As I’m sure you know, the Future isn’t the future anymore… it is the present.

Flying cars, computers that are smarter than humans, robots that are taking on meaningful work, talking to anyone almost anywhere in the world instantly, unlimited knowledge at our fingertips … the list goes on and on.

While I wish I could say that we (cumulative we: humans and computers) have cured all diseases and solved the world’s economic challenges, I can see a future in which that is true.

In the meantime, I read something recently that I cannot let go of. It is essentially this:

History will judge how we lead through the AI Revolution. We only get one opportunity to get it right.

Here is what we know:

  • AI is going to have an impact on everything:
    • Information management
    • Research
    • Design
    • Science (in dozens of ways)
    • Relationships (or the lack thereof)
    • Commerce
    • Currency management
    • Workflows
    • People’s perception of reality
    • Fraud
    • Software
    • How we interface with technology and information
    • Data
    • Speed in business
    • Wealth Management

There are awesome opportunities. There are frightening threats.

Misinformation will cause fear and bad decisions.

AI will lie.

AI will cheat.

AI will steal.

AI will save lives.

AI will build businesses and massive wealth.

AI will cause businesses to crumble.

So… what is the point of sharing all of this?

It is not about AI. It is about People.

Leading people is one of the most challenging and rewarding things in life. It starts in our families, extends to business, and if we are fortunate, to our communities.

To navigate through the leadership requirements of the next decade, we have to develop a new set of specialized skills. *Cue Liam Neeson*
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Things are certainly shifting.

In fact, I’ve heard no less than 10 people say in the last few weeks something like, “I’m glad I’m about to retire. I don’t think I want to lead through this.”

Because the shifts are going to be really, really hard.

However, my perspective is that this is one of the most exciting times to be alive.

I also believe this: There is no point in AI and Automation if we are not positively impacting humans.

Here are the leadership skills I’m working on and encourage you to think about:

  • Security. As we introduce new and powerful technology, it must be built on the foundation of security first. Information (and false information) can quickly spiral out of control and zip right out of our hands into the hands of those who would use it inappropriately.
  • Data Health. When we must navigate through the process of training models, building trust in new technology, and focusing on empowering people, healthy data is key. We must validate and adjust when the data isn’t accurate.
  • Ethics and Responsibility. While we navigate through fast-moving changes, trying to be competitive and focusing on business stability, we cannot lose our focus on Core Values and having the proper controls. About 40% of the people in the world fear that AI will not be used positively. Talk about how your organization will ensure that the fundamentals are not compromised.
  • Tech and People Enablement. Technology’s impact will never be this small again. Today is the starting point, and we must lean into building the foundational skills to use it wisely. Understand Prompting, understanding validation, understanding knowledge vs. wisdom. Then, giving permission to our Teams to test (safely), fail, learn, and evolve. We also must carve out the time for learning.
  • Culture & Community. As the world shifts, people will be uneasy. We must lead through these changes by being open, honest, vulnerable, and providing reassurance that we’re not using AI to attack people but to empower Build a culture where change is embraced and community is strengthened.
  • Customer and Teammate Experience. As I shared above, there is no point in AI and Automation if we are not positively impacting humans. Focus on the measurables that are making positive impacts on people. Keep people at the heart of AI’s purpose.
  • Learning to Measure Success. There will be one-thousand new and shiny tools. Many will be tempting and make bold promises. Some will be fulfilled. Many will fail. Both of which are good outcomes as long as we are focused on a meaningful outcome and can measure success. Define success metrics tied to human impact… productivity, engagement, or innovation—and evaluate tools rigorously.

I’ll say this as one of the most important things I believe to be true:We don’t all need to be AI experts to be good leaders through the AI Revolution. We must do what good leadership is all about… helping people change and evolve to be better tomorrow than they are today.

We must all evolve and change… but we must do it through the lens of the positive impact on people.

Stay Awesome!