It was already hard to think clearly at the top.
Now the pace has increased again.
This week, I found myself in Bucharest in Romania; my 69th country.
A city that feels like a collision of influences. Part Istanbul, part Havana, part Moscow, part Lisbon. Layered with history, but moving at pace.
Romania’s shift from the fall of Nicolae Ceaușescu in 1989 to joining the European Union in 2007 is well documented. What struck me wasn’t the history ;it was the present.
The energy.
At 3am, the city was still alive. Moving. Operating. Deciding. It felt no slower than London or New York.
And yet, in the conversations I had with a senior leader there, something stood out.
AI wasn’t dominating the agenda in the way I’m seeing elsewhere.
But the pressure was still there.
A short reflection on this topic is captured in the video below, exploring why AI isn’t the disruption, but the pressure it creates is.
Because the real shift isn’t AI.
It’s what happens to thinking when pace increases.
The Pressure Was Already Building
Long before AI became unavoidable, leadership was already under strain.
Not through a lack of intelligence or capability, but through a gradual erosion of space… the space required to think clearly, challenge assumptions, and make considered decisions.
The patterns are familiar:
- The higher you rise, the fewer people can challenge you
- The more responsibility you carry, the less control you actually have
- The faster the environment moves, the harder it becomes to step back and think
This is the clarity gap, which is explored in more depth through the link.
And it exists whether AI is present or not.
When Pace Increases, Thinking Changes
What I’m seeing now across the leaders I work with, such as doctors, lawyers, CEOs, founders; is not fear of AI itself.
It’s the impact of accelerated expectation.
Doctors are dealing with patients who arrive informed, questioning, and equipped with AI-generated perspectives.
Lawyers are navigating tools that can enhance their work, but introduce questions around trust and judgement.
CEOs are facing harder decisions than before:
- Do we restructure teams that have existed for years?
- Do we reduce headcount where automation is now viable?
- Do we move faster than feels comfortable, or risk falling behind?
This connects closely with a broader theme I’ve written about previously around decision quality
Because this isn’t about information.
It’s about judgement under pressure.
AI Doesn’t Improve Thinking… It Exposes It
There’s an assumption that better tools lead to better decisions.
But in practice, what I see is different.
When pressure increases, whether through AI or simply pace, thinking doesn’t automatically improve.
It reveals itself.
Leaders don’t suddenly become more strategic. They often become more reactive, more cautious, and at times more inclined to delay difficult decisions.
From the outside, they still appear decisive.
But the quality of thinking underneath has changed.
This is where the risk becomes harder to spot, and more damaging over time.
The Part Few Leaders Acknowledge
This isn’t just about capability.
It’s about identity.
Because when the environment shifts, it challenges:
- expertise
- experience
- authority
And not everyone adapts easily.
Some lean in.
Others become defensive… often subtly.
This links directly to another pattern seen at senior levels:
The Quiet Risk of Unchallenged Leadership
Because when challenge reduces, thinking narrows.
And when thinking narrows under pressure, mistakes compound.
My Own Perspective
When I began using AI more deliberately, the impact was immediate.
It saved time; significantly.
But more importantly, it expanded how I think.
Used well, it introduces challenge, perspective, and alternative ways of seeing problems.
But it does not replace judgement.
It does not read a room.
It does not sense hesitation.
It does not know when to push, and when to pause.
And in leadership, those moments matter most.
Where Leaders Get Caught
The risk isn’t AI.
The risk is assuming that access to better information improves thinking.
It doesn’t.
Without space to process, more input often leads to:
- more noise
- faster decisions
- reduced depth
Over time, this creates drift.
Not a dramatic failure.
But a slow erosion of clarity.
Why This Matters Now
Whether in Bucharest, London, or across the organisations I work with, the pattern is consistent.
The environment is moving faster.
Expectations are higher.
And the margin for poor thinking is shrinking.
AI is not the cause.
It is the accelerator.
The Role of Coaching in This Shift
This is where my work has evolved.
Less about performance.
More about thinking quality under pressure.
Because what most leaders lack isn’t intelligence.
It’s space.
Space to:
- step back
- challenge assumptions
- think clearly
- make decisions without urgency driving them
That’s the difference.
Not who moves fastest.
But who thinks best when it matters most.
Closing Thought
AI won’t replace leaders.
But it will expose how they think when:
- pace increases
- noise intensifies
- pressure compounds
The question isn’t whether AI changes leadership.
It already has.
The question is:
What happens to your thinking when the pressure increases again?
References
McKinsey & Company (2023). The economic potential of generative AI: The next productivity frontier.
Harvard Business Review (2023). Cognitive load and decision-making under pressure.
Financial Times (2023). Leadership under pressure in modern organisations.
The Economist (2024). AI, productivity, and the future of work.
European Union (2007). Romania joins the European Union.
I’m Laurence Loxam – I’ve pushed limits in business, on mountains, and at the finish line.
Now I help elite professionals do the same, pushing past the point most people stop.
I coach CEOs, doctors, lawyers, and founders who’ve hit success, but still feel there’s more.
Together, we unlock clarity, sharpen confidence, and lead with conviction.
loxamconsultingltd.org
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