AI, EI, Oh my”: A reflection on humanity, leadership, and emotional intelligence in an AI-saturated world.

Somewhere between ChatGPT’s first hello and the world’s obsession with automation, I found myself whispering the phrase: “AI, EI, Oh my…”

What began as a playful twist on Dorothy’s journey through Oz has become my personal mantra – a reminder that we are not just walking a yellow brick road paved with technological wonders, but navigating a storm of ethical questions, emotional tension, and existential unknowns. And unlike Oz, there's no wizard behind the curtain – there's only us.

This brings me to ask – what does it mean to lead in this moment – with one foot in the future and the other firmly planted in the oldest questions of what it means to be human?

This is a love letter to leaders who feel both the thrill and the terror of this moment. A note to the emotionally intelligent executives standing at the crossroads of AI and humanity. A reflection for anyone who’s ever felt that subtle grief of watching the world speed up, even as your soul whispers: “Slow down. Feel this. Don’t look away.”

Let’s look closer.

The Rise of AI (And Why It Terrifies Us).

We are now living in a world where AI is no longer “emerging” – it’s embedded. It shapes hiring decisions, writes our emails, analyzes customer moods, and even listens to therapy sessions. It answers faster than we can think. It’s brilliant, tireless, and deeply seductive in its promise of scale, precision, and control.

But let’s be honest – it also makes many of us feel irrelevant. Replaceable. Digitally outpaced.

There’s a quiet dread I’ve seen in the eyes of even the most accomplished executives:

“If AI can do what I do – faster, cheaper, smarter – what exactly is left of my job?”

That is not just a technological question. It’s an emotional one. And it lives in our bodies.

Leaders are grieving.

Grieving the loss of the known.
Grieving the illusion of control.
Grieving a world where being human once felt like enough.

The Silent Power of Emotional Intelligence (EI).

And this is where emotional intelligence – EI – becomes not just important, but urgent.

While AI scales intelligence, EI anchors wisdom.
While AI automates decisions. EI cultivates discernment.
While AI can write in our voice. EI reminds us of who we really are.

In this accelerating world, EI is the counterforce:

• The ability to pause in complexity.

• The courage to name what’s really going on.

• The skill to lead with presence, not performance.

But here’s the paradox: EI is invisible. It doesn’t show up in benchmarks or quarterly standards or measures. It doesn’t get automated. It doesn’t brag. Yet it is the single most powerful force keeping organizations human, teams connected, and leaders trusted.

And still… too many leaders are trying to “out-tech” the machines instead of “out-human” them.

We don’t need more technically brilliant, emotionally vacant executives.

We need leaders who can feel, listen, ground, and guide – especially when everything feels uncertain.

The Leader’s New Job Description.

I believe we are entering a new era – not of domination, but of integration. AI is not our enemy. But neither is it our savior.

The leaders who thrive now will not be the loudest or the most data driven. They will be the most emotionally attuned, the most human savvy, the most courageously honest.

Let me offer a reimagined executive job description for the Age of AI:

1. Be the Guardian of Humanity.

Yes, use the tools. Yes, leverage the scale. But hold the line on what makes us us. Connection. Curiosity. Meaning. Integrity. Don’t let AI erode our human essence in the name of efficiency.

2. Embrace Slower Thinking.

In a world of instant answers and gratification, leaders must reclaim the lost art of reflection and discernment. Create space for nuance. Complexity doesn’t require speed – it requires depth.

3. Lead with Nervous System Intelligence.

Regulation, not reaction. In high-stakes moments, your emotional tone sets the entire cultural climate. Learn how to stay grounded – not just for yourself, but for your team’s collective nervous system. For everyone’s benefit and wellbeing.

4. Relearn the Art of Listening.

Not just to data or dashboards, but to actual people. Their stories, their fears, their hesitations. AI may detect sentiment – but it cannot hold space for a human experience. You can.

5. Redefine Trust.

In an AI-shaped and moving world, trust will not be built by having the right answers, but by modeling transparency, vulnerability, and ethical clarity. We as humans are the unique owners and custodians of these characteristics.

The Cost of Disconnection.

The real crisis in the workplace isn’t just technological – it’s emotional. Loneliness, burnout, anxiety, and cynicism are quietly undermining performance.

We’ve built extraordinary digital machines but neglected the emotional architecture of leadership.

Consider this:

• A McKinsey study in 2024 found that 63% of workers say their leaders rarely show empathy.

• Harvard Business Review revealed that teams led by emotionally intelligent leaders outperform by 20-30% on key metrics.

• The World Health Organization declared burnout a workplace epidemic.

And yet… EI is still dismissed as “soft.” But here’s an absolute fact without a smidgen of doubt: There is nothing soft about emotional courage.

It’s hard to sit with discomfort.
It’s hard to admit “I don’t know.”
It’s hard to hold space for anger, grief, or fear.
It’s hard to model compassion when the numbers don’t look good.

But leaders who can do that – and do it consistently – are the ones who earn enduring loyalty.

AI Can Do Many Things – But It Cannot Do This.

AI can detect emotional cues. But it cannot empathize.
AI can analyze sentiment. But it cannot soothe.
AI can predict behavior. But it cannot connect with soul.

Let’s not confuse simulation with substance.

Imagine the most profound moment you’ve had in your career – a moment of real connection, breakthrough, or transformation. Was it AI-generated?

Of course not. It was deeply human. Raw. Real. Maybe even complicated.

That is your competitive advantage as a leader. You do not need to compete with AI. You need to reclaim your full humanity – your humanness.

So… How Do We Lead Now?

Let me offer a few practical invitations for leaders at this crossroads:

1. Start Your Meetings with a Pulse Check

Not an icebreaker. A real pulse – sentiment – check. Ask: “What are you noticing today? What’s one word to describe your internal state?” Normalize naming the emotional undercurrent in the room.

2. Audit Your AI Use Ethically

Ask: Is this tool helping or harming trust? Is it replacing human conversation or enhancing it? Are we transparent about its role? Ask really valid questions.

3. Reward Emotional Risk-Taking

Acknowledge the leader who showed up and asked a brave question. Affirm the manager who named an uncomfortable truth. That’s culture shaping – meaningful moments for collective growth.

4. Build Reflective Time into Your Schedule

Weekly alone-time reflection. Quarterly team retreats. Unstructured time is not a luxury – it’s a necessity for integration and foresight. And it allows us to breathe.

5. Practice Regulating, Not Just Leading

Get trained in nervous system awareness. Know how the body reacts to stressors. Learn to identify when you're in fight/flight/freeze – and how to recover. Your tone becomes your team’s tempo.

The Emotional Frontier.

Let’s stop treating AI and EI as opposites.
What they are, are partners. Tension points. Balancing poles.

AI expands the outer edge of what we can do.
EI expands the inner edge of who we can become.

And here’s the deeper truth: Our emotional intelligence is not just a skillset. It’s a survival strategy.

When the world floods us with complexity, EI gives us a raft.
When the pace becomes unsustainable, EI invites a deeper breath.
When the future feels overwhelming, EI grounds us in presence.

AI might lead the machine revolution – but EI will lead the human revolution.

A Personal Note to the Leaders, Current and Future, Reading This.

If you are tired, uncertain, or emotionally flooded – you are not broken. Most definitely not. You are awake. And very much so.

This is what it feels like to be a conscious leader in an unconscious system.

There is no playbook for what’s coming. That’s a given. But there are practices. And there is presence.

So, I offer you this reminder, and hold it close to your heart:

• Your presence is your power.

• Your honesty is your credibility.

• Your humanity and your humanness – is your differentiator.

You don’t need to be a tech expert. You need to be emotionally available.
You don’t need to know every answer. You need to stay in the conversation.
You don’t need to go faster. You need to go deeper.

So, the next time you feel that creeping overwhelm, just take a breath and say: “AI, EI, Oh my…”

And remember:
You're not in Kansas anymore.
And, you're not lost.

You’re leading the way – not as a machine – but as a fully feeling human.