EP 279: Leading as the World Shifts: Human-First Skills for the Age of AI with Guest Expert Minette Norman

In a world that often feels chaotic and uncertain, what is it that makes some leaders thrive where others crumble?

The answer likely isn’t what you think. 

It's not the fancy job titles, experience, or even raw intelligence. It’s how comfortable they are steering the ship when they can't see the horizon. 

It’s the ability to bring clarity when everyone feels confused, understand their own blind spots, and truly connect with people – the human-centered skills that most leaders were never taught.

Today on The Bridge to FulfillmentⓇ, Blake welcomes Minette Norman. She is an award-winning author, speaker, leadership consultant, and former Silicon Valley executive. Author of "The Boldly Inclusive Leader" and co-author of "The Psychological Safety Playbook," she now runs her own consultancy dedicated to helping leaders unlock their organizations' full human potential through collaborative and inclusive practices.

In this episode, you’ll learn the most important leadership skills for the AI era and how to lead effectively in times of uncertainty. You’ll learn why human skills like empathy, compassion, and creativity are the keys to effective leadership. You’ll also learn how to invest in your team's psychological safety and better ways to think about inclusive hiring and more transparent leadership.

 

What You’ll Learn:

• Skills that leaders need to focus on now (10:29)

• More effective hiring practices (16:46)

• Why people are less engaged at work (20:21)

• Recognizing the role emotions play (31:11)

• A curiosity challenge (41:18)

 

Favorite Quotes:

 

1. “Having to put on that mask is a huge cognitive burden that actually is creating some of the problems of anxiety and stress. And people are feeling less engaged at work because they can't feel fully present or fully safe.” –Blake Schofield

2. “Leaders, in this age of uncertainty, anxiety, fear of AI and jobs going away, we need to invest more in the skills that are deeply human, the skills that no AI is ever going to have. What is it that we have as humans? It's empathy and compassion and creativity and all the things that are that are uniquely human. This is where leaders need to focus.” –Minette Norman

3. “I think we're moving into a place where the true leaders and true companies that will really be empowered to create growth and become market leaders are the ones that understand these nuances about people working differently, creativity, creating cultures where people are innovating and comfortable with the unknown.” –Blake Schofield

4. “We do not leave our emotions at home when we go to work. They are what make us human. And in fact, without emotions, we can't function, we can't make decisions, but to not acknowledge them does us such a disservice.” -–Minette Norman

 

Additional Resources: 

 

Connect with Minette Norman:

Website: https://www.minettenorman.com/

Free resources on inclusive leadership: