Human Beings, not Human Doings

As our fascination (obsession? anxiety?) with how disruptive new technologies – read: AI – will continue to impact how we work, some great insights to absorb in Accenture Song's Life Trends 2025 report.

The study zeroes-in on a potential AI knock-on effect that, with effort and focus, can be avoided. The ‘dignity of work’ is being challenged: as business pressures and tech advances intersect, employers can now more readily over-index on performance and productivity, at the expense of considering their employees’ well-being, skills development, or contribution to company culture. The outcome, per Accenture? For some, work feels increasingly transactional and draining.

In this context, and as we look to further mine the extraordinary power of AI, one differentiating factor will be key: how leaders lead, and how they treat people. 

Other post-pandemic studies have been pointing to this for a while: that new leadership styles are needed, that workers today are looking for their leaders to be more people-centric and demonstrate stronger emotional intelligence, with all the benefits that can bring in terms of trust, respect, and engagement.

As the way we work changes for the better in the era of AI, so too must the way we lead. Our people are still people, after all. Remembering what keeps them truly connected and feeling a sense of agency will be essential to them continuing to find purpose and meaning in their work – and being the best they can be when it comes to serving the customer.