Balancing the AI paradox: a conceptual model of leadership, digital well-being and relational energy at work

Purpose This conceptual paper examines how artificial intelligence (AI) reshapes leadership dynamics. It addresses a critical gap: the lack of an integrated framework explaining how AI leadership influences employees' psychological and social resources. Design/methodology/approach The paper develops the AI-augmented leadership–well-being–relational energy model. This framework challenges the job demands-resources model's static view, theorizing digital well-being as a dynamic regulatory mechanism linking leadership behaviors to relational energy. Findings The analysis finds that AI-empowering leadership enhances digital well-being and strengthens relational energy. Conversely, AI-monitoring leadership depletes these same vital resources. Research limitations/implications The proposed model is conceptual and needs empirical validation across different cultural and organizational settings. Practical implications The model provides leaders and organizations with a critical, human-centered framework for the ethical integration of AI into leadership practice, aiming to foster more resilient and energized workplaces. Social implications Socially, it promotes digitally healthy, resilient workplaces. Originality/value The primary contributions are extending the job-demands and resource model, uniquely re-conceptualizing digital well-being as a regulatory resource and relational energy as a collective amplifier and recasting the leader's role as a sociotechnical architect.