Here’s a generative thought: how could AI make you better at your job?
That’s worth pondering for everyone, but more so if your job entails leading. Effective leaders amplify others’ efforts. They have an outsized effect on the productivity — and humanity — of organizations.
Recently, I read a book called More Human: How the Power of AI Can Transform the Way You Lead by Rasmus Hougaard and Jacqueline Carter, which aims at making leaders more effective using AI. It’s a great subject given our work at unfinishe_, but as I read the book, I kept thinking, “This is also a great subject for a conversation with Harry!”
This passage, in particular, caught my mind:
To enable good synergistic collaboration between AI and humans, we must understand how the human mind operates. From a cognitive science perspective, most models of the mind describe, in different words, three key qualities: perception, discernment, and response. Everything we think and do is filtered through this cycle of neurological qualities. Therefore, to understand how we as humans get the best of the augmentation with AI, we must understand these neurological qualities. In the context of cultivating good leadership, we call these three qualities awareness, wisdom, and compassion.
Perception, discernment, and response are indeed three key qualities of the mind. We can work on all three, and although we haven’t used these words per se, several Traction Heroes conversations have focused on at least one of the three.
But even more impactful was the claim that these neurological qualities can be cultivated through awareness, wisdom, and compassion. These aren’t words one expects to read in a book about leadership, and much less in one about AI.
Which is to say: the book was a pleasant surprise! And I wanted to hear Harry’s take, so I brought this passage to our conversation in episode 15. I hope you get as much value from this episode as I did.