Is AI Going to Take Their Jobs? What Leaders Should Say

I feel like Michael Corleone in The Godfather. Every time I try to get out, they just keep dragging me back in. I don't want to make this an AI channel, but this is important. I woke up, turned on the computer to see what to write about today, and Axios has just released a report basically saying that AI is still causing disruption and layoffs, and people are worried about it. So what do we say when— and not just with AI, but what do we say when people really need some reassurance, when Especially when we don't really know what's going on. Let's get to the heart of it. What do we really say when people are worried that AI is going to take their jobs? I think the worst thing to say is, don't worry. Anyway, I'm going to go grab a shower, shave, and let's come back and work this problem. How do you feel when someone tells you, just don't worry? Maybe I'm the only one, but when I hear that, now I know I've got something to worry about. Look, I meant what I said. I really don't want to make this whole stream about AI, but people are worried again. People are asking, is AI going to take my job? Is it going to replace me? Or is it going to really disrupt the way I do my work? And I think that's the biggest concern right now. I understand if you're a leader who cares, you want to try to help people feel a little bit better about things, right? But the worst thing we can do when they're worried is to tell them not to worry. And to make matters worse, AI is moving so fast, we really don't know. We don't know if AI is gonna replace people. We don't know how it's gonna disrupt the workplace. None of us knows that. And none of us knows for certain how our organization is gonna respond to AI or what our personal relationship is gonna be with it. So if someone on your team asks you, is AI gonna replace my job? And you don't know, don't tell them not to worry. Because you don't know, and neither does anybody else. It's really tempting to say stuff like, don't worry, your job is safe, AI is only here to help us, nobody's replacing anybody. But unless you really know those things, what you're trading is a little bit of short-term comfort, maybe, for what could be a real, real big problem in credibility later on. I've learned, especially through this adventure, that people can deal with uncertainty A lot better than they can deal with the belief that someone's hiding something from them, especially their leaders. We just can't afford to gamble with that trust. And trust isn't built by knowing everything, by having all the answers, by predicting the future. Nobody can do that. Trust is built by being honest, consistent, and telling the truth, even when the future is unclear— especially when the future is unclear. So what do we tell people when they're really worried, when they're concerned that AI or Anything else is going to disrupt their workflow or displace or replace them. First of all, tell them what you know. That's it. We can say things like this: As far as I know, here's what we're doing with AI right now. Here's how it's affecting our work today. Or here's what the company has actually told me so far. Be clear. Don't sugarcoat it. Tell them what you know and don't guess or speculate. This is just as important. It might even be more important. Tell them what you don't know. You can say something like, I honestly can't tell you what every job here is going to look like 2 years from now, because you don't. Now, that isn't weak leadership. That's credible leadership. If you don't know, say you don't know. What good is it going to do to try to hide uncertainty behind some kind of corporate talking points? People read right through that. I think this might be the most powerful thing I can share with you today. How about involving them in the process? Tell them what you're going to do about it together. And that can go well beyond AI. I mean, this applies to anything that they might perceive as a threat or disruption. Ask people at all levels, say, what can we learn from this? How do you see AI making your job easier or making it more difficult? What can we start experimenting with now? And how do you see yourself fitting into that process? That's how you turn anxiety into agency. And apply the tools and techniques, the disciplines that we talk about every day around here. Inspire, empower, and guide. Inspire. Touch people's hearts, not just their heads. This is how you help people see the possibilities. Empower. Invite them into this process. Make sure that they have a role, not just a stake in how this thing turns out. And guide. Be willing to share your knowledge, your wisdom, your experience face to face. Give them what you see as the Clearest next step that you have available to you. They don't need a 5-year prediction. They know you don't have a crystal ball. They just need to know that you're confident in taking this next step, wherever that might go. Like I said, people don't need you to predict the future. They might think they do once in a while, but they don't. What they're really asking for is, can they trust you while you're figuring this out together? Don't even try to give people certainty that you don't have. Give them a voice. Give them the truth. Give them the next step as best you can. And most of all, show them that you're willing to walk the walk with them. Show them that you're willing to be flexible, adaptable, and comfortable with uncertainty. That's how you earn trust, respect, and loyalty. Approach uncertainty this way, and you just might be surprised once in a while. You take that first step expecting to go in this direction, and sometimes, just once in a while, you might find out you end up someplace much, much better. This is part of our ongoing Keep It Human series. 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