It’s pretty impressive how ChatGPT or any other AI tool can respond to a basic question and spit out the answers. So fast! Or find information that gets a conversation started. Or even “sit in” on a meeting and take notes. Or any number of other data-centered tasks.
In a sense, AI can listen, but it can’t ask questions and listen to the answers. With AI, it’s a one-sided conversation.
A great human leader, on the other hand, knows what questions to ask AND really listens to the answer.
Last week, I had coffee with Charlie Saffro, CEO of CS Recruiting who I profiled in The Retention Revolution. She’s a human leader who just gets it.
She shared a story of something that she did with her team recently that’s such a great example of being a great human leader—she asked, listened, and responded.
Charlie wanted to know what her 28 employees really wanted. So she took her whole staff through an exercise to help each person define their purpose. What drives them? One of her recruiters shared that she comes alive when she can put a creative spin on things. And she usually looked outside of her job to find that creative spark.
Once Charlie knew this, she had the opportunity to consider whether or not there was a project that could tap into that passion. And lo and behold there was. This employee started creating design templates for resumes, a job that got those creative juices flowing.
It was a business need, and Charlie was able to match this with her employee’s interest, take professional development personally, and increase her compensation to do it.
Talk about a win-win.
Charlie asked a question, got an answer, then ran with it—something AI definitely can’t do.
Human leaders like Charlie realize that they need to create an ecosystem of growth within their walls, or employees will leave to get those opportunities somewhere else.
She also understands that people want meaning at work. In fact, a recent survey from the American Psychological Association found that 93% of employees value meaning and stability at work.
That’s why being a human leader is good for people and great for business.
Thank you Charlie for showing us how it’s done!
p.s. Check out Charlie’s new TEDx talk: “Business IS Personal – Prioritizing People Pays Off”
5/21/24
