How to lead tech teams in the age of AI (without becoming a hype victim)
By Daniel Castello – Head of Innovation and Projects
The new gold rush is Artificial Intelligence. And like every gold rush, there’s a lot of noise, little direction, and plenty of people tripping over their own feet.
According to a Microsoft study, 58% of companies have already noticed productivity gains with AI. But productivity without clarity can be a trap. What’s the point of moving faster if you’re heading in the wrong direction?
More and more tech leaders are being pressured to adopt AI as if it were a lucky charm. If you don’t use it, you’re behind. If you use it too much, you’re taking risks. This dilemma reveals a mindset that confuses hype with innovation. And many good professionals are making poor decisions out of fear of seeming outdated.
Leading in the age of AI requires much more than understanding technology. It requires strategic maturity. It requires knowing when to say no. Because true leadership is the one that protects focus, empowers the team, and prioritizes real value. The rest is just market noise.
At Verzel, we don’t fall for shiny buzzwords. We adopt AI where it makes practical sense: to increase efficiency, improve customer experience, and unlock new possibilities. Always guided by one central question: does this solve a real problem? If the answer is no, it doesn’t make the roadmap.
A few pillars that guide our leadership in AI projects:
Think before implementing: plugging AI into everything doesn’t work. Every solution must be designed considering context, data, and team maturity.
Train teams to make good decisions: AI is a tool. People still make the calls. And well-trained people think clearly, test responsibly, and know how to measure impact.
Prototype with your feet on the ground: gradual integration prevents trauma. Incremental adoption lets you adjust direction and learn along the way.
Adapt whenever necessary: there’s no such thing as a “final” AI solution. Monitoring, reviewing, and optimizing are part of the process.
Create a culture that thinks before acting: innovate, yes. But with responsibility, ethics, and a strong sense of reality.
We don’t lead tech teams to look innovative on LinkedIn. We lead to deliver results, develop great people, and build solutions that stand the test of time.
The leadership that will thrive in the AI era isn’t the one chasing every new trend. It’s the one that chooses with courage, executes with consistency, and builds teams that think.
Maybe it’s time to ask yourself: are your tech decisions driven by vision or by anxiety?
Source:
Microsoft AI Solutions in Business Processes: Outlook for 2025: Blog | AlfaPeople Brasil