IWD 2025: Balancing AI leadership: Growth & soul in the hands of women
As AI continues to transform industries and societies, leadership in its development must strike a careful balance between technological growth and ethical responsibility. On one hand, AI must scale, drive efficiency, and maximize innovation. On the other, it must remain human-centric, aligned with ethical values, and considerate of its impact on people's lives.
Women in AI are uniquely positioned to lead this balance, bringing both strategic vision and a deep commitment to human well-being. Their leadership style integrates "leadership with soul", as Siew Ting Foo, Transformational Growth Leader, ex HP, Diageo, Unilever, Mars and the author of "Building Brands with Soul" characterized. By doing so, they ensure that AI remains both a force for progress and a tool for societal good.
The Role of Women in AI Leadership
Leadership with soul in AI means considering the human impact of every innovation. It means asking: How does this technology improve lives? How does it affect work, well-being, and access?
Audrey Teoh, the Cybersecurity & Digital Risk Leader, highlights how different it is to lead with growth focused on scaling innovation, driving efficiency, and maximizing potential.
She said "Women often bring a unique balance between the two, applying a softer, more intuitive touch to AI development. This includes leveraging AI for practical, everyday causes that enhance lives—ensuring that advancements lead to upskilling and redeployment rather than outright job replacement."
Gen Lehn, a Smart Tech Researcher PhD (C-level Executive, ex-Dior, ex-Coach, ex-Inditex) agrees "AI is advancing rapidly, but its true potential comes from how we shape it and why we shape it. Women in AI are playing a critical role in balancing leadership with both growth and purpose, driving meaningful change in both business and society".
Studies have shown that high social media use in teenagers has resulted in 66% increase in mental health issues. Sushmita Mohapatra, an eB2B - Digital Transformation Consultant from Reckitt points out "While AI could reach out today to the under-represented in a far easier way, it can also impact the most vulnerable in divisive and dangerous manners. Women in tech bring with them the unique capability of understanding vulnerability and can efficiently build the soul of companies, so that history does not repeat itself".
It is easy to see that beyond the workplace, women leaders also play a crucial role in integrating AI into daily life in ways that support work-life balance. Whether through AI-powered tools that improve productivity without burnout, or innovations that enhance caregiving, well-being, and accessibility, their approach ensures that growth does not come at the expense of human connection. By integrating both leadership with soul and leadership with growth, AI can drive sustainable progress while remaining deeply connected to human values and the realities of modern life.
AI for Practical, Everyday Impact
Sheila Berman, the Global Data Product Excellence, BSP at Brenntag points out an obvious way for women to start contributing to the everyday of AI "AI relies heavily on available data to learn, it is imperative that women contribute literature, graphics, and other media. Doing so creates a richer database and would yield a better outcome."
She gave a shocking example, with 60%-70% of published research to be male authored. Studies on women would be definitely beneficial in medical technology in imaging given that women are 40% -49% of the global population. Imagine if there were more female authored studies on women's physiology. That would provide better diagnostics for nearly half of the population, and could provide new medication that are suited for women.
For Siew Ting Foo, the author of "Building Brands with Soul", Women in AI leadership are shaping technology to improve work-life balance and enhance accessibility. This includes:
AI-powered productivity tools: Helping individuals work smarter, not harder, reducing burnout.
AI in caregiving and healthcare: Making medical diagnostics more accurate and accessible.
Ethical AI frameworks: Ensuring AI remains unbiased and inclusive in its applications.
These contributions demonstrate that AI's potential should not come at the cost of human connection. Instead, it should empower people - enhancing, not replacing, their capabilities.
Sustainable AI leadership demands both innovation and human-centered values. Women leaders are proving that business success and ethical AI development are not mutually exclusive. By integrating leadership with soul and leadership with growth, they ensure AI drives meaningful progress while staying deeply connected to human realities.
