3273: AI, Ethics, and the Human Element in Leadership

[00:00:04] In a world where AI is reshaping industries and redefining the way we work, one question remains front and centre. How do we preserve the human connection in this age of AI? And with automation accelerating processes and AI making decisions at lightning speed, the role of leadership is evolving. Yes, AI is enhancing efficiency, but it's relational

[00:00:32] leadership, empathy, trust, and authentic connection. These are the things that will define the future of work. So today I'm joined by Jen Kronberger, founder of the Human Leadership Institute and a four-time TEDx speaker. And together we'll explore how relational leaders can foster greater trust and engagement during AI-driven implementations and transformations, and why psychological safety

[00:00:59] and human connection are more vital than ever in organisations that are embracing AI. But yes, we will explore the ethical dilemmas that AI presents, whether it be everything from bias to transparency, and most importantly, how leaders can better navigate them. And my guest also has so many lessons from sports psychology on confidence, resilience, and adaptability in

[00:01:26] leadership. So I'm genuinely excited to get Jen on the show today. So as AI continues to reshape the workplace, are we at risk of losing the very thing that makes organisations thrive, the human connection? Well, let's find out by getting Jen onto the podcast now. So thank you so much for joining me on the podcast today, Jen. Can you tell everyone listening a little about who you are and what you do?

[00:01:55] Jen Kronberger Happy to do so. Thanks for having me, Neil. It's great to be here. So my name is Jen Kronberger, and I am the founder, and I guess I like to call myself the chief inspiration officer of the Human Leadership Institute. And what we do at the Human Leadership Institute is we get to work with people who, you know, really want to put the human at the centre of business. And we've been able to

[00:02:24] really spend some time over the past 15 years plus. I'm not going to talk about my age at all, but we'll say that that, you know, 15 years, 20 years experience in the industry, I've been around for a bit. But really recognizing the importance of human skills today, especially in the age of technology,

[00:02:48] transformation, AI, all of the things that are going on around us, the recognition that probably more so than ever having these conversations around the ability to grow human skills and really focus in on that is just so incredibly important. So we, that's really where we find ourselves. And, you know,

[00:03:15] for us being able to kind of lean on my background, I have a master's degree in sports and human performance psychology. And I've worked with professional athletes and little kids and everything in between. And what I recognized when it was all the same stuff. It was about how we show up every day. It was about how we build teams. It was about human connection and how we lead, you know, through those cultures and

[00:03:42] build cultures that leaders can sustain. So all of that being said, as I brought that into corporate today and brought it into the work world as we see it and recognize that it made sense, um, understanding performance and people recognizing that we can do both well, if we know how to do it, um, that leads to ultimate success.

[00:04:09] It really does. And it's so refreshing to hear somebody say that as well, especially in the tech industry. Cause I think now more than ever, we lose sight of the fact that it's not just about AI replacing people or people and AI. It's about doing it together. That's where the magic happens. And a chief inspiration officer, what a great title as well. I mean, please tell me that's on your passport application form. I'd love to. It needs to be right. Yeah. A hundred percent.

[00:04:36] Of course, as AI continues to transform workplaces on both sides of the pond and beyond, how do you see relational leaders ensuring that that human connection that you just mentioned and empathy remain at the heart of the organizational culture? Because it, it feels like it's in danger of being lost with some of the conversations that we're seeing online.

[00:05:00] Absolutely. Yeah. I think, you know, when we prioritize certain things, right? So one of those would be, really active listening, not just listening, you know, to respond, but listening to understand that fosters open dialogue. It reinforces really the value of emotional intelligence. I know that's, you know, those are words that are thrown around a lot, but really understanding the ability to connect

[00:05:28] emotionally, to harness your own emotions and to be aware and understand others. It really is at the core of that. And I think, you know, if we look at AI as being used as a tool to enhance, not replace human interactions, I think that's the, that's the win, right? That's what you're talking about is bringing those things together. And I think leaders really can help design workplace

[00:05:55] structures that emphasize things like mentorship, collaboration, community building, you know, ensuring that these technological advancements, um, compliment rather than diminish meaningful relationships and connection. And I think that's the key. It really is, especially with AI driven automation, reshaping roles. I think many employees fear job displays displacement, but we have been here

[00:06:22] before with digital disruption, but how can leaders better foster psychological safety and help teams embrace AI as an enhancement, as a co-pilot, as a co-partner rather than a replacement? Because it's very difficult, especially when you're seeing big tech companies with so many big, uh, tech redundancies at the moment. What should leaders be doing here? Yeah, I think what's important is to, A, have a culture

[00:06:51] of transparency, right? We need to make sure that we are understanding what's at stake, um, and, and, you know, delivering that information in a, in a clear and under, you know, understood way. Um, and then this idea of continuous learning, I think it includes, um, you know, like, uh, clear communication about AI's role in maybe maybe augmenting human potential rather than replacing it, right? Just kind of what we're talking about,

[00:07:20] encouraging, maybe upskilling opportunities, learning opportunities, um, emphasizing adaptability and agility, celebrating, um, really how AI can almost free employees from mundane tasks to focus maybe more on creative or strategic or, um, high value work, right? That can help build confidence in that

[00:07:47] transition. And I think there's, there's opportunities there that we maybe don't lean into as much as we could right now. So true. And I think trust is critical during these times of rapid technological change. And for any leaders that are listening to our conversation today, maybe they're on this journey. They have employees who those employees maybe can't see beyond those mundane tasks and repetitive tasks that they're performing every day. The leader knows that they're capable of so much more than that and

[00:08:17] wants to put them on that, that, uh, train of continuous learning and looking at new roles that they can evolve with. What steps should those leaders be taking to build and maintain trust while navigating those AI driven transformations and ensuring that they don't get left behind and brought along for the ride. Absolutely. Yeah. I think, you know, again, going back to that transparency, I think, um, leaders can actually strengthen trust by maybe openly addressing AI related changes. Uh,

[00:08:46] but along with that really engaging employees in the decision-making, um, and, and with that, I think comes the idea of demonstrating, um, what we may see as ethical AI use, right? So consistent communication, inclusive leadership, um, um, providing employees with a voice in, you know, shaping the AI

[00:09:10] integration, I think all of those things ensure that, that, that trust remains intact. Um, and, and with that, I would say what we like to see a lot is, is when leaders model adaptability, right? Leaders show that AI adoption is a shared journey, not a top-down mandate, but something that you do together. I think that is what enhances that trust and continues for that to thrive.

[00:09:38] And AI is often being promoted as a tool for efficiency, but collaboration between humans and AI does require a different mindset. And sometimes I do wonder if that's why so many retreat to the binary mindset of, oh, it's humans versus AI when it really isn't. So how can relational leaders guide teams in developing that more balanced and inclusive approach to working alongside AI rather than all

[00:10:03] the bad stuff? Yeah, no, that's a great question. I think this, this has a lot to do with how we see it, right? This has a lot to do with the viewpoint. I think that we, um, encourage leaders to deliver and to really kind of live in, um, it's, it's really framing these tools as more of a collective

[00:10:25] partner rather than, um, an opponent, so to speak. So encouraging maybe a mindset shift toward that collaboration where, um, AI enhances human capabilities rather than replaces them, right? Leaders in, uh, creating, I don't know, cross-functional learning opportunities, maybe as an example, establish those guidelines and promote diverse perspectives, um, in the

[00:10:55] decision-making, uh, ensuring inclusivity. I think that that, that part is, is what keeps that balanced. I think it's important to, to frame it correctly. I think that's, that's the key. Yeah, it really is frame it correctly. I love that. And one thing that I think we should raise and take seriously are the ethical concerns around AI and typically they involve data privacy, bias in AI,

[00:11:23] greater transparency, which we've talked about a moment ago. So on that side of things, any advice that you would offer to leaders just to help them ensure that their AI implementation aligns with the overall organizational values and, and serves that greater good? Sure. Yeah. I think number one is leaders have to really actively address concerns around bias.

[00:11:46] Um, really, you know, recognizing that that exists and that we can, um, if we're intentional, we can overcome that. I think again, with transparency, um, you bring up a really good point with data privacy. I think that's another piece that if a leader is actively addressing these concerns, um, again, that leans into the transparency that we talked about. Um, I think it's really important

[00:12:13] to, to recognize it, address it. And, uh, which, which also means advocating for these responsible AI practices. So it's not just enough to recognize it, but you know, what are we going to do about it? So maybe we're, um, engaging diverse stakeholder groups in the decision-making. Um, maybe we're embedding ethical AI training into corporate strategy. Maybe that's, that's the, you know,

[00:12:40] the pathway to take in order to include different voices and have those open and transparent conversations. Um, I think leaders also should push for regulatory compliance while setting internal accountability measures, really recognizing what does that mean to us as an organization? How do we do that effectively? And can we bring the right voices to the table, um, to really lean into what those

[00:13:06] values and ethics are? Because I think that's the tipping point. I think that's the most important conversation to be having. How can we do that? Um, that balances those things. And when researching you, I quickly saw that you've worked with major organizations from Nike to Samsung and even the U S department of defense. So you clearly have a unique and broad vantage point here. So I'm curious, are there any common leadership challenges that you see when

[00:13:33] it comes to AI adoption and how could they be addressed? Cause I think from the outside looking in, you might think these are all incredibly different industries and businesses, et cetera, but largely the problems are the same, right? Yeah. Well, you know, when you're dealing with people, it's at, you know, at the center and we, we kind of joke about this a lot, but, um, people ask, you know, what, what kind of industries do you serve? And, and, you know, where do you, where can we find you? And the interesting part of that

[00:14:01] is we have worked with so many different types of organizations because the main message is the main message, right? It's the idea that, um, we're all human and we have challenges that are very common across different spectrums like that. And, you know, some of those challenges include, um, really at the core, sometimes it's, it's just a resistance to change, right? That it's,

[00:14:29] that's like the main challenge that keeps, um, keeps people kind of stuck in that space of trying to overcome. Um, you know, for some in this, in the AI world, it's, you know, lack of just AI literacy. It's how, how do we move forward? What does this do for me? And how can I learn quicker about, you know, how we're implementing this? And then, you know, concerns, concerns, concerns, excuse me, about job security. Again, going back to that, I think that comes up a lot

[00:14:56] in a lot of conversations we've had is, you know, how, how is this going to affect my team? Um, and again, going back to how do leaders address these things? This is what oftentimes is what brings us in the door. It's, you know, we we've done some proprietary research on what, um, our methodology,

[00:15:18] how that develops more relational leaders. And, and at this time and with what, you know, what it looks like in the, in the future and where we sit right now with, with all the different things that are going on in the world of technology, I think it's really understanding how we are staying transparent, how we're implementing, um, you know, what is going to align with our business objectives, who we are as

[00:15:48] an organization, but also building these, um, these cross disciplinary teams that, that maybe merge technical, technical, technical expertise with human insight. And we're seeing a lot of that right now, where we are called in to help with that human piece. The research has shown us that we can do both. Well, we can

[00:16:11] focus on results while also, uh, focusing on people. And that's, that's really at the, at the core. And at the very beginning of our conversation today, you mentioned that your background in sports and performance psychology. So I think this must also offer a unique perspective on leadership. So how do the principles of confidence building and resilience, how do things like this apply to leaders navigating AI driven change? Because there are a lot of synergies there, aren't there too, I'd

[00:16:41] imagine. Yeah, for sure. I think, um, you know, leaning into confidence, understanding where confidence comes from and, and how we lose it so quickly. Um, it has been a really big cornerstone, you know, look, as we go into anything that's different or new or, you know, something we've never done before. And it's scary. I mean, we can't get to innovation without a little bit of fear. And with a little bit

[00:17:08] of fear comes a little bit of courage to overcome the fear. And I think, you know, as we're building confidence, we're building resilience, we're understanding what that looks like in real time. Um, you know, adaptability, agility, all the things that are directly applicable to leading right now in an, in an AI transformed world. You know, I think the biggest piece of that and the common

[00:17:34] denominator here is having a growth mindset, embracing failure as part of innovation, um, you know, cultivating team cohesion, the culture even amidst, uh, uncertainty, there has to be some sort of a cohesive culture just as athletes prepare for, you know, unpredictable game scenarios that I, I've talked to people through leaders also, you know, have to equip their teams with that mental

[00:18:01] agility as well to, to thrive in, in an AI powered future, because we don't know, right. Where you're, you know, you're testing things out and doing things you've never done before. Um, with that is going to come, you know, some sort of fear and some sort of failure, and we have to learn how to handle both. And looking ahead, as we move beyond the AI hype cycle and the technology matures,

[00:18:25] I'm curious, what role do you see the relational leadership playing in the, the next wave of AI advancements and any advice you'd give to leaders that are maybe preparing for that new future of work now? I appreciate there's a fair amount of looking into virtual crystal balls here, but any advice? Yeah, absolutely. I mean, I think, I think again, it just kind of going back to the main themes we've been talking about, I think this idea of relational leadership, which we've really kind of leaned into

[00:18:54] after the research we've done, um, you know, I think it's going to really become even more critical in guiding organizations through what may be, you know, maybe there's ethical dilemmas in some of this, this, uh, movement forward. Maybe there's workforce transitions, like we've talked about cultural shifts. Um, you know, leaders are going to have to champion that human AI collaboration to really

[00:19:21] ensure that the technology serves the people, not the other way around. You know, we, in order to create environments where empathy and inclusion remains central to success, we have to recognize that the people are what makes the AI work. And, you know, at the end of the day, I think it's leaning into and, and almost doubling down on the fact that today more than ever, you know, let's stop calling

[00:19:50] these soft skills. These are essential skills and we can't move forward in an ethical or positive or, or successful way as any organization. If we don't put that at the forefront. And I think that's a powerful moment to end on, but before I do let you go as the chief inspiration officer, I'm going to ask you to leave a, an inspiring song to add to our Spotify playlist.

[00:20:16] Maybe it's a power song. Maybe it's something that means something to you. It can be anything at all. It can even be a guilty pleasure, but what would you, what would you like to add and why? And I have so many of those, trust me. Uh, you know, there's, there's one that I always come back to in those moments of, you know, when I go to speak somewhere, I go to, um, deliver, um, either a keynote at an event or work with some clients, you know, roll up my sleeves and kind of dig in with

[00:20:46] them on, on some work. I, I love the song. This is me, uh, from the greatest showman. And what I love about it is if you search on YouTube, you will find that there is a version of that song that was filmed. Um, and it was, it was as the, they were getting, uh, the, the film greenlit. Um, they were just,

[00:21:15] you know, they were in a room. Um, Hugh Jackman was in the room sitting there, uh, listening and the version of this song, um, it is just something otherworldly. You watch as confidence evolves in the room. You watch the singer come out from behind, um, the, she had a music stand there where she was,

[00:21:42] you know, kind of your, you know, she started quietly. You watched it build into this place of confidence and to watch what happens in that room is something that I use as an example of building trust in a room, building safe space and building confidence as you grow. And it's just a beautiful,

[00:22:05] beautiful example of, of why we do the work we do that the, at the core, uh, you know, how we do things, how we show up moves people. And we can do that from an emotionally intelligent place of connection, human connection at the end of the day is everything. And that video on YouTube of that

[00:22:30] song being greenlit, uh, is just phenomenal. And it's something that I go back to anytime I need a little bit of a boost. Oh, wow. Absolutely love that. Well, I'll add the song, um, the, the, the full version to the Spotify playlist, but I'll also find that video and I'll put that on the blog post that will accompany this episode so people can find it. Absolutely love that there. So, you know, when you said a moment ago, you do a lot of speaking and you go to events and

[00:22:59] keynotes and stuff. Is that your walk on song as well? Or is there something else for that? It has been. Absolutely. Absolutely. I love it. Brilliant. And for anyone listening that would just like to find out more information about anything we talked about today, your work at the Human Leadership Institute, where would you like to point everyone? Well, our website is, uh, the T-H-E-H-L-I,

[00:23:26] which stands for humanleadershipinstitute.com, the H-L-I.com. Uh, that's probably the best place. You get really an all encompassing look at what we're doing there. Um, as well as the new book that's about to launch this spring. Um, so you'll, you'll see information about that coming soon and, um, just a, a lot of information. You can see some of the research we've done is there as well.

[00:23:51] Um, or I'm on LinkedIn again, the Human Leadership Institute, or just simply my name, Jen Kronberger. Um, I'm there as well. So either way I am available. I'm there. I love having these conversations. I love to just talk about, uh, you know, where we are today and, and how we can get the best out of our people, get the best out of ourselves moving forward. Well, one of the things that I've loved about talking with you today is yes, it has predominantly

[00:24:20] been about AI. It's a tech podcast. We're talking about AI, but we're talking about preserving humanity and a high tech world, building trust, drawing rapid technological change, fostering collaboration between people and machines. Yes. Addressing ethical and social implications of AI, AI, but it's not even about AI. It's all about human connection was a line that you use there towards the end of our conversation. And again, powerful moment to end on. So thank you for

[00:24:48] sharing that with me today. Excellent. Thank you, Neil. Thanks for having me. It was a pleasure to be here. As AI becomes more integrated into the workplace. One thing is clear. Technology should enhance the human connection, not replace it. And some of the big takeaways from my conversation with Jan today are that trust and transparency will continue to be essential when introducing AI

[00:25:11] driven changes across the workplace. And AI should be viewed as a collaborative tool, not a competitor. And it is the leader's responsibility to guide teams in embracing that shift. Especially in terms of psychological safety and relational leadership. These things are the foundation for an adaptive, resilient workforce. And these are the things that are needed in the workplace now.

[00:25:38] And as for ethics, it's not, isn't just about compliance. It's actually about, again, embedding human values into technological decision-making. And as AI evolves, how can we ensure that leadership remains deeply human-centered? And what can you and your organization do to balance technology with empathy for a future where both humans and AI thrive? You know the drill. Let's continue this

[00:26:06] conversation. Email me, techblogwriteratoutlook.com, LinkedIn, X, Instagram, at Neil C. Hughes. Nice and easy. Just tap that into your search bar, hit follow, but also send me a little message. Tell me who you are and where you listen, and I'll get back to you. I genuinely hope you enjoyed today's conversation as much as I did. I'll be staying in touch with Jen. I think she's an absolute inspiration, but she's going to be. She is the chief inspiration officer. That is a role that I would certainly aspire to.

[00:26:35] Hopefully you will join me again tomorrow. I've got another guest lined up for you, but thank you for listening today, and I will speak with you tomorrow. Bye for now.