Research Article
The Leadership CODE for AI Transformation: Unlocking Economic Value through Change Management and Human-Centred Design
@ARTICLE{10.4108/eetsbi.12203, author={Bokayo Roba Gutola}, title={The Leadership CODE for AI Transformation: Unlocking Economic Value through Change Management and Human-Centred Design}, journal={EAI Endorsed Transactions on Smart Business and Innovation}, volume={2}, number={1}, publisher={EAI}, journal_a={SMARTBUSINESS}, year={2026}, month={10}, keywords={artificial intelligence transformation, behavioural economics, change management, CODE Framework, ethical governance, human-centred design, leadership, organisational alignment}, doi={10.4108/eetsbi.12203} }- Bokayo Roba Gutola
Year: 2026
The Leadership CODE for AI Transformation: Unlocking Economic Value through Change Management and Human-Centred Design
SMARTBUSINESS
EAI
DOI: 10.4108/eetsbi.12203
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Despite heavy investment in artificial intelligence infrastructure and talent, an estimated 70–85% of digital transformation projects fail, partly because human-focused leadership models are lacking. OBJECTIVES: This study develops and illustrates the CODE Framework, an integrative leadership model combining change management, behavioural economics, human-centred design and ethical governance. METHODS: A qualitative theoretical synthesis was combined with a comparative case study of two organisations, JPMorgan Chase and Lenovo. RESULTS: The four pillars (Clarity of Vision, Organisational Alignment, Design for Humans and Ethical Governance) proved mutually reinforcing, with measurable outcomes evident in both organisations. CONCLUSION: The framework offers leaders an integrated roadmap for artificial intelligence-driven transformation, and the case evidence is preliminary and exploratory rather than a validation.
Copyright © 2026 B.R. Gutola, licensed to EAI. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the CC BY-NC-SA 4.0, which permits copying, redistributing, remixing, transformation, and building upon the material in any medium so long as the original work is properly cited.