How the foundations of childhood shape the leaders of tomorrow
In a world where artificial intelligence is becoming a constant companion in our daily decisions, the ability to decide — thoughtfully, consciously, and responsibly — is becoming one of the most important human skills of our time.
During our recent webinar “Odločanje in odgovornost v dobi umetne inteligence”, we explored a question that touches parents, educators, and leaders alike:
Are we still capable of making decisions ourselves — and how do we develop this ability in children and adults?
What followed was a rich dialogue between two perspectives:
Eda Šteblaj, Montessori pedagogue and therapist, and
Uroš Rosa, leadership expert with over 20 years of experience in high-performance environments.
Together, they unpacked the deep roots of decision-making: where it begins, why it gets lost, and how we can reclaim it in the age of AI.
1. Decision-Making Is One of the Most Human Acts We Have
Decision-making is not merely a cognitive function — it is an expression of inner freedom.
A child learns to decide long before they understand the meaning of the word itself. When they choose, struggle, try again, experience consequences, or proudly say “bom sam – I will do it alone”, they are building the internal structures that will one day guide them through complex adult choices.
But when children are constantly corrected, directed, or quickly “helped,” they lose the opportunity to build this essential inner compass. As Eda explained:
“If a child doesn’t experience freedom within a safe structure, they later struggle to make decisions independently.”
In adulthood, this becomes hesitation, self-doubt, or avoidance of responsibility.
2. Childhood: The Birthplace of Autonomy and Responsibility
Montessori identifies several human tendencies — exploration, order, communication, belonging, work — that drive development from birth.
These tendencies form the psychological soil in which decision-making grows.
From birth to 6:
Children build willpower — the sense of “I can do it.”
They must be allowed to try, repeat, make mistakes, and correct themselves.
6 to 12:
Children develop moral awareness, fairness, and collaboration.
They begin to understand that their contributions matter.
12 to 18:
Adolescents build identity and inner values.
This is where the early seeds of autonomy transform into a true inner compass.
Across all stages, the message is the same:
Freedom within a clear structure creates responsibility.
3. Adults Mirror the Patterns of Their Childhood
The problems we see in modern companies — passive teams, unclear responsibility, slow decisions, fear of mistakes — are often reflections of early developmental gaps.
Uroš shared examples from leadership practice:
- Teams avoiding decisions by saying “we decided” when nobody actually did.
- Emails with ten people in CC so that no one needs to take ownership.
- Cultures where mistakes are punished instead of used to learn.
These patterns echo childhood experiences where freedom was limited, mistakes were shameful, or choices were made for us.
To reverse this, leaders must create the same conditions effective Montessori environments provide:
✔ Trust
✔ Autonomy
✔ Psychological safety
✔ Permission to learn from mistakes, not hide them
“Without autonomy, there is no accountability.”
4. AI Can Support Us — But It Cannot Decide for Us
Artificial intelligence can process information, optimise, and predict — but it cannot:
- feel empathy
- act with conscience
- take responsibility
- understand meaning
- choose with courage
As Uroš pointed out during the webinar:
“AI is an extraordinary tool for cognitive tasks. But it cannot replace the parts of us that make us human.”
The danger arises when we begin outsourcing judgment — to the algorithm.
When children or employees ask, “Kaj naj naredim? – What shall I do?” and immediately seek an external answer, they lose the ability to reflect, understand, and decide.
AI should free us from repetitive tasks so we have more space for human abilities: imagination, values, relationships, ethics, and creativity.
5. How to Build Environments Where Children and Adults Learn to Decide
Across home, school, and work, the formula is surprisingly similar:
1. Prepare the environment
Clear frameworks allow freedom — not chaos.
2. Allow meaningful choices
Not unlimited freedom, but real opportunities to choose within boundaries.
3. Normalize mistakes
Mistakes are data.
Mistakes are learning.
Mistakes build resilience.
4. Model the behaviour
Children and employees learn more from what we do than what we say.
5. Trust the process
Growth takes time.
Autonomy takes time.
Maturity takes time.
6. Two Ideas That Capture the Spirit of the Webinar
Eda reminded us of a classic Montessori principle:
“Pomagaj mi, da to naredim sam.”
“Help me, to do it myself.”
Uroš added the leadership version:
“Zaupaj mi, da lahko to naredim sam.”
“Trust me, that I can do it myself.”
Two worlds, one message:
Human potential grows only when we create the conditions for people to act, choose, and take responsibility.
Conclusion: Humanity First, Technology Second
We cannot predict the jobs of the future.
We cannot foresee how AI will evolve.
But we can shape the people who will live in that future.
The goal is not to raise children — or lead teams — who execute instructions perfectly.
The goal is to build humans who:
✨ think
✨ feel
✨ decide
✨ take responsibility
✨ and act in alignment with their inner compass
Because in the age of AI, it is our human abilities — not our tools — that will matter most.
The full video is available HERE