{Ally Speaks} Leading with Heart in a Digital World: The Future of Leadership in an AI Era

Hello, and welcome to today's episode of the Made For More podcast. I'm your host, Ally Nitschke, leadership and communication expert. And today we are diving into one of the biggest questions that is facing leaders right now. And that is all around what does and what will AI actually mean for leadership? You're hearing it everywhere. I'm hearing it everywhere. It's in boardrooms. It's in hallways. It's at conferences. AI is well and truly reshaping how we work, how we communicate, and even how we make decisions. But when it comes to leadership, the real, the human part of leadership, what is actually changing and what is not? So in this episode, I'm unpacking exactly that. So the truth about what AI will change, what it won't, and how to stay brilliantly human in a world that is becoming increasingly automated. So we're going to be talking about that today. I am coming to you not as an AI expert, but as a leadership expert and the importance of understanding how this is going to really impact your leadership journey, your leadership identity, how you lead your teams, how you lead your portfolio and how you lead the business. Now one of the key things to keep in mind is the noise versus the nuance and let's start with noise. So every headline right now screams that AI will replace millions of jobs. And others say it's revolutionizing productivity. And actually, both are kind of right. But they're still missing the nuances. AI is neither the saviour nor is it the villain. It is actually what we would refer to as a mirror. It shows us what's efficient and it exposes what is inefficient. But here's where it gets a little bit interesting. Leadership doesn't sit neatly in either camp. If you've been in the leadership game for a long time, you will know that there is nothing easy or simple. about leadership, that's what makes it so fun. But what you can start looking at is how we can automate data analysis. For example, you can delegate tasks to a bot, an AI bot of some variety, but what you can't automate is trust. So trust between you and your people, you and your customers, you and your clients, that is something that we can no longer, well, no longer, we cannot outsource it currently. We might be able to in the future, although I reckon there's enough scepticism out there that it will remain wildly human. What we can't outsource is courage and you can't replace the spark that happens when a leader sees potential in someone and helps bring that to life. And I really think We need to be thinking about that because that's the part of leadership that AI will never, ever touch. The second part is really around what AI will change. And I think, you know, unless you have been living with your head in the sand, there is absolutely change ahead. There's change already all around us, but let's get really practical here because AI It's already really reshaping leadership in big ways. We're seeing that in headlines, we're seeing that with decisions being made, some of them good, some of them need some reworking perhaps. But one of the big changes is the decision-making speed. So AI has given us the opportunity, the information around predictive analytics and pattern recognition that no human could really ever match at pace. And I used to work in a data industry, and it is really remarkable being able to outsource these types of pieces of work to be able to get that insight. And the insight is happening very, very rapidly without the need for pivot tables or find and replaces and compares. So if you have roles or functions that are involved around decision making purely based on analytics, this is something that is absolutely going to amplify your experience of work and leaders will need to be making decisions faster that is backed by data. And this is really going to kind of I think have a bit of a divide. So there'll be some leaders that will be making decisions based on data and gut feel. And there are others that are perhaps making slower decisions based purely on data. But what we're going to be seeing is that decision making speed is going to be increasing and increasing and increasing. But it is really important that we understand that it's not replacing intuition. And it could be a matter of going, OK, I've got the data. Also, what are some of the other parameters that perhaps the data hasn't looked into? And really thinking about how do we combine intuition with insight? And that's going to be a different skill set for leaders. I think we're going to see a continuous re-skilling, of course. I think we're going to notice a lot more because the re-skilling is going to be iteration, iteration, iteration, iteration. And we're entering an era where what we know today will be outdated by tomorrow. Obviously not tomorrow, but in a shorter timeframe than what it has previously. And for leaders, what that means is really becoming chief learning officers and creating cultures rather, that are staying constantly curious. So there is no more opportunity, option to rest on our laurels and go, okay, yep, we did that six months ago, that's done. We're going to have to really keep a finger on the pulse of what is changing, what is moving, going, is this the best way forward? And how do I need to reskill my people? And that will really mean helping your people learn, unlearn and relearn at speed. So we run a productivity workshop for leaders. If you do not have PD, professional development, as part of your regular cadence in your calendar for yourself, but also for your team, this is a really good time to go, OK, maybe I need to have a look at really scheduling in, blocking out some time, each month for my own professional development, my own re-skilling, as well as that for my team as well. So really taking the initiative, taking the charge, taking the lead on that. Something else to consider is around managing risks and ethics. You've heard me talk about it before, but the more that we rely on AI, the more we are open to ethical, reputational, and compliance risks. Now, this is not the sexy stuff, unless you're in governance and you're like, yeah, this is great. But this is really something to consider because your regular leaders have not been subjected to this level, I guess, of rigmarole, responsibility, or authority even, but things like deep fakes, data privacy, even algorithmic biases is something to really consider. So these are no longer AI, not AI, these are no longer IT issues anymore. So this, you know, I think this used to kind of sit squarely in the IT, the IT black box of organizations of going, okay, well, if there's an opportunity for a data to be breached, that's an AI problem. that is not the case anymore. This is going to be a leadership issue, one that leaders need to be really aware of when it comes to ethics and reputational damage and compliance risks and what are we putting into our large language models. But also being really wildly aware of, you know, some of those large language models and how the biases are based on that. So every organisation will have its own I guess, own parameters to consider, but from a leadership perspective going, what does that mean for my remit, my responsibility, and my team, my portfolio as well? And let's not forget that the scale of change is is huge. McKenzie, in fact, predicts that AI could add $13 trillion to the global economy by 2030. Now, I'm recording this in 2025, end of 2025. That is not very far away, but it will only happen if leaders know how to integrate AI responsibly, and I'll add in there as well, ethically, because we need to be really aware of the impact that this will have, not just now, but the ripple effect that will happen over time for organisations, for communities, for workforces, and even for generations, I think, to come as well. So, something to consider, something to ask yourself. Are you leading conversations about technology in your organisation or are you waiting to be led by them? Third part, what won't change when it comes to AI? So we'll flip this and say, what's going to actually stay the same? And the essence of leadership will stay the same. So things like presence, empathy, courage, they are all timeless. If anything, I think AI makes these skills even more valuable. When people are overwhelmed by automation, when they are overwhelmed by the pure quantity of content that we currently are producing and have access to, and it's all kind of coming at us, air quotes, what people are craving now more than ever is authenticity. So when people feel unseen, by the systems that they are a part of, they are starting to really seek out that connection. We're always looking for a North Star, for a truth, somewhere to put our stake in the ground and go, Hey, I am centered. I am grounded. for you as a leader, that means that you need to be that person. So where do we switch overwhelm into authenticity and overwhelm into clarity? So when uncertainty feels high, they look for their leaders, not necessarily managers, not algorithms, but their leaders to really anchor them. So be the leader, be the anchor for your team, because that's what everyone is looking for right now. And AI can probably write your email. I trialed out an AI tool to write my emails and decided I didn't like it, so I turned it off. But that's up to you. It might even be able to generate things like your presentation slides or perhaps your presentations. But it cannot walk into a room, it cannot look someone in the eye and say, hey, I've got you. I'm here. We're going to get through this together. That is your job. And that is what leadership is in this day and age. So if you're listening to this and feeling a little bit overwhelmed by technology, and heck, I think, you know, if you're not, then good for you, because there is certainly a lot of overwhelm to be had when it comes to, I think, just the rate that we are receiving information at the moment. Please remember this, that the more digital the world becomes, the more human leaders need to be. So step into everything that makes you human around that empathy, around that presence, around the courage, the authenticity, being genuine is so, so important. And the last piece I wanted to share with you is really around this new leadership equation. You can grab a copy of the graphic that I'm about to describe. It's just on our website at madeformore.com.au forward slash blog. But the new leadership equation. And I think this is really about a balance between two forces. And that is the two forces is AI literacy and human presence. So when it comes to AI literacy, it isn't about coding or becoming a data scientist. It's really around that confidence, the confidence to lead conversations about technology, the confidence to ask the right questions, things like, you know, how was this model actually trained? What data is it using? Who is it owned by? And what are the rules around how that information is being used, collected? And what biases could this be reinforcing is really important because leaders don't need to know how to build AI unless, of course, that's your job, then this is not for you this episode. But they absolutely do need to know how to govern it and how to understand that what you put in will dictate what you get out and what's the kind of bit that's happening in the middle. I think of it a little bit like, you know, when you see those, like a manufacturing video, for example, and it kind of goes into like a conveyor belt, and it pops out into a different shape or it's got a label, like what is happening in the machine? That's what we really need to be thinking about when it comes to AI and the AI that we're using. If we're putting something in and it's spurting something out the other end, what is the bit that is happening in the middle? That's what we need to understand to be able to better understand the results that we're getting out as well as how do we better put information in to AI as well. The other half of it is really around the human presence. This is your ability to connect with others, to communicate and to create meaning for your people. It is your tone of voice in a meeting. It is your decision to pause and listen, your willingness to admit, you know, I don't have all the answers, but I'm willing to find them. And I think in a time where we have got answers literally in our pockets, on our phones, taking some time to say, hey, I don't know yet. But I will find out. Now, one of the traps that I'm noticing is when people focus too much on the tech, they risk becoming quite robotic, quite detached, almost to the point of being irrelevant. And I'm seeing that more and more, particularly on LinkedIn, where you know, there's a few little telltale signs with em dashes and too many emojis of people using AI to write their ideas as opposed to going, what are your actual ideas there? But one of the things to think about is if you ignore the tech completely, then you risk being outpaced. and obsolete. So it's kind of a bit of a balancing act. It is a bit of an equation of going, you don't want to become robotic, detached and irrelevant, and you also don't want to be outpaced and obsolete. So where is that happy medium? For right now, that's up to you to decide. But I think the sweet spot is really in the integration. It's not a substitution. It's not one or the other. It is the leaders who will thrive in this new era will use AI as an amplifier. not as a replacement. Now, please do not use AI to replace your brain, your cognitive function, your cognitive sovereignty. Use it to amplify what it is that you're trying to do, whether it's quicker, wider, broader, or even more specific. Really thinking about how you can use it as an amplifier rather than a replacement is so, so key. So you might be going, well, where does that leave us then? And I think it leaves us in a beautiful sweet spot where we have choice. So it leaves us in front of a huge opportunity to really define and redefine what leadership looks like in this next era. In this age of AI, it is not the end of leadership by any means. It is the next iteration, the next test of leadership, which we haven't ever experienced before. Now, I'm a glass half full kind of girl, so I think that there is so many opportunities here to go, what is possible? possible when we have these beautiful tools at our disposal as amplifiers and how can you really focus on the people part of leadership while being able to amplify what it is that's potentially the sticky stuff as well. So I think the next iteration of leadership is really asking us to bring a lot more humanity, a lot more integrity, a lot more presence into our roles. And it's challenging us to lead not from from the head only, but also from the heart. And I've been championing leading from the heart forever. And I'm glad I'm glad that we're here in this situation, because I think we do need more heart led leaders. I think we need more compassion. I think we need more empathy. We need more connection than we have ever needed before, because as that technology evolves, people don't follow the same systems. They follow the humans who really inspire them. So my challenge for you over the next week or so is really to just take that moment to sit and to reflect on where do you need to grow right now for yourself? Is your AI literacy? Is it learning how to lead through new tools and new data? Or is it really in that human presence side of the equation? Is that really, you know, looking at growing in your listening, in your connecting, in your communicating with that deeper authenticity than you've ever had the chance to before? Because leadership in this age of AI, it isn't about choosing between the human or the machine. It's about bringing out the best of both. And I think we are in the prime time to do that right now. Because I think that is where the courage lives. That is where the transformation begins. And that is what this new era of leadership is really all about. So thank you for tuning in to today's episode. I hope you've enjoyed it. I hope it has given you something to think about. Perhaps this topic has sparked something for you to share with your colleagues, with your friends, with leaders in your circle. And let's really keep this conversation going around the leadership equation, around really analyzing the ethics when it comes to AI, because it might be a tool. But you are the differentiator. Stay curious, stay courageous, and keep leading the way forward. You've got this. Bye for now.

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