Portugal's Business Transformation

I’m not very sure if people understand the acceleration of the digitalization of the Portuguese business reality over the past five years. A few years ago, at a business conference, most of the corporate user cases’ examples revolved around savings from not printing on paper anymore (yes, I know…) - there were a few more powerful examples but mostly in specific industries (e.g. finance). Nowadays, you see some companies deploying predictive and gen AI tools at scale to automate customer flows, forecast industrial downtimes, prototype innovation and understand dynamic pricing effects. As this trend accelerates and expands, legacy structures and processes (and yes, talent) are stretching under increasing pressure - highlighting the need for adaptation to thrive in a world of new opportunities.

The rise and rise of digital coworkers and what it means for leadership

The concept of the “digital coworker” is rapidly gaining traction as artificial intelligence and automation technologies become embedded in the daily fabric of business. A digital coworker is an AI-powered system, bot, or virtual agent designed to work alongside humans, handling tasks that range from customer service and data analysis to workflow management and creative support (and remember a key word here is “alongside”). Unlike traditional automation, digital coworkers are adaptive, capable of learning from their environment and interactions, and can collaborate seamlessly with human teams. Their rise is driven by the accelerating pace of digital transformation, the need for greater efficiency and agility, and the growing complexity of business operations. As organizations face mounting pressure to innovate, reduce costs, and respond to shifting market demands, digital coworkers provide a scalable solution - freeing up human talent to focus on higher-value, strategic, and creative work.

 

The Rise of Digital Coworkers: Why Human Leadership Must Evolve

As digital coworkers become a staple of modern organizations (and adoption is on the rise and will keep on rising further), their impact is far more profound than simply boosting productivity. These intelligent systems are fundamentally changing how teams operate, how decisions are made, and what it means to lead.

Why Are Digital Coworkers on the Rise?

Several converging forces are fueling the adoption of digital coworkers:

• Technological Maturity: Advances in AI, machine learning, and cloud computing have made intelligent automation accessible and affordable for organizations of all sizes, especially with the sharp rise of gen AI over the last three years.
• Business Complexity: Companies operate in an environment marked by rapid change, global competition, and data overload (we are easily talking of dozens of millions of data points for a medium consumer business, as an example). Digital coworkers help manage this complexity by processing information at scale and providing actionable insights, in a flexible and adaptable way.
• Workforce Evolution: As routine tasks are automated, there is a growing demand for human skills such as creativity, empathy, and critical thinking. Digital coworkers handle repetitive work, allowing people to focus on what they do best.
• Consumer Expectations: Customers expect seamless, personalized experiences. Digital coworkers enable organizations to deliver 24/7 service, rapid response times, and tailored interactions. And even if they are still far from being perfect, they keep on learning and evolving constantly.

 

The New Demands on Leadership

The integration of digital coworkers into the workplace is redefining what effective leadership looks like. Traditional command-and-control models are giving way to a more adaptive, people-centric approach that recognizes the unique strengths of both humans and machines.

1.       From Efficiency to Empathy

While digital coworkers excel at processing data and executing tasks, they lack the emotional intelligence and nuanced understanding that humans bring – and these are dimensions that the human side of the teams will have to focus to unlock the true value of these mixed teams. But this also means leaders must now prioritize empathy, active listening, and team development - fostering environments where people feel valued and empowered to contribute their unique perspectives.

2.       From Control to Collaboration

The most successful organizations will be those that embrace a hybrid model, where digital coworkers and humans collaborate as partners. This requires leaders to cultivate psychological safety, encourage experimentation, and support continuous learning. The role of the leader shifts from directing work to orchestrating collaboration between diverse talents - both human and artificial – even more than today. Let’s also remember that decision-making, innovation and the bravery to pursue them will always be human dimensions – and in the end, it’s those that add the most value to any business.

3.       From Short-Term Gains to Ethical Stewardship

With the rise of digital coworkers comes a host of ethical considerations, from data privacy to the impact of automation on jobs. Leaders must act as ethical stewards, ensuring that technology is deployed responsibly and aligns with broader societal goals such as sustainability and inclusion. This means establishing clear guidelines for AI use, prioritizing transparency, and engaging stakeholders in open dialogue about the future of work.

 

Building the Leadership Playbook for an AI-Driven Future

To navigate this transformation, leaders must cultivate new competencies:

AI’s Strengths	Human Leadership Imperatives
Data analysis, automation	Strategic vision & ethical judgment
Process optimization	Emotional intelligence & mentorship
Scalability	Adaptability & resilience

• Hybrid Team Orchestration: Leaders must design workflows that leverage the strengths of both digital coworkers and human employees, ensuring that technology augments rather than replaces human creativity.
• Continuous Learning Culture: Investing in upskilling and reskilling is essential, enabling teams to adapt to new tools and ways of working. This collaboration is and will be new for all of us.
• Ethical Decision-Making: Establishing frameworks for responsible AI use, with a focus on transparency, fairness, and accountability.
• Adaptive Resilience: Embracing change and uncertainty, guiding teams through ambiguity, and maintaining a long-term vision.

 

Looking Ahead

The rise of digital coworkers is not a threat to human work, but an invitation to reimagine leadership for a new era. By aligning technology with empathy, ethics, and agility, leaders can unlock new sources of growth and innovation - creating organizations that are not just more efficient, but more human. And this should be the mantra to successfully play this major revolution.

 

#FutureOfWork #Leadership #AI #DigitalTransformation

Dystopia

 In big and small screens, books, conversations. We can see, watch, hear it, feel it everywhere.

“Dystopia used to be a fiction of resistance, it’s become a fiction of submission (…). It cannot imagine a better future, and it doesn’t ask anyone to bother to make one (…). It requires so little, asking only that you enjoy the company of people whose fear of the future aligns comfortably with your own.” – Jill Lepore.

But when we talk about the future and the massive challenges it entails, we should remember we can have fear but we shouldn't feel entitled to enjoy it – instead, we should embrace future and build a better one. Actively. Every day.

AI and Data

 Everyone’s asking: “Which Generative AI model should I use?” But here’s the real question-what’s the quality of your data?

We love talking about AI models, but the truth is: AI is only as good as the data you feed it. The output depends on the input-including the questions you ask.

If you want GenAI to deliver valuable, logical, and actionable insights, start by looking at your data:

• Is it well-organized and relevant?
• Do you know why you’re collecting it?
• Is it comprehensive and up-to-date?
• Are you structuring it for clarity and depth?

Take care of your data first. That’s the foundation. The AI model comes after.

Making Sustainability Reporting easier and simplier

 

Some people believe the EU is hitting “pause” on some of its most ambitious sustainability reporting rules, and the debate is heating up.

On April 16, the EU Council released a draft position to reduce and delay new sustainability reporting requirements for companies. The move follows the European Parliament’s recent approval to postpone the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) by up to two years for large companies and listed SMEs:

-            Large companies now have until 2028 to publish their first CSRD-aligned sustainability reports, while listed SMEs get an extra year.

-            The reporting scope is being narrowed, focusing on the biggest players and easing the burden on smaller firms.

-            Some disclosure obligations will only apply when companies make specific sustainability claims, raising concerns about “green hushing” and reduced transparency.

-            The CSDDD’s due diligence requirements are also being softened, with less responsibility for indirect business partners.

 

Now, this is a quite a moment for the European business landscape – and let me explain you why. If you look at most of the comments that are done regarding the EU (and Linkedin’s a good example), they tend to point out the heavy bureaucracy burden that is laid on companies – and all these burdens have costs, directly or indirectly that reduce our European ability to compete effectively in global markets.

The simplification that has just been announced has thus been very well welcomed – I understand when critics warn that delaying and diluting sustainability reporting risks undermining the EU’s Green Deal ambitions, but I personally don’t think it is the case. I think these changes, this simplification, make the legislation easier to adopt, be implemented and result in the desired outcomes. It lessens the bureaucratic unnecessary weight, adopting the measures to the realities of European companies – while clearly showing them the direction. This is still about sustainability and a better environment and future.

And as the regulatory landscape evolves, one thing is clear: transparency and accountability remain at the heart of sustainable business. Companies should use this time to strengthen their ESG strategies, not put them on hold.

So how is your organization preparing for these changes?