14-07-2025
How to lead in the new world of work
We're in an era of hyperinnovation, full of rapid technological advancements in artificial intelligence and beyond. This environment is creating a new world of work, one that offers both opportunities and challenges. What are business leaders to do in such exciting, volatile times? That was the focus of Fast Company's recent New World of Work Summit in partnership with HP, which included a panel discussion on how to lead in this new era, featuring experts from different fields. Here are three takeaways from their conversation. (Some comments have been edited for length and clarity; scroll to the bottom to watch the entire panel discussion.)
1. Two factors are shaping this new world: hybrid work and AI.
Hybrid work is here to stay, despite return-to-office mandates over the past few years, said Dave Shull, president, HP Solutions. He cited research from digital collaboration firm Vyopta showing that the number of virtual meetings has not declined, even as in-person meetings more than doubled as people returned to the office. 'We thought hybrid was going to go away, and it hasn't,' Shull said. 'That's a reality and a real challenge that I think we as companies need to address.'
Meanwhile, AI is also changing the face of work in multiple ways. For one, it can help people work cross-functionally and better understand other roles within the business, said Tobias Chen, CEO of Volumetric Camera Systems, which creates immersive video content for film, TV, and other media. He provided an example from the visual effects industry, in which technical backend workers historically had very separate tasks from artists—yet both sides are needed to make projects come to life.
'Now with AI tools, if you're in a technical role, you can use AI to pre-visualize what those creative graphics could look like,' Chen said. 'And those in a creative role can use AI to do those technical steps for you. That cross-pollination helps the whole organization better understand what everyone's doing.'
AI also enables team members to experiment and iterate with concepts before deciding on the best solution. This iterative process allowed Volumetrics to create a project for The Sphere, an immersive entertainment arena in Las Vegas, in just one month—a deadline that, Chen said, would have been 'impossible' otherwise. 'Through AI, we're able to create a lot of concepts and different ideas, then test them out really quickly and iteratively before locking in something and going through the final process.'
'It's the intersection of those two points—hybrid work and AI—that defines the new world of work,' Shull added. 'And the challenge for all of us is to figure out how to solve for our employees.'
2. Tools must foster connection to fuel productivity.
The panelists discussed the tension between engagement and productivity, with some noting that too many tools with too little guidance can undercut the employee experience. If employees do not feel engaged, their productivity will plummet.
Shull noted that technology is now so baked into the employee experience, that the IT function is as critical as the HR function. 'IT working hand-in-hand with HR will allow companies to work through AI and hybrid in a very different way,' he said. 'IT is key to the employee experience: Are we taking care of that employee experience as the primary metric? And how are we making sure our employees are as impactful as possible, whether they're at home or in the office?'
As a result, the chief information officer and chief people officer roles are converging, Shull said. He recommended close collaboration between these two leaders and functions, including joint projects like an 'early warning system' that flags the beginnings of waning employee engagement.
'There's going to have to be a reinvention of IT,' Shull said. 'It's being charged in a strategic way like never before: 'Take AI and transform the company.' It is now a driving force for growth.'
3. Leaders must trust team members to choose the best way to execute their tasks.
Brian Elliott, the CEO at Work Forward, an advisory group dedicated to helping leaders build better ways of working through data, said the rapid pace of change and emergence of new tools is causing many executives to fall back on 'command and control.' Rather than putting more policies in place in order to figure things out, he said they should be asking, 'How do I align people around purpose, because that's what's going to [engage] them.'
Elliott's advice is twofold. First, leaders must get their own hands on AI and other new tools if they expect their team members to adopt them. Too often, he pointed out, this isn't the case. When employees see that their leaders are learning and adapting alongside the rest of the team, it inherently builds trust.
Second, Elliott recommends that leaders ensure they remain focused on business outcomes. Rather than dictate use of a certain tool or process, present it as one tool of an entire arsenal that team members can use to achieve that outcome. Trusting them to execute will engender trust in you as a leader.
'Give them a little bit of latitude instead of command and control,' he said. 'Say, 'Look, these are the big audacious goals we've got, but I want you to figure out how we're going to get there. That's why I've hired you.' '
Watch the full panel:
