As AI takes over technical tasks, Satya Nadella reveals what will define effective leadership

Microsoft chief executive Satya Nadella has stressed that emotional intelligence is becoming indispensable in the modern workplace as artificial intelligence assumes an ever-greater share of technical tasks. Speaking on the MD Meets podcast with Axel Springer chief Mathias Döpfner, in an episode aired on 29 November, Nadella said leaders can no longer rely solely on intellectual capability to succeed and stated that while intelligence quotient has its place, it cannot carry an organisation without the balance of emotional and social awareness. He argued that leaders who possess IQ without EQ risk wasting their potential and added that social intelligence is emerging as a key skill as AI takes on more of the routine cognitive load.

Nadella has long maintained that empathy should be viewed as a central business competency rather than a peripheral soft skill. When asked whether this emphasis on empathy played a role in Microsoft’s decision to begin enforcing return-to-office requirements early next year, he said the shift reflects a wider recognition that human interaction and collaboration are even more vital in an era shaped by AI, describing the office environment as the strongest tool for collective problem-solving and teamwork.