People First, Even in an AI World

I am truly honoured to have joined the FLASS family in May and to serve as your new Dean. In my first message for the Faculty newsletter, I want to share a few thoughts on what I believe good leadership should look like. My hope is that, during my deanship, we can build a supportive and respectful environment where people feel heard, trusted to contribute, and encouraged to grow—because, for me, leadership is about people first and foremost.

Over time, I have come to see effective leadership as resting on three pillars: strategic vision, operational savviness, and people management. Leaving out any one of them weakens the whole, and the best outcomes happen only when all three work together. Strategic vision is about seeing the big picture and setting a clear direction. Operational savviness is the ability to translate that direction into action by understanding how the organisation works, attending carefully to detail, assigning the right tasks to the right people, setting appropriate priorities and timelines, and anticipating possible scenarios and their implications.

Strategic vision and operational savviness enable leaders to establish an effective framework for the organisation. But an organisation only works when its people are engaged. That is why, in many ways, people management should come first. To me, good people management means understanding the needs of colleagues, engaging with them, and treating them with respect. It also means making decisions transparently and communicating the reasons for them as clearly and honestly as possible.

One idea that has increasingly influenced my thinking is servant leadership: the belief that a leader’s role is to enable and support others to do their best work. In practice, this means assigning responsibilities thoughtfully, giving colleagues genuine autonomy, and being clear about when advice or further input may be needed. It also means remaining available to review difficult decisions and offer a second perspective, while allowing ownership to remain with those closest to the work. I believe this approach helps build trust, accountability, and shared responsibility within a team.

The development of new master’s programmes in three areas—Artificial Intelligence; Business Analytics and FinTech; and Electronic Engineering and Intelligent Systems—offers one example. I helped establish the overall direction, identify the work required, and assign responsibilities, while colleagues brought their expertise to the detailed development of the proposals. The process also reminded me that autonomy does not mean stepping away completely. Different tasks and circumstances require different levels of guidance and involvement, particularly when complex institutional requirements and firm deadlines must be met. A leader must therefore create opportunities for colleagues to take ownership and grow, while remaining ready to provide support, work through difficulties with them, and intervene more directly when necessary. For me, this balance between empowerment and accountability is an important part of servant leadership.

I believe that strong human connections are fundamental to working well together. Leadership depends on more than structures and processes. It also requires taking the time to know people, listen to their perspectives, and understand their priorities and concerns. I therefore hold regular one-to-one meetings with Heads of Department, as well as Associate and Assistant Deans. I also meet members of the University’s senior management to exchange views and develop a shared understanding of where we are heading. These conversations strengthen trust and mutual understanding, while also helping us clarify priorities, monitor progress, and align the Faculty’s work with the University’s broader direction.

Another area that matters deeply to me is recognition and engagement. I do not see leadership as a purely top-down process. I want FLASS to be an idea-driven Faculty where colleagues are brought together by a shared vision, encouraged to contribute their perspectives, and recognised for their achievements. When people feel that their ideas and contributions are valued, this strengthens their motivation to work together, take initiative, and give their best.

This people-first approach becomes especially important as AI transforms how we work and what organisations can achieve. AI can analyse information, recommend courses of action, and suggest how these might be translated into operational plans. But organisational success does not follow simply from an AI system producing sound recommendations. It depends on people who critically examine its outputs, contribute their own ideas and creativity, adapt proposals to the realities of the organisation, and work together to put them into practice. AI can support this process, but it is people—their judgement, imagination, and commitment—who set the direction and turn possibilities into results.

It has been four months since I joined FLASS, and I would like to sincerely thank my academic and administrative colleagues for their support as I have settled into the role of Dean. While I am still learning, my goal is clear: to create the conditions in which everyone can do their best work, whether through ambitious projects or in their everyday responsibilities. When colleagues are supported to succeed, we can realise our shared ambition for FLASS: to be a Faculty that combines strong academic foundations with forward-looking innovation—rooted locally, engaged regionally, and connected globally.

Professor Ferrante Neri

Dean of the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences

31 August 2026