Things Leaders Do

If AI Can Do Your Job, It’s Time to Lead Differently

• Colby Morris

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If AI Can Do Your Job, It’s Time to Lead Differently

Episode Description:

If AI can do your job, what exactly are you bringing to the table?

This week on Things Leaders Do, Colby Morris delivers a direct challenge to every leader navigating the rise of artificial intelligence: 

You can’t automate emotional intelligence. 

You can’t delegate trust. 

And you sure can’t replace real leadership with a chatbot.

In this short, high-impact episode, you’ll learn:

  • Why your team is silently wondering if their work still matters—and how to lead through the fear.
  • What AI can do exceptionally well—and what it will never be able to do.
  • Why emotional intelligence (EQ) is the one skill that separates real leaders from human-shaped task bots.
  • How to use AI as a tool—without using it as a crutch.
  • Why the future of leadership is more human, not less.

This episode is designed for your drive to work or wind-down after—so you can listen, reflect, and lead differently by the time you show up.

🔗 Want to connect with Colby or book him to speak? Visit nxtstepadvisors.com or connect with Colby on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/colbymorris/)

Subscribe. Share it with another leader. And show up like only you can.
And you know why? Because those are the things that leaders do.


Speaker 1:

Welcome to Things Leaders Do, the podcast that uncovers the secrets of becoming an extraordinary leader. If you're a leader who's constantly seeking growth, inspiration and tangible ways to level up your leadership, then you've come to the right place. Remember, the world needs exceptional leaders, and that leader is you. Now here's your host, colby Morris is you Now.

Speaker 2:

Here's your host, colby Morris. Hello leaders, and welcome back to the TLD Podcast. I'm Colby Morris, an experienced leader who has led from literally every seat at the table, from frontline manager to executive. I've been there. My goal for this podcast is to give you the actionable tools and processes that you can start using today. I want to help you be a better leader faster.

Speaker 2:

This podcast is short by design, usually around 10 to 15 minutes. Why? Because I want you to be able to throw it on during your drive to work, show up and immediately put something into practice. Or maybe you listen on the way home, think it over and start fresh the next day with purpose. Either way, these episodes are made for implementation, not just inspiration. So let's get into it First.

Speaker 2:

Have you ever asked the question is AI going to replace me? That is the fear you have to face. If you're not thinking about AI right now, you're either ignoring the conversation or you're already overwhelmed by it. We are living in the tension between opportunity and fear, and for a lot of leaders, that fear sounds like this Am I replaceable? Or, even more subtly, is my leadership still necessary? According to Microsoft's 2024 Work Trend Index, 49% of employees are concerned, ai will replace their jobs and even more are unsure of how AI will impact their careers long-term. But here's the leadership opportunity. People aren't just afraid of AI taking their jobs, they're afraid of becoming irrelevant. And when people feel that way, they don't speak up, they pull back, they coast. You know what that means. That means disengagement. It means disconnection and silence, when your team should be innovating. This is your moment to lead. Former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said we should reframe how we think about AI, not as a threat but as an opportunity. But you see, your team won't see it as an opportunity until you talk about it like one. Your silence won't comfort them. It'll confirm their fears.

Speaker 2:

Number two AI can replicate tasks, but it can't build trust. Look, ai can do a lot. Let's not kid ourselves. It can schedule meetings. It can schedule meetings across different time zones. It can analyze project data literally in seconds. It can write an email that sounds kind of like you. It can create workflows, generate agendas, write a script for your team meeting. But what AI can't do? It can't sit with an employee after they bombed a presentation and say let's walk through what happened. It can't hear the hesitance in someone's voice during a one-on-one and ask are you really okay? It can't notice the exhaustion on someone's face and say, hey, take tomorrow off, I've got you.

Speaker 2:

As Rasmus Hugar wrote in Harvard Business Review, humans want to be led by other humans, because trust isn't just built on communication, it's built on connection. Ai can help facilitate leadership, but it can't feel what's needed in the room. If all you're doing is delegating and automating without connecting, you might be efficient, but you're not a leader, you're a chatbot and khakis, all right. Segment three is the emotional intelligence gap. Y-e-q is the leadership superpower. Let's get into the core of this conversation.

Speaker 2:

Emotional intelligence, that's the ability to recognize and regulate your emotions, while also reading okay. Responding to the emotions of others. It's self-awareness, it's empathy, it's emotional regulation okay, and social skills. All that rolled into one and it's not optional anymore, it's foundational. Harvard Business School reports that emotional intelligence contributes to get this 90% of what sets high performers apart. Did you hear that Emotional intelligence contributes to 90 of what sets high performers apart? Talentsmart's data shows 58% of job performance is directly tied to to EQ, not IQ. This isn't a nice to have. This is the whole game. Daniel Goleman, literally the father of modern EQ, said it best. He said the most effective leaders are alike in one crucial way they all have a high degree of emotional intelligence. This is the difference between leading a team through change and watching your team slowly spiral.

Speaker 2:

Ai doesn't see fear. Ai doesn't know when someone's about to quit. Ai doesn't recognize when someone's showing up physically, but checked out mentally. But you do, and the best leaders act on what they see. They name it, they address it, they walk with their team through it. That's emotional intelligence, that's leadership. All right, segment four I want you to use AI as a tool, but not a crutch. Look, I'm not here to bash AI. I use it all the time. Ai is great for drafting project outlines, brainstorming options when you're just stuck, okay, summarizing meeting notes, writing up the first draft of a team email, analyzing patterns in your business performance.

Speaker 1:

Here's what I don't do.

Speaker 2:

I don't hand off my leadership to it. The AI might write the email, but I rewrite it with my voice. Okay, the tool might pull the data, but I decide what to act on based on what my team's context is. Ai might recommend solutions, but I use my human judgment to choose the one that fits the culture and the people that I'm leading. Let me give it to you straight Hear this AI will never replace a leader who actually leads, actually leads. Ai will never replace a leader who actually leads, but it will replace leaders who have become nothing more than task managers and memo writers. So, yeah, use the tool, embrace the efficiency, but don't let it do the part only you can do.

Speaker 2:

Last segment I promise the future is human-driven tech, not tech-driven humans. Let's zoom out a little bit. The future is human-driven tech, not tech-driven humans. Let's zoom out a little bit. The future isn't about being replaced by machines. It's about standing out as irreplaceably human and, in this world of increasing automation, the people who will thrive are those who use AI to do more, but don't forget who they're doing it for. They leverage tech to save time, but spend that save time on investing in people. They stay curious, adaptable, emotionally intelligent and human-centered.

Speaker 2:

Forbes named emotional intelligence the number one leadership skill. That was in 2024. Why? Because in a world flooded with automation, what's scarce becomes valuable, and right now, human connection is in short supply. So here's your challenge Become the kind of leader AI could never replace.

Speaker 2:

Lead with empathy, lead with awareness. Lead with intentionality, because, while AI might run your systems, only you can lead your people. Quick summary yes, ai is changing the game, but your team still needs you in it. You can't ignore the fear. You have to name it. You can't build trust with efficiency. You build it with empathy. You can't delegate emotional intelligence to an algorithm. You can't lead people well if you're hiding behind tools instead of showing up with the heart. Leaders who lean into EQ, not just chat GPT, are the ones who are going to last. I want to thank you for hanging with me today. If this episode challenged you or sparked something for you, subscribe and share it with another leader. There are great conversations happening over on LinkedIn, so please come connect with me there. That link is in the show notes. If you're looking for someone to speak to your team or a keynote at your next leadership event, I'd love to partner with you Embrace the future, but never forget the power of the present moment, led by a real human leader. No-transcript.