Human-centered leadership in the age of AI is no longer a philosophical aspiration—it’s a practical requirement for building trust, resilience, and performance at work. At the World Economic Forum in Davos, I was struck by how often leaders returned to the same idea: as organizations adopt AI for speed and scale, they must also reinforce empathy, judgment, and genuine human connection if they want their cultures—and their people—to thrive.

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Last week in Davos, I heard the word humanity more often than I expected to at meetings around the World Economic Forum.

That alone says something about the moment we’re in.

As leaders move quickly to adopt AI for efficiency and scale, there’s a growing recognition that organizations are not simply a collection of tasks to be optimized. They are living systems made up of people—with emotions, aspirations, fears, and judgment calls that can’t be automated.

You can feel this when you enter a company’s headquarters. Culture isn’t the mission statement on the wall. It shows up in how people celebrate progress, how they speak up when something feels off, and how they respond when things don’t go as planned.

I learned this personally more than a decade ago, when I walked away from what looked like a “good” job on paper. There was nothing obviously wrong. But my instincts told me the environment wasn’t right—and I’ve learned to trust that signal more and more.

At its best, a workplace is one where people feel supported and challenged. Where curiosity is welcomed, growth is expected, and taking calculated risks are possible.

That matters even more now.

As AI reshapes roles and rewrites job descriptions, leaders have a responsibility to reinforce the human side of work: empathy, judgment, and genuine concern for one another. These aren’t touchy-feely ideals. They shape how people show up, how teams perform, and whether trust holds under pressure.

In a recent conversation, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella reflected on leadership this way: “If you just have IQ without EQ, it’s a waste of IQ.” 

He shared this insight in an interview with Axel Springer CEO Mathias Döpfner as a reminder that technical intelligence alone has never been enough to lead.

How to put this into practice

Before you enter your next meeting or deliver your next presentation, pause and reconnect with why your work matters—to you, and to the people you impact.

Look for small ways to change how you connect. Replace a standard video call with a walking meeting. If a colleague is nearby, invite them to step outside together. These moments create space for more honest conversation, clearer thinking, and greater human connection.

We are not a series of transactions. We are human beings who make meaning through shared experience—which is why my keynote speeches focus on creating a sense of communication and connection. 

As we navigate the promise and uncertainty of AI, let’s stay open with one another—about what excites us, what worries us, and what we’re still figuring out. Curiosity and honesty are not signs of weakness, they are signals of thoughtful leadership.

This is how we build trust, and this is what will carry organizations forward in the years ahead.

Until next week,

Allison

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