“Artificial intelligence is going to do many things for us in the decades ahead, and replace humans at many tasks, but one thing it will never be able to do is to create person-toperson connections,” writes David Brooks in “How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen.”
As we all consider the coming changes for artificial intelligence (AI), one topic is how AI is going to affect the work of leaders in the future. Simultaneously, some other issues facing leaders include employee loneliness, quiet quitting, and the “Great Resignation.”
RETURN ON HUMANITY
Is AI the magic answer to these issues? I don’t think so. While leaders need to understand how to use AI to their benefit, let’s explore three reasons leaders should not feel threatened:
1. Social connections and interactions save lives. U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy writes about loneliness in his book, “Together: The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World.” His research indicates loneliness can increase the risk of stroke and heart disease and the likelihood for experiencing depression, anxiety, and dementia. Such health issues negatively affect productivity, satisfaction, and professional growth. “There’s really no substitute for in-person interaction,” Murthy said.
Robert Waldinger is the director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development and author of the book, “The Good Life: Lessons from the World’s Longest Scientific Study on Happiness” (2023). Co-authored with Marc Schulz, his book can be summarized in just one sentence: Social connections and positive relationships are essential to human well-being.
2. Well-being is based on positive feelings and emotions. Mark Crowley, author of “Lead from the Heart: Transformational Leadership for the 21st Century,” is adamant that feelings and emotions drive human behavior. Leaders need to give people experiences where they have positive feelings and emotions. Paying attention to employees, listening to their concerns, and being present as much as possible is the role of a human leader that cannot be replaced with technology.
3. “Return on humanity” improves outcomes. Do you miss talking to a real customer service person on the phone instead of a recording that can’t answer your question? In a recent Harvard Business Review article, the authors point out, “Increasingly, companies may find opportunities in putting a premium on ‘100 percent human’ forms of creative output.”