#77 | 1.10.25 - Leading in the Age of AI / 10-10-10 Rule to Make Decisions / Principles / Show Recommendation: Man on the Inside
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Leading in the Age of AI
A question I’ve been considering lately: Is leadership significantly different in the age of AI?
The answer might surprise you: I don’t believe it is. While the tools at our disposal have evolved dramatically, the essence of leadership—guiding, inspiring, and empowering others—remains timeless. What has shifted, however, is the balance of skills required to lead effectively. As machines excel in processing raw data and automating tasks, our distinctly human capabilities—our soft skills—are becoming more critical than ever.
This shift doesn’t diminish the importance of leadership—it amplifies it. Leaders must now focus on the attributes that AI cannot replicate: purpose, empathy, and collaboration.
Here are three ways you can sharpen these skills to stay ahead in this new era:
1. Focus on the “Why,” Not Just the “What”
AI excels at analyzing vast amounts of data and delivering results. However, it lacks the ability to understand the broader context or the why behind decisions. Leaders must step in to connect AI-driven insights with organizational purpose and human values.
✅ Actionable Step: Regularly ask your team, “How does this decision align with our mission/vision/core values?” Use AI as a tool to support, not replace, your strategic vision.
2. Elevate Emotional Intelligence
AI might analyze behaviors, but it doesn’t empathize. In this environment, leaders need to focus on understanding and guiding people. Emotional intelligence—being aware of and managing your own emotions while understanding and influencing others—is the critical differentiator.
✅ Actionable Step: Invest time in 1:1 conversations with your team to understand their motivations and concerns. Lead with empathy to foster trust and psychological safety, which AI could never replicate.
BONUS: I’ve written extensively on the benefits of 1:1s. Here are a couple of articles to get you started:
#3 - 2.10.23 - List of 1:1 Questions
#34 | 12.22.23 - 1:1 Meetings Quick Guide
3. Embrace Decision-Making as a Collaboration
As AI takes on more routine decisions, your role as a leader is to facilitate collaboration between humans and machines. Rather than feeling threatened by AI, think of it as a partner that empowers you to focus on complex, high-stakes decisions requiring human nuance.
✅ Actionable Step: Create a feedback loop where your team critically reviews AI-generated recommendations. Encourage questions like, What assumptions is this data missing? or How might this affect stakeholders in unexpected ways?
The Future Is Human
AI is transforming the nature of leadership and is a powerful tool for us, but the essence of outstanding leadership remains the same: inspiring, empowering, and guiding others. While machines may drive efficiency, it’s our human skills that create meaning and connection. By leveraging purpose, empathy, and creativity, leaders can inspire their teams and organizations to thrive in this new age.
10-10-10 Rule to Make Decisions
This framework has popped up in a few different places online. I found this summary thoughtful and helpful!
Principles
As you likely know, I’m a sucker for a list like this 🤣. As I was doing my year-end wrap-up, I discovered this list. Here are a few of my favorites:
Later, you’ll be nostalgic for right now.
No matter how bad things seem, everything passes.
Don’t let anyone make you feel small.
Scrolling and reading too much drowns out your inner voice.
Show Recommendation: Man on the Inside
Have you seen this yet? We initially heard of it as another Ted Lasso. One of Netflix’s latest offerings stars Ted Danson as… actually, the trailer does a great job capturing the spirit of the show, check that out here. We’ve gotten halfway through Season 1 and are really enjoying it.
Words to wrap up:
"In 2025, I hope you don't just get by—I hope you live. Really live. I hope you wake up and feel the sunlight on your skin, not just as warmth, but as a reminder that you're still here, still breathing, still capable of so much more. I hope you let yourself slow down. To feel the soft moments, the quiet ones, the ones we often overlook while rushing through life. I hope you take those moments and hold them close. I hope you laugh-big, belly-deep laughs that make your eyes water. I hope you cry too, and let it remind you that your heart still feels deeply, even after all it's been through. I hope you stop living on autopilot, just doing what needs to be done. I hope you ask yourself, what makes me come alive? And I hope you go after it, even if it's messy, even if it scares you. I hope you make time for the things that matter-the people who feel like home, the dreams you've put on hold, the little things that make your heart lighter. Because you deserve more than just surviving. You deserve to live.”
- Moses Kuria, Reflections