "soft" skills—they're essential, complex, and often the hardest to develop. Some organizations are rebranding them as "power skills" to reflect their true importance. Let's move beyond this outdated dichotomy. Today's leadership demands comfort with technology, data fluency, AND the sophisticated human capabilities that differentiate us from machines.

Your Turn

I'd love to hear: How are you moving beyond "managing change" to leading in continuous evolution? Reply to this email with your insights.

Here's to making paradox our ally,

Amii