The identification and development of exceptional leadership remains a central priority for organisations and is a primary objective of Assessment Center methodologies. At the foundation of these practices lies the leadership competence framework, which defines the behaviours that are assessed and developed. Historically, such frameworks have been constructed using deductive methodologies, beginning with leadership theories or conceptual models from which competencies are defined, operationalised, and measured. This deductive approach, established in the early twentieth century, has evolved in sophistication but has remained largely unchanged in its underlying logic.
Recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI) introduce a fundamental shift in leadership competence theory development, enabling an abductive approach grounded in empirical behavioural observation rather than theoretical presupposition. This presentation traces the evolution of leadership competence theory across four major historical stages, outlines the methods underpinning traditional deductive frameworks, and explains how AI enables abductive discovery of leadership competencies directly from observed leader behaviour in response to real business challenges.
An AI-discovered leadership competence framework is presented and systematically contrasted with two of the most widely published and influential deductively derived frameworks. The analysis examines areas of convergence, newly nuanced interpretations of established competencies, and the identification of previously unrecognised competencies. These findings are contextualised within the broader historical evolution of leadership theory over the past century. Attendees will be invited to compare their existing frameworks with the AI-discovered model and critically evaluate the contemporary relevance of the leadership competencies they currently assess and develop.
Dr. Pieter Bronkhorst is a registered I/O Psychologist who holds a PhD from the University of Cape Town. He is the founder of Organisation and Management Technologies Group (OMT), Evalex Talent Solutions (EICM), Odyssey Talent Management (OTM), Evalex Leadership Evolution and Acceleration (Elea), and Evalex Video Interview Assessment (VIA).
At an academic level, he serves as an Adjunct Professor at the University of the Western Cape and is a Lifetime Honorary Member of the Society of Industrial and Organisational Psychology of South Africa (SIOPSA) and the Assessment Centre Study Group (ACSG). He has presented numerous research studies and lectures at local and international conferences.
He has developed psychological tests in the domains of cognition, personality, styles, values, and interests. Additionally, he has created a cloud-based virtual assessment center, along with a system for assessing technical competencies.
To date, Pieter has developed five artificial intelligence-driven talent assessment applications and solutions, elevating the virtual cloud-based assessment center and talent management to the cutting edge of technology.
He consults clients on developing high-performance teams and organizations. He has participated in over 30 corporate growth and turnaround projects globally and has published a book titled “The Architecture of High Performance Companies. "
Publications
• Master’s Dissertation: “The effect of leadership development in improving leadership competencies”
• P.hD Thesis: “Competencies and Management Strategies of Successful Corporate Recovery Executives”
• Book 2010: “The architecture of high-performance companies”
• Book 2024: “How AI is changing the way we assess leadership talent”
• Article 2024: “Use of artificial intelligence in leadership competency development and selection: An empirical study“ Consulting Psychology Journal / American Psychological Association.
• Book chapter in press 2025: “The role of Artificial Intelligence in the assessment of talent” in book titled “Psychological Assessment in South Africa” to be published.
• Book chapter in press 2025: “Do as I do not as I say: Using AI to detect sustainable leadership behaviours” to be published in a book titled “Implementing Sustainability Leadership in Public and Private Organisations”.
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