Paper Number
ECIS2026-1190
Paper Type
CRP
Abstract
As artificial intelligence and work automation increasingly shape traditional organizations, questions arise about how leadership functions can be meaningfully supported by AI-enabled systems. This paper presents the design and evaluation of an LLM-based leadership agent that automates the leadership function of target agreement in an office-based knowledge work context with dependent employment relationships. Building on empirically investigated design requirements, we developed a prototype that embodies key features of automated leadership, including different leadership styles based on the situational leadership approach and the use of avatars. The prototype was evaluated through a qualitative think-aloud study, providing insights into user perceptions, challenges, and improvements of automated leadership. Based on the evaluation, we derive three design principles (Interaction Modalities, Social Identity Formulation and Visual Representation) that inform the future development of AI-based leadership agents.
Recommended Citation
Jünke, Annabel; Wessels, Malte; and Möller, Frederik, "“Hello! I’m Your Automated Leader”: Designing AI-Enabled Leadership Agents" (2026). ECIS 2026 Proceedings. 1.
https://aisel.aisnet.org/ecis2026/algo_fow/algo_fow/1
“Hello! I’m Your Automated Leader”: Designing AI-Enabled Leadership Agents
As artificial intelligence and work automation increasingly shape traditional organizations, questions arise about how leadership functions can be meaningfully supported by AI-enabled systems. This paper presents the design and evaluation of an LLM-based leadership agent that automates the leadership function of target agreement in an office-based knowledge work context with dependent employment relationships. Building on empirically investigated design requirements, we developed a prototype that embodies key features of automated leadership, including different leadership styles based on the situational leadership approach and the use of avatars. The prototype was evaluated through a qualitative think-aloud study, providing insights into user perceptions, challenges, and improvements of automated leadership. Based on the evaluation, we derive three design principles (Interaction Modalities, Social Identity Formulation and Visual Representation) that inform the future development of AI-based leadership agents.
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