What does AI and Webster’s Latest Inclusion mean for Leaders?

How quickly life can change and as leaders we have no choice but to keep up, on top of all your other responsibilities. Two potentially opposing issues are in the news this month – AI and the latest Merriam-Webster addition, authenticity. What does this mean? Here is my take.

First of all,there has been an explosion of information and discussions regarding the benefits and challenges of Artificial Intelligence.

How can AI technology benefit the workplace as well as how do you mitigate the possible negative impacts? As per Gartner, 37% of organizations have implemented AI in some form. The percentage of enterprises employing AI grew 270% over the past four years. According to Servion Global Solutions, by 2025, 95% of customer interactions will be powered by AI.

Ignoring AI and wishing it would go away would be roughly the equivalent of wishing that cell phones would disappear.

At the same time “Authentic” was selected as the 2023 word of the year by the Merriam-Webster dictionary, landing among the most-looked-up words in the dictionary’s 500,000 entries, the company said in a press release November 27th.

The definition of Authentic is “not false or imitation: real, actual,” as in an authentic cockney accent. There’s “true to one’s own personality, spirit or character.” There’s “worthy of acceptance or belief as conforming to or based on fact.”

What these two issues speak to is the importance of the leader-direct report connection. As you know, for years I have been reporting on the improved trust, focus and overall effectiveness experienced by leaders who hold regular one-on-one conversations with their team members.

The two individuals get to know each other as conversation go beyond project updates.

Discussions focus on what is working for them, what could be done more effectively, in what areas do they want to grow etc. The person’s character – through their intention, goals, values, and what information they hold to be true, emerges. Certainly, a discussion on AI is of significant importance. And the relationship is mutual. Your team will know the “authentic you” as well.

In a Harvard Business Review article authors Groysberg and Slind stated some time ago,
“The command-and-control approach to management has in recent years become less and less viable. Globalization, new technologies, and changes in how companies create value and interact with customers have sharply reduced the efficacy of a purely directive, top-down model of leadership. What will take the place of that model? Part of the answer lies in how leaders manage communication within their organizations—that is, how they handle the flow of information to, from, and among their employees. Traditional corporate communication must give way to a process that is more dynamic and more sophisticated. Most important, that process must be conversational.”

Factor in the virtual workplace – it is so rare that we are actually in the same room with a person. This is precious time – the opportunity for connection and conversation becomes even more important.

As we enter the holiday season what better time to spend time getting to know your team even more profoundly. And letting them get to know you. Authenticity at its best. Without anything artificial.

Have a terrific month.

Kathleen Redmond MA, MCC
kr@centreforcharacterleadership.com
905.478.7962

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