By Lee Allen Miller
If 2025 was the year AI “agents” finally moved from the lab to the payroll, 2026 is shaping up to be the year of the Identity Crisis.
In my work as an AI strategist and energy consultant, I sit in boardrooms where the tension is palpable. We have algorithms that can predict market fluctuations in the Texas energy grid with terrifying accuracy. We have media distribution models that can personalize content down to the individual pixel. We have efficiency. We have speed. We have data.
But as we look ahead to the leadership landscape of 2026, I am convinced that the greatest competitive advantage isn’t found in your tech stack. It is found in your spirit.
In my book, Entrepreneurship God’s Way, I write extensively about the difference between driving results and leading people. As we step into a year where “artificial” intelligence becomes the baseline, the market is starving for something “authentic.”
Here is the thought-provoking reality for leaders this year: AI can process, but only a Spirit-led leader can discern.
The Trap of “Synthetic Stewardship”
The temptation for 2026 is to let the tools do the thinking. It’s easy to confuse stewardship with automation. We think, “If I can automate this decision, I am being a good steward of my time.”
But biblical stewardship is not just about efficiency; it is about responsibility.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” – Proverbs 3:5-6
Note that it doesn’t say, “Lean on your predictive analytics.” Data provides a map of the past and a probability of the future. Faith provides the moral compass for the now.
When we abdicate our decision-making entirely to logic or algorithms, we remove the “God factor”- that moment where the numbers say “stop,” but the Spirit says “go.” Think of Gideon. The data said his army was too small. God said it was just right. An AI consultant would have advised Gideon to retreat; a faith-driven leader knows when to stand.
Three Anchors for Leadership in 2026
If you want to lead effectively in this high-tech era, you need to anchor yourself in timeless truths. Here is what I am telling my clients – from energy executives to non-profit boards – about surviving and thriving this year.
1. Humility is the New “Disruption”
In a world of loud personal brands and automated content generation, humility is the ultimate disruptor. As I’ve written before, humility isn’t thinking less of yourself; it’s thinking of yourself less.
- The AI Approach: Optimizes for self-preservation and metric growth.
- The Kingdom Approach: Optimizes for service. Jesus washed feet. In 2026, “washing feet” might look like taking the blame when the algorithm gets it right but the ethics feel wrong. It means valuing your people over your processes.
2. Discernment Over Data
We are drowning in information but starving for wisdom. AI gives you knowledge (the “what”). Leadership requires wisdom (the “why”).
- You need to ask: Just because we can replace this department with a bot, should we?
- Does this decision honor the dignity of the people God has entrusted to me?
- Kingdom leadership requires a pause – a “Selah” moment – to invite the Holy Spirit into the boardroom.
3. Resilience Through Purpose
The energy sector taught me that grids fail when they lack redundancy. Leadership fails when it lacks a foundation. The speed of change in 2026 will burn out any leader whose primary motivation is profit. It is simply too exhausting to chase the wind.
- Resilience comes from knowing your assignment. When you view your business as a ministry – a way to serve your community and glorify God – you gain a “supernatural durability” that market trends cannot shake.
The Challenge: High Tech, High Touch, High Faith
As we navigate 2026, do not run from the technology. Use the AI. Optimize the grid. Streamline the media. I love these tools; they are gifts that can amplify our impact.
But remember this: Algorithms cannot care. They cannot love your employees. They cannot pray for your clients. They cannot sense the moral weight of a decision.
That is your job.
This year, refuse to become an “Algorithmic Leader” – predictable, programmed, and profit-driven. Be an “Anointed Leader” – guided by wisdom, fueled by faith, and ready to do business God’s Way.
Your Next Step:
Take an audit of your last three major business decisions. Did you make them based solely on the data, or did you pause to seek wisdom? This week, schedule a 30-minute “Selah” meeting with no agenda other than to pray over your strategic plan for Q1.
