Welcome to the thirty-fifth article in the series “Be the Leader You Aspire to Be” here on The Price of Business Show, where I will focus on the trends which lie ahead of us and how they will affect humans and businesses. The articles are based on my book Energetic Leadership, which talks about 9 trends leaders must navigate to cater for employees increasing demand for more spiritual leadership and sustainable business models aligned with their life purposes. These articles are about business leadership in the new era. I hope you will find inspiration for your own leadership and the leader you aspire to be.
In this article I look at the decline in thinking people and the rise of thinking machines.
The age of artificial intelligence has arrived at astonishing speed. Machines that learn, analyze, and predict are now part of the daily operations of organizations worldwide. What once seemed like science fiction has become reality: algorithms can out-calculate experts, draft reports in seconds, and even generate creative options for complex problems.
And yet, as machines rise in their capacity to “think,” many leaders are noticing something troubling the decline of thinking people. New testing data showed that math and reading scores for US high school seniors reached their lowest level since 1992 according to Semafor 23/9-2025.
This decline does not mean humans have lost intelligence. Rather, it points to an erosion of how we think and lead. Overstimulation, relentless demands, and outdated habits of control and over-analysis have left many leaders fatigued, reactive, and dependent on technology to make decisions they once owned. The danger is not that machines will replace us, but that we might abandon our uniquely human capacities in the process.
This is the leadership challenge of our era: to reclaim balance in a world where thinking machines dominate, and to evolve into a form of leadership that machines can never replicate. This is where the concept of Energetic Leadership becomes critical.
Why Thinking Alone Is No Longer Enough
Traditional leadership has been built on analysis, rationality, and the drive to out-think complexity. In stable times, this approach worked. But in today’s volatile environment, fueled by exponential change, “thinking harder” is a recipe for burnout.
Leaders face conflicting data, ambiguous risks, and shifting expectations. AI only accelerates the complexity by multiplying the volume of information and the speed of change. Leaders who cling to purely cognitive approaches quickly reach a breaking point. They either outsource decisions to machines or double down on mental effort, draining themselves and their teams.
But thinking is only one dimension of leadership. The missing piece is energy the capacity to align intuition, presence, and future awareness with action.
Energetic Leadership is a framework that recognizes leadership as more than problem-solving. It is about sensing, aligning, and guiding the flow of energy within yourself, your team, and your organization. It rests on three dimensions:
Intuition as a Compass – Leaders must learn to trust subtle signals that arise from experience, emotion, and embodied awareness.
Energy Awareness – Every team interaction, project, or decision carries an energetic charge.
Future Sensing – Rather than predicting specific outcomes, Energetic Leadership involves attuning to emerging patterns and being ready to pivot with clarity.
The Rise of Thinking Machines as a Mirror
AI reveals the limits of human cognition. When machines outperform us in data processing, it becomes clear that doubling down on mental effort is no longer sustainable or even competitive. Instead, the rise of thinking machines reminds us of what is distinctly human: our ability to feel, to connect, to create meaning, and to sense energy.
Machines can calculate probabilities, but they cannot embody presence. They can optimize processes, but they cannot inspire. They can suggest options, but they cannot align a group of people around shared purpose and momentum. These are the domains of Energetic Leadership.
The New Leadership Edge
The decline of thinking people is not inevitable. It is a symptom of imbalance that can be corrected when leaders embrace the energetic dimension of their role. Energetic Leadership does not reject cognitive skill, it expands it. By integrating intuition, energy awareness, and future sensing, leaders reclaim their humanity and unlock capacities that machines cannot replicate.
The rise of thinking machines is real, and it is irreversible. But so too is the rise of a new kind of leadership one that is deeply human, energetically alive, and intuitively aligned with the future.
This is the edge leaders must claim. Energy becomes as important a resource as time or money.
Gitte Madelaire is an intuitive and visionary pioneer in leadership development. People, customers, business development, and futurism have always interested and motivated her. With a background in corporate business at companies such as Fona/HMW, Codan Insurance, Volvo Trucks and Ensure, she now inspires to new leadership through her book,” Energetic Leadership”, keynotes, facilitation and mentoring for leaders in her company Bronte ApS. Gitte holds a BSc in Business Administration from Copenhagen Business School and an MBA semester from the University of Victoria. She also has traditional leadership courses and certifications in intuitive and feminine future leadership, inner sustainability, and energy-based leadership. Gitte has lived in London, Sydney, and Kuala Lumpur and currently resides in Denmark.
Learn more at www.energeticleadership.eu.
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