Alisa Cohn

Join Jared S. Taylor for the latest episode of the Slice of Technology AI podcast, created in collaboration with HumanX. This week's guest is Alisa Cohn, CEO at Alisa Cohn & Associates, Inc.

Key Highlights

• AI's Impact on Leadership: Leaders must adapt to exponential technological changes and embrace decentralized, agile teams.
• Leadership Style Evolution: Self-awareness and situational awareness are vital for leaders to adjust styles for their teams' needs.
• Navigating New Realities: Leaders must accept and integrate AI as an indispensable tool to enhance productivity and foster innovation.
• First 90 Days of AI Integration: Establish psychological safety, encourage experimentation, and focus on workforce reskilling for AI adoption.
• The Human Touch: Emotional intelligence and meaningful feedback remain essential in building trust and effective leadership.

Adapting to Rapid Change

In an era of rapid AI advancements, leadership faces unprecedented challenges and opportunities. Alisa Cohn, executive coach and author of From Startup to Grown-Up, highlights the necessity of embracing continuous change. Leaders must navigate decentralized workplaces, manage burnout, and utilize AI tools not only for operational efficiency but also as resources for brainstorming and strategic decision-making.

Leadership Styles in Flux

Leadership today demands a balance of self-awareness and adaptability. Alisa emphasizes tailoring leadership styles to fit team dynamics. Whether you’re a hands-on leader or prefer delegating, aligning your style with organizational needs is key. Her advice is to remain agile, leveraging situational awareness to foster growth and collaboration.

Leveraging AI for Leadership

AI is reshaping traditional leadership. Leaders must evolve to manage smaller, more agile teams while maintaining a human-centric approach. Tools like ChatGPT can enhance brainstorming and provide quick access to knowledge, though Alisa cautions against blind reliance due to inaccuracies. Instead, leaders should use AI to amplify their expertise while maintaining critical oversight.

The First 90 Days of AI Implementation

Alisa outlines a roadmap for leaders to integrate AI within their organizations effectively:

1. Decisive Leadership: Commit to AI adoption and align the executive team.
2. Skill Audits: Assess current workforce capabilities and identify gaps.
3. Encourage Experimentation: Create a culture of risk-taking and innovation with no-stakes experimentation.
4. Collaborative Learning: Share best practices across teams to accelerate collective learning.

Retaining the Human Touch

Despite technological advances, the human element in leadership is irreplaceable. Building trust through open communication, offering impactful feedback, and maintaining meaningful relationships are foundational to great leadership.

Looking Ahead

Alisa's excitement for the upcoming HumanX conference underscores her commitment to staying at the forefront of leadership and AI innovation. The event promises fresh perspectives and invaluable insights into the future of leadership in an AI-driven world.