Daimler Truck Board Member Jürgen Hartwig: How Leaders Must Adapt

AI can deliver answers in seconds. But the decisions that matter most still require something technology can’t provide: human judgment. **Jürgen Hartwig, Board Member for Human Resources at Daimler Truck**, leads the people agenda for around 100,000 employees worldwide. In this conversation, he shares what leadership looks like when technology is moving faster than organizations and certainty is becoming harder to find. Key insights from the episode: - **Technology moves faster than culture.** AI can change overnight. Organizational habits and mindsets can take years. - **Judgment can’t be delegated to AI.** AI delivers information fast, but leaders still have to decide what to do with it and own the outcome. - **Leaders have to keep learning.** Jürgen learns more now than a decade ago and even has a technology mentor in his mid twenties. - **Waiting for certainty is a risk.** Leaders must make decisions without all the answers and be ready to change course. - **Critical thinking matters more than ever.** As AI takes on repetitive work, curiosity, creativity, and independent thinking become more valuable. Watch the full conversation to discover what leadership requires when AI moves faster than certainty. **Timestamps**: 00:00 Introduction 01:00 How Leadership Has Changed 02:38 Technology Outpaces Company Culture 07:07 Leading Through Uncertainty 09:59 Learning and Psychological Safety 12:13 What AI Cannot Replace 14:52 The Risk of Delegating Judgment to AI 17:09 Skills for the Future of Work 20:05 Rethinking Business With AI 22:15 The Leader of the Future 25:15 Lessons From Other Leaders 27:05 What Makes People Successful 29:19 Career Advice for Young People 30:47 Reasons for Optimism **Connect with Jürgen Hartwig:** linkedin.com/in/jürgen-hartwig-33aa892a What’s Next is a podcast exploring how technology, innovation, and global systems are shaping the future. Hosted by Philip Meissner, each episode features conversations with global leaders, builders, and thinkers working at the forefront of change. **🔗 Connect with Philip Meissner:** https://www.philipmeissner.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/pmeissner/ **🎧 Listen on:** **Spotify:** https://open.spotify.com/show/1KFVD3ozuUQiQozO381J5C?si=e2eb5967f84648e8 **Apple Podcasts:** https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/whats-next-with-philip-meissner/id1793306908 **"What’s Next with Philip Meissner"** A journey through our future life and work, and the place to discover your next favorite strategy and innovation. With global perspectives and fresh thinking, brought to you by some of the most exciting thinkers, builders, and leaders across the globe. Philip Meissner hosts fantastic guests and speakers, who share their journeys and knowledge in the most authentic and deep-dive style – to guide you through our world of tomorrow. From economy to science, from tech policy to AI in a fast-changing world. Subscribe right now wherever you get your podcast! Subscribe for more conversations on AI, emerging technologies, and global leadership. #AILeadership #Leadership #ArtificialIntelligence #FutureOfLeadership #LeadershipDevelopment #DigitalTransformation #DaimlerTruck #JürgenHartwig #HumanJudgment #DecisionMaking #FutureOfWork #OrganizationalCulture #CriticalThinking #LeadingThroughChange #ContinuousLearning * * * Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.