How to Show Courageous Leadership with AI

I asked the smartest people I know about AI... I’ve been reading everything I can get my hands on. Talking to AI founders, skeptics, operators, and dreamers. And having some very real conversations with people who’ve looked me in the eye and said: “This isn’t just a tool shift. It’s a leadership reckoning.” Oh boy. Another one eh? Alright. I get it. My job isn’t just to understand disruption. It’s to humanize it. Translate it. And make sure my teams are ready to grow through it and not get left behind. So I asked one of my most fav CEOs, turned investor - a sharp, no-BS mentor what he would do if he were running a company today. He didn’t flinch. He gave me a crisp, practical, people-centered roadmap. “Here’s how I’d lead AI transformation. Not someday. Now.” I’ve taken his words, built on them, and I’m sharing my approach here, not as a finished product, but as a living, evolving plan I’m adopting and sharing openly to refine with others. This plan I believe builds capability, confidence, and real business value: 1A. Educate the Top. Relentlessly. Every senior leader must go through an intensive AI bootcamp. No one gets to opt out. We can’t lead what we don’t understand. 1B. Catalog the problems worth solving. While leaders are learning, our best thinkers start documenting real challenges across the business. No shiny object chasing, just a working list of problems we need better answers for. 2. Find the right use cases. Map AI tools to real problems. Look for ways to increase efficiency, unlock growth, or reduce cost. And most importantly: communicate with optimism. AI isn’t replacing people, it’s teammate technology. Say that. Show that. 3. Build an AI Helpdesk. Recruit internal power users and curious learners to be your “AI Coaches.” Not just IT support - change agents. Make it peer-led and momentum-driven. 4. Choose projects with intention. We need quick wins to build energy and belief. But you need bigger bets that push the org forward. Balance short-term sprints with long-term missions. 5. Vet your tools like strategic hires. The AI landscape is noisy. Don’t just chase features. Choose partners who will evolve with you. Look for flexibility, reliability, and strong values alignment. 6. Build the ethics framework early. AI must come with governance. Be transparent. Be intentional. Put people at the center of every decision. 7. Reward experimentation. This is the messy middle. People will break things. Celebrate the ones who try. Make failing forward part of your culture DNA. 8. Scale with purpose. Don’t just track usage. Track value. Where are you saving time? Where is productivity up? Where is human potential being unlocked? This is not another one-and-done checklist. Its my AI compass. Because AI transformation isn’t just about tech adoption. It’s about trust, learning, transparency, and bringing your people with you. Help me make this plan better? What else should I be thinking about?

I'm knee deep this week putting the finishing touches on my new Udemy course on "AI for People Managers: Lead with confidence in an AI-enabled workplace". After working with hundreds of managers cautiously navigating AI integration, here's what I've learned: the future belongs to leaders who can thoughtfully blend AI capabilities with genuine human wisdom, connection, and compassion. Your people don't need you to be the AI expert in the room; they need you to be authentic, caring, and completely committed to their success. No technology can replicate that. And no technology SHOULD. The managers who are absolutely thriving aren't necessarily the most tech-savvy ones. They're the leaders who understand how to use AI strategically to amplify their existing strengths while keeping clear boundaries around what must stay authentically human: building trust, navigating emotions, making tough ethical calls, having meaningful conversations, and inspiring people to bring their best work. Here's the most important takeaway: as AI handles more routine tasks, your human leadership skills become MORE valuable, not less. The economic value of emotional intelligence, empathy, and relationship building skyrockets when machines take over the mundane stuff. Here are 7 principles for leading humans in an AI-enabled world: 1. Use AI to create more space for real human connection, not to avoid it 2. Don't let AI handle sensitive emotions, ethical decisions, or trust-building moments 3. Be transparent about your AI experiments while emphasizing that human judgment (that's you, my friend) drives your decisions 4. Help your people develop uniquely human skills that complement rather than compete with technology. (Let me know how I can help. This is my jam.) 5. Own your strategic decisions completely. Don't hide behind AI recommendations when things get tough 6. Build psychological safety so people feel supported through technological change, not threatened by it 7. Remember your core job hasn't changed. You're still in charge of helping people do their best work and grow in their careers AI is just a powerful new tool to help you do that job better, and to help your people do theirs better. Make sure it's the REAL you showing up as the leader you are. #AI #coaching #managers

⚙️ AI is transforming the way we work. But leadership? That still starts with people. We’re in the midst of an AI revolution. Tech is moving fast. Automation is accelerating. And leaders are being pushed to integrate these tools—fast. But here’s what’s also happening: Teams are unsure where they fit. Burnout is creeping in Human connection is thinning. Leaders today face a unique dual mandate. Embrace AI, upskill teams, and stay competitive. And lead with empathy, care, and adaptability. Here are 8 steps I use with my executive clients to lead through this kind of change with clarity and confidence: 1. Acknowledge the Disruption: Start by naming the shift. Teams need to know you see the change and are leading through it, not avoiding it. 2. Lead with Empathy: Check in with your team to see how they are coping. Emotional clarity builds trust and resilience. 3. Upskill, Don’t Just Automate: Invest in reskilling. AI isn’t here to replace people—it’s here to enhance them. 4. Model AI Literacy: Be the first to learn and try new tools. Your curiosity sets the tone. 5. Encourage Dialogue: Let teams ask questions, explore new tools, and even fail. Innovation needs room to breathe. 6. Communicate Transparently: Share what you know—and what you’re still figuring out. Clarity over certainty builds credibility. 7. Balance Performance with Well-Being: Don’t just measure output. Pay attention to energy, burnout signals, and team cohesion. 8. Stay Anchored to Purpose: Remind people why the work matters. AI can improve outcomes, but it’s human meaning that drives real engagement. 💡 The tools may be new, but the best leadership is still rooted in trust, communication, and clarity of purpose. If you’re navigating this kind of landscape, I support leaders and teams to adapt with purpose and performance in mind. 📩 To learn more, email me at mc@mccoachingnyc.com. #AIleadership #executivecoaching #changemanagement #futureofwork #wellbeing #digitaltransformation #peoplefirst