Leadership Game Plan in the Age of AI
Yes, I watched the Super Bowl – I even hosted a watch party (any excuse for a party!). While I can’t tell you the final score, I do know the Eagles won big for the City of Brotherly Love. Here’s what I can report with confidence: The true victor from a few Sunday nights ago was AI… that’s right, artificial intelligence. From OpenAI to GoDaddy, Cirkul to Salesforce, AI accounted for more than half a dozen commercial spots during the game, a testament to its prolific influence in all arenas of life, perhaps none more than the workforce. Recent surveys of C-Suite executives affirm the ascendence of AI in our businesses. A whopping 80% of executives believe that AI deployment leads to more innovation in the workplace, while 88% see the acceleration of AI adoption as a business priority.1 So, what does that mean for the workforce? Adaptation.
Karin Kimbrough, Chief Economist with LinkedIn, reports that today’s professionals “are on pace to hold twice as many jobs over their careers compared to 15 years ago” as AI integration impacts innovation, productivity, and task rotation.2 Kimbrough goes on to say that as AI takes on more technical tasks in the workplace, hiring managers seek adaptive employees who bring soft skills – like empathy – to the job. It makes sense, doesn’t it? On the one hand, professional longevity requires that we board the AI Train and obtain the technical skillset needed to sustain AI integration. On the other, our refined people or human skills will always be relevant as tools for inspiring, mentoring, and encouraging the employees under our leadership. Human skills must be at the heart of the successful leader’s playbook.
Human Skills in the Age of AI
A few years ago, the Philadelphia Eagles lost to the Kansas City Chiefs in the Big Game. What was the difference this time? The Eagles realized they couldn’t match the Chief’s celebrity and talent, but they could build a more cohesive team and a stronger game plan. Caroline Castrillon of Corporate Escape Artist recently penned an opinion piece for Forbes that doubles down on the distinctiveness of a leader’s soft skills, what she calls “power skills,” in the Age of AI. “While AI can increase efficiency,” Castrillon contends, “it cannot get to know and understand the people you work with to create meaningful connections.3” While Castrillon’s appeal for soft skills seems painfully obvious to those of us leading amid a backdrop of quantum computing and pervasive AI integration, many of us aren’t putting in the work to develop and enhance our soft skills. That must change.
Communication Acumen
If you’ve spent any time engaging an AI platform for project support, you’ve undoubtedly marvelled at the bot’s speed and precision. Let’s be real… AI can, in many cases, compose a better email, white paper, and subject-matter presentation than you can. But can the platform motivate you, inspire you, and help you resolve a personal conflict with a colleague? Can it do the same for the members of your team? Adaptive leaders use their interpersonal know-how – particularly verbal and nonverbal communication – to motivate, inspire, and encourage. Think about what you desire in a leader. I suspect that’s what your employees want from you. Be approachable. Listen or learn how to listen. Use an empathetic, communicative leadership style to help your folks see how their personhood is valued and supported even more as AI takes on the technical tasks of the business.
Thought Leadership
AI flourishes at executing programs, recognizing patterns, and completing highly automated tasks. But can it understand your stakeholders? React on a hunch? Craft a vision that balances profit with community development, worker satisfaction, and fidelity to future generations? Coupled with their persuasive communication acumen, an executive’s thought leadership abilities form a distinctive “power skillset” that bode well for thriving in the Age of AI. Thought leadership flourishes among those who know how to interpret data, solve problems, craft a compelling story, and foster buy-in among constituents as the solutions are executed. Of course, thought leadership ability is enhanced through experience. While some of us may have better gut instincts than others when it comes to strategy, all of us benefit by participating in the strategic conversations and implementation plans. AI is lightning fast, but it cannot outthink you.
Here’s to Adaptation
The Eagles adapted and won. While we are not in the leadership game to beat AI, we should be invested in remaining relevant in a world dominated by AI integration. Now, more than ever, leaders are valued for their humanity, not their superior technical skills. So, embrace your humanity. Adapt. Recognize AI as a valuable resource, not a rival.
