Leadership 4.0 in Rabat: Competencies, Vision, and Resilience in the Age of AI
Marrakech - Rabat Business School (RBS) and the Alumni EMBA Bureau brought senior executives and academic experts together at the International University of Rabat (UIR) to take a hard look at modern leadership in a digital transformation context. Under the theme "Leadership 4.0: Competencies, Vision, and Resilience in the Age of AI," the forum focused on how leaders can adapt to tech change and organizational demands.
The event drew managers, executives, E-MBA participants, and alumni. Beyond insights, the goal was clear: stimulate high-level reflection and position Rabat as a hub for forward-looking leadership in the digital era.
What was on the table
Speakers from business and academia connected theory with practical experience. Conversations centered on the skills, systems, and choices leaders need to drive AI-enabled change without losing the human core of the organization.
- Modern leadership skills tied to measurable outcomes.
- Decision-making under uncertainty and data constraints.
- Human capital development and change management that actually sticks.
- AI integration aligned with strategy, not just tools for the sake of tools.
Voices from the forum
Asmae Eloufir, quality director for semiconductor and automotive industries and former IAQM director, highlighted the event's breadth: "It was about competency, about the vision, about resilience and also about the artificial intelligence." She praised the interactive format and strong audience engagement.
Mohammed Benouarrek, strategy director for organization and human capital and international HR expert, noted the value of open exchange: "It has been a real pleasure to exchange with the public about different issues related to leadership and transformations led by artificial intelligence." He underlined the importance of academic-industry collaboration.
Naoufal Dhibat, plant manager at Aptiv and vice president of Atlantic Free Zone Association of Investors, kept focus on execution: "I was very happy today to be present in this event to share my insights about artificial intelligence implementation in companies in accordance with the strategy." He stressed preparing workforce competencies for smooth adoption.
Youness Ait Bamoh, head of digital at Groupe Ciments du Maroc and vice president of AUSIM, pushed for a human-led approach: "Our transformation digital should be human centric and customer centric." He emphasized tight coordination across IT, digital, and business teams when rolling out AI in a VUCA environment.
Badr Lahmoudi, president of CI Digital Morocco Africa and AFZIA president, added perspective on the day-to-day challenges leaders face as technology changes the way organizations operate.
Leadership 4.0, in practice
Leadership 4.0 is tech-informed management grounded in agility, emotional intelligence, and digital fluency. It blends strategic clarity with people-first execution-so teams can deliver, learn, and adapt without losing momentum.
- Agility: make decisions with imperfect data, run short planning cycles, and use scenario thinking for VUCA conditions.
- Emotional intelligence: build trust, communicate simply, and give teams psychological safety to experiment.
- Digital fluency: read data, understand AI capabilities and limits, and connect systems to workflows.
- Resilience: set clear governance, manage risks, and keep an eye on security and compliance.
Execution playbook for executives
- Set a clear AI thesis tied to business outcomes. Choose 2-3 use cases where data access and ROI potential are strong.
- Form a cross-functional squad (IT, digital, operations, finance, HR) with one accountable owner. Define decision rights early.
- Strengthen data foundations: quality, access, privacy, and monitoring. No data discipline, no AI value.
- Talent: map the skills you have vs. need. Upskill managers and frontline teams with practical, role-based learning paths. See AI courses by job function.
- Change: craft a crisp narrative, align incentives with adoption, and enable managers to coach new behaviors.
- Risk and ethics: publish an AI policy, set review gates, and use a recognized framework. The NIST AI Risk Management Framework is a solid starting point.
- Delivery: start with small pilots, iterate fast, and track leading and lagging indicators tied to value (cost, speed, quality, safety, customer impact).
For a broader view on governance practices across industries, explore WEF guidance on AI governance.
Why this matters for Rabat
Rabat Business School is one of Morocco's leading institutions in management, finance, and entrepreneurship. With deep ties to the business community and a diverse student base across the MENA region and sub-Saharan Africa, RBS is well-placed to advance serious leadership thinking-and turn it into applied capability inside organizations.
Next steps
- Run a quick capability audit (strategy, data, talent, governance).
- Select one high-leverage use case and form a small delivery squad.
- Set 90-day targets with weekly checkpoints and clear owner accountability.
- Upskill managers on AI basics, change coaching, and data-driven decision-making.
- Codify what works into playbooks and scale with confidence.
If you want structured, role-specific learning paths for your teams, explore AI courses by job function.
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