Today's leaders face a paradox: the incredible speed of change in the workplace, alongside a deep human need for connection, which requires courage and vulnerability. Brown explained that we can choose to be on "team technology" or "team human," but "the future will belong to those of us who can straddle the paradox of humanity and technology." Both are needed, she affirmed.
When we talk about leadership, we often draw out the distinctions between a transactional approach and a transformational one. One is seen as efficient, mechanical, or even emotionless. The other is seen as empathetic, perceptive, or relational. That's why many leaders flinch at the idea that AI can be a productivity partner or a collaborator. It feels cold. Robotic. The opposite of what leadership is supposed to be.