I had the honor of presenting at the Grand Rapids Chamber’s CEO Summit 2024, where we delved into the exciting intersection of human leadership and artificial intelligence (AI). For those who couldn’t make it or want a recap, here’s a rundown of what we discussed and why it’s so crucial for modern leadership.
AI and machine learning have been part of our lives for years. They contribute to our internet search results, credit scores, and medical diagnoses. However, we’re entering a new era where both generative and predictive artificial intelligence are dramatically changing how we live and work. As leaders, we need to navigate this historic time with intentionality and focus.
Human leadership and AI: A dynamic partnership
AI excels at tasks that involve data analysis, pattern recognition, prediction, and automation. It’s like having a super-intelligent assistant who never sleeps and can process more information in a minute than most of us can in a lifetime. But let’s be clear: AI is not here to replace us. Where AI can crunch numbers, humans bring sensemaking, contextual understanding, creativity, and, most importantly, empathy.
Think of AI as a helpful psychopath. It’s great at mimicking empathy and human-centered thinking when it benefits, but it shouldn’t make all the decisions. Our role as leaders is to leverage these AI capabilities while keeping our human touch front and center.
Empathetic leaders are more successful than psychopaths (and AI)
Empathy and human-centered leadership aren’t just nice-to-haves; they’re a competitive edge. Blending commercial success with a deep commitment to humanity creates a thriving business environment. We’ve seen this firsthand.
LaFleur Marketing has embraced this philosophy. Since our founding in 2015, we’ve focused on disrupting the traditional agency life by encouraging autonomy and human-centered approaches. Our journey, which has included being named in the Inc. 5000 and acquiring Orchard Insights, has shown that a focus on humanity drives success.
I believe that human-centered companies will be better equipped to navigate the AI era. They also generate more revenue, deliver faster outcomes, and outperform traditional profit-first enterprises. The numbers back this up: human-centered companies outperform the S&P 500 by 211%.
AI innovation begins with us
Initially, my teams were skeptical of generative AI. Our writers, designers, and other creatives were concerned about hallucinations, plagiarism, and the quality of AI’s work product. And frankly, some of them were worried about losing their jobs.
But today, nearly everyone on our teams is using and benefiting from AI-powered tools.
The secret sauce? It starts with us, the leaders. By modeling human-centered AI implementation and providing tools that enhance work life, we can create a thriving business environment. We need to demonstrate that AI is here to augment our capabilities, not overshadow them.
Managing your organization’s AI psychopaths
Let’s get back to those emotionless, pattern-loving psychopaths. How do you maintain your human-centered approach and incorporate AI into your operations?
Managing AI requires purposeful and intentional use. Create clear policies that protect personal data, offer secure enterprise-level tools, and foster a culture of experimentation and innovation. Train all stakeholders on data literacy, data storytelling, and AI ethics.
With human-centered leaders at the helm who see AI as a powerful collaborator and not a silver bullet, West Michigan companies (and beyond) can thrive. The integration of human leadership and AI offers a competitive advantage, ensuring businesses are well-equipped to navigate the challenges and opportunities of the AI era.
Human-centered leadership + Real-time data + AI = Real competitive advantage
Human-centered leadership and AI are a dynamic partnership, but things get really interesting when you add real-time data to the mix.
Data is a double-edged sword. While it’s powerful, it can also be overwhelming. Let’s consider your marketing data. You probably have data living in multiple locations, including GA4, your CRM, advertising platforms, and social media platforms. Even the best human analysts are going to miss trends and patterns in your data—especially when essential data points are scattered across all those datasets.
The information overload is real. According to Oracle, 97% of people want data to inform their decision-making, but 86% say the sheer volume leads to decision paralysis. It’s often negatively affecting people’s health and well-being.
AI psychopaths are incredibly skilled at pulling insights from massive datasets. With their help, we can make better sense of our information and better decisions. But AI alone is not the answer. You need access to high-quality, well-structured data. Your data architecture is essential, since AI psychopaths must be able to parse and utilize all that information before they can help you grow and craft better strategies.
That’s why we’re launching a new AI-powered marketing dashboard solution at LaFleur Marketing. Our goal is to connect business owners with the information and insights they need to thrive, turning complex data into actionable insights.
RELATED: Human-centered, data-driven strategy beats tactics every time
Ways leaders can leverage AI psychopaths
This is hardly a comprehensive list, and I would learn from other leaders’ use of AI. If you’ve discovered an AI life hack that you love, I’d love to hear about it. (You can email me at chip@lafleur.marketing.)
- Strategic decision support: Get high-level strategic advice on managing your company, guiding expansion, and processing large datasets.
- Better storytelling: Get help weaving concise, impactful stories that will resonate with stakeholders. For example, using key elements of a presentation, ask ChatGPT to create a narrative in the style of Ernest Hemingway. Use the AI model’s responses as inspiration while crafting your talking points.
- Marketing compliance checks: Using a custom GPT, identify possible violations of your industry’s rules and regulations surrounding marketing and client communications.
- Client feedback analysis: Ask your chatbot to analyze publicly available reviews and internal customer surveys. Then, identify strengths and weaknesses in your client experience.
A quick note about compliance and privacy
If you’re going to input proprietary information or personally identifiable information into an AI psychopath, you don’t want it to become public knowledge. For this reason, your business should invest in enterprise-level AI tools that do not use your inputs to train its models.
Want to continue the conversation?
If you want to delve deeper into this topic, I’d love to hear from you. Let’s continue this conversation and explore how we can integrate AI into our leadership strategies effectively. You can reach me at chip@lafleur.marketing or by completing our online form.
Cheers to human leadership and the exciting possibilities AI brings to the table!
