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This is the weekly extra coffee flavor of the week- the Forbes Coach Council edition. Join Sahar the AI Whisperer as we unpack practical strategies for AI adoption that enhance leadership capabilities without the need for technical expertise. In each episode, you'll benefit from expert interviews and actionable insights on AI integration, specially tailored for non-technical leaders who want to harness AI tools confidently.
In this Forbes Edition of AI Café Conversations, Sahar Andrade explores the future of leadership at the intersection of AI and compassionate leadership. Through neuroscience and executive coaching insights, she reveals how AI can free leaders from repetitive tasks, giving them more time to connect, listen, and lead with empathy. Discover why compassion isn’t just a soft skill, but a neuroscience-backed leadership advantage, and how executives can use AI coaching tools to amplify humanity in the workplace.
Are you an executive or a coach striving to navigate the complexities of AI? Our discussions cover neuroscience-based AI strategies that empower leaders to embrace AI as a partner, enhancing rather than replacing human interaction. Learn about human-centered frameworks that support the smooth integration of AI into your organization while maintaining authentic leadership styles.
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Episode Transcript
Okay, so One, two, three, four.
Exactly.
You're trying to strategize.
Your calendar is justoverflowing.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
I'm sure not a good creation coming at you.
Speaker 3 (00:16):
It's relentless and you know deep down that
connecting with your team reallyseeing them, understanding them
.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
That's crucial.
Speaker 3 (00:23):
It's absolutely paramount but it feels like
there's never enough time.
How do you cultivate that?
Speaker 2 (00:30):
deep human connection when you're just trying to keep
up with strategic demands.
It's this constant tension,isn't it, between the tasks and
the people.
Yeah, a tension, many leadersfeel every single day.
Speaker 3 (00:40):
It makes you wonder is that authentic connection
becoming?
Speaker 2 (00:43):
I don't know harder to find Like an endangered
species.
It was in the workplacesometimes.
But what if?
And this might sound a bitcounterintuitive what if?
Speaker 3 (00:53):
the answer, or part of it, lies in a modern tool
like artificial intelligence, aiand human connection.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
That definitely sounds like an odd pairing at
first glance.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
It does.
Speaker 1 (01:03):
But, today we're doing a deep dive into exactly
that.
There's this really interestingperspective from the Forbes
Coach Council.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
Ah, okay, yeah called .
Speaker 1 (01:11):
AI Amplifying.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
Compassionate Leadership.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
The title itself kind of stops here.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
Amplifying, not replacing, that's a key word,
precisely so our mission todayis to unpack that to move past
the idea that.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
AI is this cold isolating thing in leadership.
The usual narrative yeah,Technology versus humanity Right
.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
Instead we're going to explore how AI could actually
be well, a powerful ally,something that frees us up,
frees us up to be more human.
Speaker 1 (01:39):
Exactly To be more compassionate, more empathetic
leaders.
I think there might be somereal aha moments here.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
Okay.
I'm intrigued that synergybetween tech and humanity.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
So we'll start by really defining compassionate
leadership what it actuallylooks like beyond just being
nice, Good place to start.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
Get grounded in the concept.
Speaker 1 (01:58):
Then we'll look at why it's so tough in today's
world, the pressures, thatsqueeze it out.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
The reality check.
Speaker 3 (02:02):
And then the core of it.
Speaker 1 (02:04):
Specific practical ways AI might help us lean into
our humanity, not away from it,Right.
Speaker 3 (02:10):
Because, like you said, the initial reaction might
be skepticism.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
AI and compassion they don't seem to mix.
We think AI is for efficiency,data logic, Not, you know,
feelings or understandingnuances.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
But this Forbes piece argues something different.
It suggests AI isn't just aboutoptimizing tasks.
Speaker 2 (02:32):
It's about optimizing our potential as leaders, as
human leaders.
Speaker 1 (02:36):
That seems to be the angle optimizing human potential
.
So let's dig into that firstpart.
What is compassionateleadership really?
It's definitely more than justbeing pleasant or having a sharp
strategy, isn't?
Speaker 2 (02:47):
it?
Oh, absolutely.
It goes way beyond that.
The article really stressesit's about the ability to
genuinely connect.
Speaker 1 (02:53):
Next, like really understand people.
Speaker 2 (02:54):
Yeah, Understand their perspectives, their
struggles and lead with realempathy being present.
Speaker 1 (02:59):
Present.
That's a good word for it.
Speaker 2 (03:01):
And the Forbes piece gives this fantastic anecdote.
Picture this A leader middle ofa big, stressful restructuring.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
Okay, so high anxiety all around.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
Exactly, and this leader notices one team member,
bella, usually vibrant,energetic.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
But not this time.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
No, she was quiet, slumped posture just off.
You could see something wasn'tright.
Speaker 1 (03:24):
And the leader could have easily just you know blown
past that, gotten straight tobusiness.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
Easily.
The agenda was packed, butinstead the leader paused,
simply asked how are you feeling, bella?
Really?
Speaker 1 (03:36):
Really Adding that word makes a difference.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
It does, and the crucial part wasn't just asking,
it was listening.
Undivided attention, no phonechecking, no clock watching just
being there just being thereand it turned out Bella was
dealing with something prettyheavy personally because the
leader made that space.
Bella felt seen, you know,heard, supported.
They talked it through Wow and.
(03:58):
Bella left feeling understood,valued and actually better
equipped to handle herchallenges and stay engaged with
work.
Speaker 1 (04:05):
That one moment of connection.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
That one moment of genuine compassion.
It shifted things.
Speaker 1 (04:10):
What's really interesting is how the source
talks about this not just as anice-to-have soft skill.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
Right, it frames it differently.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
It points to something deeper, like a
neurological basis.
Our brain's being wired forthis.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
Exactly, it dives right into the neuroscience.
It says when leaders act withcompassion, it literally
triggers positive neuralresponses in people.
Speaker 1 (04:33):
So it's not just feelings.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
It's actual brain chemistry Pretty much.
It enhances trust, boostscollaboration, improves
performance things you canactually see.
Speaker 1 (04:40):
Okay, so that flicks the script.
Compassion isn't soft.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
It's a neurological advantage, as the article puts
it.
It's fundamental to how we workbest together.
It unlocks potential.
Speaker 1 (04:51):
So, boiling it down compassionate leadership means
really seeing the people youlead.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
Seeing them, understanding them, not just as
job titles or outputs.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
And making decisions that consider their well-being,
their growth, their sense ofbelonging.
Speaker 2 (05:06):
Yes, all of that Because, let's face it, people
want to feel like they matterright, not just like a cog in
the machine.
Speaker 1 (05:12):
They want their humanity seen.
Okay, so we've established thispowerful human way of leading.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
Right the ideal.
Speaker 1 (05:19):
But now the reality check, because in today's world
it is so hard for leaders toconsistently give that deep
attention.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
It really is.
The pace is just relentless.
Speaker 1 (05:31):
You hear leaders talk about drowning in spreadsheets.
Endless emails, back-to-backZooms.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
Sifting through data reports, constant information
barrage.
It's cognitive overload.
Speaker 1 (05:41):
A battle just to keep your head above water, let
alone tune into subtle emotionalcues.
Speaker 2 (05:46):
And that's the core dilemma the Forbes article
tackles head on, which naturallybrings us back to AI.
Speaker 1 (05:52):
Right and the skepticism.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
Yeah, the immediate thought hold on.
Ai can't do compassion,algorithms don't understand
emotions.
Speaker 1 (05:59):
Which is a fair point , obviously.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
It absolutely is and the article is clear.
This isn't about AI becomingcompassionate or replicating
human emotion.
That's not the goal.
Speaker 1 (06:08):
Okay, so what is the role then?
Speaker 2 (06:09):
It's positioned as a supportive tool, an enabling
tool, something that handlessome of the load so that humans
can do the human stuff better.
Speaker 1 (06:17):
Ah, okay, that's a really important distinction.
It's not a replacement, not atall.
It's a partner.
A partner.
I like that.
The article says the beauty ofAI is that it frees us up to
lean into our humanity.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
Frees up our bandwidth essentially.
Speaker 1 (06:31):
Makes us more human, not less, which feels
paradoxical, but maybe it's true.
Speaker 2 (06:35):
Well, think about it practically how much time do
leaders spend on tasks that arefrankly repetitive, data, heavy
administrative?
A huge chunk of time, for mostRight leaders spend on tasks
that are frankly repetitive,data, heavy administrative.
Speaker 1 (06:44):
A huge chunk of time for most.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
Right.
So imagine a crucial quarterlyreview is coming up.
Big pressure.
Speaker 1 (06:51):
Yep Been there.
Speaker 2 (06:52):
Instead of you spending hours manually pulling
performance numbers from fivedifferent systems.
Or trying to synthesizefeedback from that massive
employee survey Exactly, or evenjust drafting the basic
presentation slides.
What if AI could do the heavylifting on that?
Speaker 1 (07:06):
How so?
Give me an example.
Speaker 2 (07:08):
Okay, well, AI tools using natural language
processing could summarize longproject reports in seconds.
Speaker 1 (07:13):
Right.
Get the key points quickly.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
Predictive analytics could flag potential team risks
or maybe highlight successes youmight miss in the raw data.
Speaker 1 (07:20):
Okay, like an early warning system or a highlight
reel.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
And automation could generate those standard weekly
or monthly reports that just eatup time.
Speaker 1 (07:29):
So it handles the mechanics, the data crunching.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
Precisely so.
Instead of being completelybogged down in the weeds of data
collection, stressing aboutformatting, you walk into that
review?
Speaker 1 (07:40):
Yeah, different.
Speaker 2 (07:41):
You walk in prepared, yes, but also with more mental
energy available.
Your cognitive load is lighter.
Speaker 1 (07:48):
Okay, I see where this is going.
That freed up bandwidth.
Speaker 2 (07:51):
It allows you to focus on what only you, the
human leader, can do.
Speaker 1 (07:56):
Like actually listening.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (07:58):
Picking up on the nuances.
Speaker 2 (07:59):
Yes, listening deeply , understanding the unspoken
concerns, guiding theconversation with real clarity
and, crucially, compassion.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
Bringing that neurological advantage into play
because you're not mentallymaxed out.
Speaker 2 (08:11):
You got it you have the capacity to access those
empathic circuits more easily.
Speaker 1 (08:15):
So AI isn't doing the connecting?
Speaker 2 (08:17):
No, it's creating the space for the human connection
to happen more effectively.
Speaker 1 (08:21):
It enabled.
It Offloads the transactionalstuff.
Speaker 2 (08:24):
Exactly.
It amplifies your ability tolead with emotional intelligence
, connect deeply, make decisionsdriven by genuine care.
Speaker 1 (08:31):
Okay, let's connect this back to that Bella story.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
Yeah, good idea.
Speaker 1 (08:35):
If that leader had been totally buried.
Speaker 2 (08:39):
you know, staring at a complex spreadsheet, fighting
an inbox fire, they might havecompletely missed it missed the
slumped shoulders, the change inenergy.
Speaker 1 (08:48):
Or even if they noticed they might not have had
the mental space, the capacityto actually stop and ask how are
you feeling really?
Speaker 2 (08:55):
And certainly not the space to truly listen to the
answer.
Speaker 1 (08:58):
So the AI piece it's about providing the freedom to
be present.
Speaker 2 (09:03):
That's it, the freedom, the breathing room, by
handling some of thatoperational analytical load.
Speaker 1 (09:08):
It gives you back that crucial resource attention
presence of mind.
Speaker 2 (09:13):
Allowing you to show up authentically for your people
when it counts the most.
Speaker 1 (09:17):
So the core argument isn't really about technology
replacing humanity at all.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
No, quite the opposite.
The article really hammers thishome.
Embracing AI doesn't meanabandoning compassion.
Speaker 1 (09:27):
It means enhancing it .
Speaker 2 (09:28):
Enhancing it, amplifying it.
Ai becomes a tool that boostsyour capacity to connect,
empathize, lead with kindness.
Speaker 1 (09:35):
It lets you delegate the machine work to machines.
Speaker 2 (09:37):
So you can double down on the human work, the
heart work.
Speaker 1 (09:42):
That vision is actually quite hopeful, isn't it
?
Speaker 2 (09:45):
I think so.
Speaker 1 (09:46):
A future where tech and humanity aren't in conflict,
but in harmony, supporting eachother.
Speaker 2 (09:52):
A symbiotic relationship.
Ai handles the number crunching, the admin, the first pass on
data.
Speaker 1 (09:57):
Leaving leaders free to focus their energy on what
only they can do.
Speaker 2 (10:02):
Cultivating relationships, inspiring people,
leading with empathy connectionhurt.
Speaker 1 (10:08):
That really reframes the whole AI discussion and
leadership.
Speaker 2 (10:11):
It does, and that's the critical takeaway from the
source AI won't steal yourhumanity.
It can actually amplify it.
Speaker 1 (10:18):
If used strategically .
If used strategically?
Speaker 2 (10:20):
yes, it provides tools to unlock a deeper, more
intentional way of leading.
Speaker 1 (10:25):
And that's the true power of compassionate
leadership, especially now.
Speaker 2 (10:28):
In this tech-driven world.
Yeah, it's about leveraging thetools wisely.
Speaker 1 (10:32):
Okay, so, as we start to wrap up this deep dive,
let's just quickly recap thatmain thread.
It sounds good.
Speaker 2 (10:35):
Okay, so, as we start to wrap up this deep dive let's
just quickly recap that mainthread.
Speaker 1 (10:37):
It sounds good.
The central idea is that AImaybe surprisingly can be a
really powerful ally forcompassionate leadership.
Speaker 2 (10:43):
Not by being compassionate itself.
Speaker 1 (10:45):
Right.
Not by replacing humanqualities, but by freeing us up,
taking some of the dataoverload the admin burden off
our plates.
Speaker 2 (10:58):
So leaders can focus their unique human skills
connection, understanding,empathy where they matter most.
Speaker 1 (11:00):
It basically clears the path for more human-centered
leadership.
Speaker 2 (11:02):
Exactly.
Speaker 1 (11:03):
When used, thoughtfully.
Speaker 2 (11:04):
So for everyone listening as you step into your
own leadership roles, maybe justthink about your work.
Here's something to chew on.
Speaker 1 (11:12):
Final thought.
Speaker 2 (11:13):
Yeah, a provocative question perhaps how can you
consciously use AI, or even justtechnology in general, to
enhance definitely not replace,but enhance your own ability to
lead with compassion?
Speaker 1 (11:26):
Making leadership both intelligent and kind.
Speaker 2 (11:28):
Precisely how can technology become your ally in
creating a workplace, a teamdynamic, where leadership is
smart, effective and deeply,genuinely human?
Speaker 1 (11:38):
It's about finding that balance, that harmony we
talked about.
Speaker 2 (11:41):
One decision, one interaction at a time, making
leadership both intelligent andcompassionate.
Speaker 1 (11:46):
A powerful goal for the future.
Speaker 3 (11:47):
Today's Forbes edition of AI Cafe Conversations
.
Remember this AI will neverreplace your humanity.
It can only amplify it.
Let it handle the weight ofdata and logistics so you can
lead with empathy, clarity andcompassion.
Ai cannot replace the humanrelations or the interpersonal
(12:11):
relationships you build withyour team.
The future of leadership is notabout choosing between
technology and humanity.
It's about harmony, and when welet AI carry the load, we make
space for what only humans cando Connect, listen and lead with
(12:33):
heart.
Feelings are not a soft skill.
They are not just soft.
I heard it a lot Emotions haveno space in the work.
Remember your number one asset,your number one customer, your
internal customer, youremployees.
I have never seen anorganization that thrives, that
(12:57):
is successful, that theirexternal customers are happy if
their internal customers are not.
Always remember that that'syour human capital.
Thank you for joining me.
Share this episode with aleader who needs to hear it, and
I will see you next week foranother Cafe Conversation in our
usual podcast on Wednesdays.
(13:19):
This is Sahar Andrade, your AIwhisperer, signing off For
comments or questions.
Please email me at sahar atsaharkonsultingcom.
Show me some love.
Like it, subscribe, share itand let me know what you think
you can find me on linkedin,sahar and radi, and you can find
(13:39):
me on instagram, sahar thereinvent coach, if you want to
have a little bit more depthinto what ai can do for you.
My book, the coach's brainmeets ai, is on Amazon and it's
number one new releases onAmazon for a few weeks already
(14:00):
and on the top 10 bestsellers indifferent categories.
I would love to hear from you.
Let me know.
Love you all.
I'm out.
1, 2, 3, 4.
Wanna hear you go.
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