Managing AI So It Doesn’t Manage You

Cathie Leimbach • November 13, 2023

"The biggest mistake you can make is thinking AI is just another chatbot."

-Dr. Radhika Dirks

Dr. Radhika Dirks sees AI as both a valuable aid and a dangerous tool. Who is Dr. Radhika Dirks? She is a leader in multiple AI companies and is considered one of the top women in the AI world by both Forbes and Deloitte.


Dirks believes humans do, and always will, have the potential to add value at a higher level than machines. However, she warns that realizing this potential requires people to proactively develop their potential. It requires organizational leaders to be intentional about leveraging human capacity rather than blindly trusting AI technology.


Dirks suggests that there are three waves of AI and that we, humans, need to strengthen our skills to respond to each wave prudently.


Wave 1 – Explosion of Creativity: AI creates content creatively. AI generates pictures, websites, and text which challenge the human identity. Many are questioning the future of human work. 


  • Leaders need to be adaptable and have a growth mindset to add value in the world around us


Wave 2 – The World of Illusions: AI generates fake news and realities, posing a threat to our ability to distinguish between fake and truth.  Many of the pictures which have accompanied media stories in the last month are computer generated. Many of the articles references in AI writings do not exist.


  • Leaders must rely on intuition and ethical decision-making as well as develop guidelines for the use of AI within their organizations.


Wave 3 – The Race to Intimacy: AI mimics human emotions and forms connections, posing a challenge to genuine human relationships. To truly feel cared about and connected with others, we need to hear the human voice. Machines can’t fill a relationship void.


  • Leaders must prioritize in-person interactions, emotional intelligence, and intuition.



What is one step you will take in your organization to use AI wisely and help people develop the skills to have meaningful lives in a world in which AI has an expansive reach? 

The Power of Strategic Choice: Making Room for What Matters

By Cathie Leimbach • November 10, 2025
In most organizations, the instinct is to add —more goals, more projects, more meetings. But as Juliet Funt, founder of the Juliet Funt Group, teaches in her Strategic Choice process, real leadership strength lies in deciding what to stop doing . Strategic Choice is the intentional narrowing of priorities—cutting away the clutter so teams can focus on what truly drives results. It’s a disciplined act of letting go: saying no to good ideas so there’s room for the great ones. Funt’s approach challenges leaders to pause, think, and create the mental and operational space their people need to perform at their best. By removing unnecessary tasks and misplaced effort, leaders make room for precision, innovation, and real thinking time. This isn’t about doing less—it’s about doing what matters most. When businesses adopt this mindset, they replace overwhelm with clarity and regain control of their time, energy, and outcomes. For small to mid-sized companies, embracing Strategic Choice can transform busyness into focus—and that focus is where sustainable growth begins. Want a quick visual overview? View Strategic Choice: Making Room for What Matters to see how this process helps leaders focus on what truly drives results.

Unlock Your Team's Potential: Fix Dysfunction, Boost the Bottom Line!

By Cathie Leimbach • November 4, 2025
Hey team leaders! Ever wonder why some companies soar while others stumble? Patrick Lencioni's bestseller, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team , nails it: workplace dysfunctions such as no trust, fear of conflict, lack of commitment, avoiding accountability, and ignoring results lead to mediocre performance at best. But here's the good news—smart leadership development changes the game! Start with building trust . Train leaders to open up and be vulnerable. Teams bond, ideas flow, and costly mistakes drop. Next, embrace healthy conflict . Teach team leaders to make it safe for team members to share the pros and cons of current or new ways of doing things. This helps everyone understand different perspectives. Then, drive commitment . Leaders who clarify goals, ask everyone to share their level of buy-in, and address their concerns get everyone bought in. People focus on high value work and get more done. . Hold folks accountable through coaching. Leaders learn to give kind, direct feedback by praising good work and calmly providing more training as needed. Turnover plummets and the quality and quantity of work improves. Finally, focus on results . Be clear on expectations. Keep score by monitoring progress weekly or daily. Acknowledge team wins when the goals are met. Winning sports teams pay attention to these Five Behaviors of a Team. How would a World Series winner have been determined this week without trust among the players and coaches, openness to tough coaching, the whole team working together, players focusing on their specific positions, and getting players around the bases to get the top score? Every workplace can benefit from these team behaviors as well. Lencioni's research proves it: Companies who prepare their leaders to overcome these 5 common workplace dysfunctions, improve the culture and see huge financial gains. Invest in your leaders today. Your bottom line will thank you! Click here to learn more about the painful cost of team dysfunction.