Beyond Admin Work: How AI Is Redefining Management

Management is facing a structural identity crisis. The professionals who ascend to leadership roles typically do so because of their mastery of a specific craft, yet the transition to leadership often replaces that craft with a heavy layer of coordination. As AI begins to automate the administrative functions of leadership, the fundamental nature of the role is shifting.

The current state of management is often defined by the "post box" effect. Huw Slater, founder of readywhen, notes that managers frequently spend their time relaying queries between employees and other teams. This coordination layer expands to fill available time, squeezing out the more critical functions of the role: technical or commercial decision-making, coaching, and driving execution.

The impact of automation here is not marginal. Slater states that at least a third of the tasks a manager performs can be handled by AI. When a third of a job is automated, the entire job changes.

This shift presents a significant opportunity to reclaim the "work" that defines high-level leadership. The most effective VPs operate in three modes: maintaining proximity to the craft to make informed decisions, coaching talent, and ensuring execution. Currently, many leaders struggle to perform all three because the coordination layer consumes the majority of their week.

However, the transition requires a change in mindset. The coordination layer often acts as a "comfort blanket" for managers. Moving away from it requires letting go of the administrative oversight that feels like control but actually prevents high-value work.

The skills required for leadership—curiosity, communication, and building trust—remain constant, according to Leah Sutton, chief portfolio talent officer at Balderton Capital. What is changing is the capacity of managers to actually apply those skills.

The risk lies in how organizations implement this change. If the removal of the coordination layer is handled poorly, it could create environments where employees are more likely to burn out. The goal is not to eliminate management, but to strip away the administrative friction that prevents leaders from doing what they are uniquely good at.

As AI absorbs the task of tracking meeting commitments and assigning ownership, the question for leadership is no longer how to manage the process, but how to lead the people.