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Release Date: January 18, 2022
Leadership is hard. How can you balance compassion for your people with effectiveness in getting the job done?
A global pandemic, economic volatility, natural disaster, civil and political unrest. From New York to Barcelona to Hong Kong, it can feel as if the world as we know it is coming apart. Through it all, our spirit is being tested. Now more than ever, it's imperative for leaders to demonstrate compassion.
Julie Dunlap
Chief DEI Officer and Sr. VP of Talent Management
Eli Lilly
Dave Adcock
Vice President
Human Resources
Amgen
Marissa Afton
Partner and Head of Global Accounts
Potential Project
Atul Padalkar
Client Director
Potential Project
Release Date: January 18, 2022
Leadership is hard. How can you balance compassion for your people with effectiveness in getting the job done?
A global pandemic, economic volatility, natural disaster, civil and political unrest. From New York to Barcelona to Hong Kong, it can feel as if the world as we know it is coming apart. Through it all, our spirit is being tested. Now more than ever, it's imperative for leaders to demonstrate compassion.
As great as AI can be, it cannot make us better leaders. For leaders to rely only on AI, without doing the inner work of human development, would be like buying a top-of-the-line Ferrari while ignoring our driving skills. To get the best from AI, we need to equally invest in the development of our human potential. Alone, neither is sufficient. Both are necessary.
In our latest HBR article, Rasmus Hougaard and Jacqueline Carter discuss how AI can become a powerful ally in enhancing leadership abilities. They argue that to truly harness AI’s potential, leaders must also cultivate core human qualities – awareness, wisdom, and compassion – and integrate them with AI capabilities.
Dive into our HBR article “How AI Can Make Us Better Leaders” to explore more.
If we are being honest, we may feel nervous about AI – of not grasping what’s new, of being outrun by those “smarter” than us, or being seen as old-school by those whom we lead.
In the face of these fears, our instinct may be to protect our ego and ignore the shifts around us. The better answer for ourselves and those we lead?
Adopting a beginner’s mind full of curiosity and an openness to new ways of thinking and doing.
According to our research, leaders who adopt a beginner’s mind towards AI can bolster the well-being and commitment of their teams by 25% or higher.
Interested in more? Click the button below to see our recent research report, The Human Leader.
In this edition of Leadership Reimagined, the speakers discussed the key role of leadership and employee mindsets in adopting AI, using examples from Lilly and Amgen. They focused on the role that human qualities – awareness, wisdom, and compassion – play in creating trust and psychological safety in the world of work disrupted by AI.
• Leadership Mindsets in AI Adoption: The discussion started with the speakers touching on the importance of leader and employee mindsets in embracing AI. Dave discussed Amgen’s proactive approach to AI, including deploying AI tools across the organization, integrating AI with existing systems, and encouraging a culture of learning and experimentation. Julie highlighted how AI is being used across Lilly and the need for an open mindset towards AI. Marissa emphasized the importance of awareness in leadership to truly harness AI's potential.
• AI's Impact on Talent Acquisition: Julie emphasized the caution needed when using AI in hiring processes to avoid bias. She explained that while AI is used for sourcing talent, it isn't yet making screening decisions at Lilly. Dave emphasized the need for employees to be comfortable with technology and adopt a mindset of continuous learning, agility, and forward-thinking to adapt to technological changes. The panel agreed on the importance of human wisdom and discernment in hiring, moving away from knowledge-based qualifications, and focusing on a willingness to learn and innovate.
• Trust and Organizational Dynamics: Julie discussed the significance of trust within organizations when integrating AI, stressing the need for transparency, psychological safety, and open communication about AI’s benefits and risks. Dave added his perspective on ensuring AI is accessible to all employees, using it to enhance job roles rather than replace them. On the theme of compassion, Marissa underscored that AI should be used to complement and enhance leaders’ compassion. She highlighted the need for leaders to be open to diverse perspectives and create environments where trust and psychological safety thrive.
Watch a full replay of Leadership Reimagined.
As a leader, how do you care for your people but still do the hard things that leadership demands? Many think this is a binary choice, but making tough decisions and being human are not mutually exclusive.
In truth, they are aligned: doing hard things is often the most human thing to do. The ability to combine these two seeming opposites comes down to one thing: Wise Compassion.
In this edition, our special guests shed light on their roles in guiding their organizations through profound transformations and a shift towards a more human-centred culture. They offered insights into the specific implications of these changes for the leaders within KPMG and Citi.
- Nhlamu and Laurie explored what is needed for future leaders in a constantly evolving world of work. KPMG has focused on identifying opportunities to support leaders with the right skills, aligned with changing leadership expectations. They have promoted a two-way communication approach between leaders and their people to build trust and business growth more sustainably. For Citi, the last few years have been challenging with transformations that have impacted how they operate and lead. Laurie expressed the challenge they face in moving from a history of complexity to driving simplicity. Also, the importance and challenge for leaders to build trust and psychological safety to thrive in ambiguity.
- Rasmus shared his point of view on AI and leadership. Leaders must recognize when to leverage AI for tasks related to data processing, rational and logical thinking. It's evident that AI is the go-to tool in these areas. But when it involves anything human, leaders should rely on their human qualities and make a concerted effort to enhance and develop them.
- Laurie, Nhlamu and Rasmus discussed the concept of Both/And in Leadership. Laurie emphasized that compassion goes beyond soft leadership. It involves facilitating difficult conversations in a direct, contextual, and clear manner, ultimately leading to improved performance and the ability to do harder things. Nhlamu stressed that adopting a Both/And mindset provides the necessary perspective to address challenging questions and helps us all to get unstuck. Curiosity and adaptability were named as the key competencies needed for the leaders of the future.
Watch a full replay of Leadership Reimagined.
