Double Whammy - AI and Trade Wars!
NOW is the time!
I attended the “Future of Work” conference in Toronto last week. It was Tuesday, bright and warm, and I was thawing and feeling awesome about the opportunity to network and collaborate!
So many brilliant minds, honest reflections, and bold ideas!
I walked away from that conference with an absolute goldmine of insights—and I couldn’t keep it to myself.
So I’ve distilled the key takeaways into THREE Big themes that every People & Culture leader should pay attention to.
Let’s dive in.
Of course, the hottest topic was AI in HR.
The message was strong!
The Sales guy from Microsoft was on the stage for his session and repeated twice -
“You, my friends, in this room - each ONE of you will come back to share the good news of your “Promotion” and “Salary Increase” next year - at this very conference. I know it!”
He was very pumped, super energetic, bold voice and brimming with confidence.
My friends, he was right! You could be the one to get that title in your network, in your company - “The go-to AI person”. I can tell you that!
But how can you achieve that?
1. Build AI Literacy, Not Just AI Systems
“Those who understand the fundamentals and principles of AI and NOT just the tools, will be able to lead and stay ahead.”
Here’s what you can do:
✅ Train your people not just to use AI, but to question it.
✅ Focus on principles over tools. WHY & WHAT over HOW.
✅ Teach teams when to trust, what to trust, and when to challenge AI.
✅Teach your people “Prompting” techniques.
Prompting is the key to getting the MOST of any Generative AI tool - whether it is a tool that creates text content, audio, video, or even a tool that builds apps.
Here is my FREE prompt collection where you can find usable & practical HR prompts for Talent Development, Strategic Change Management, Workplace productivity & Guides to Effective Leadership Conversations.
Remember - HR has the chance to lean in and help our organizations harness the power of AI.
2. It's Not the Tech. It's the Servant Leadership.
If you are in a position of influence in HR, you are an AI leader, whether you realize it or not.
And Leadership in AI isn't about picking the flashiest & shiniest tool in tech.
It is about laying just enough guardrails and trusting in your teams to experiment.
It is about saying - “Go, try it, if we fail, we learn, if we succeed, we share”
It is about admitting when you don't have all the answers and seeking input from your team.
It is about measuring impacts in outcomes, not output.
A Head of People I know rolled out an AI coaching program last year. But before launching it, she brought together a cross-functional team - HR Ops, IT, Legal, Operations- and asked a simple but powerful question:
“What would a great outcome look like for the employees?”
That one question reframed everything—from the projects they led to the KPI’s they tracked.
Know that AI can be intimidating even to the most tech-savvy folks, so it is imperative that leaders step up and take the initiative to know the potential and limitations of AI to better support their teams.
And, ensure your teams know WHY you are implementing AI, not just what it does.
In this era, it’s not the companies with the best AI who will win.
It’s the companies with the boldest, most human-centered leaders who will.
Incentivize disruption - not to protect jobs, but to reinvent how we work.
So the question isn’t “How do we adopt AI?”
The question is:
“What kind of leader do I need to be… so that my team doesn’t get left behind?”
Move thoughtfully.
Move bravely.
Move now.
3. Move NOW
Start Climbing TODAY.
If you are NOT, you are risking it all!
⚠️ Here's the hard truth:
If you don’t build AI literacy,
If you don’t empower your people to lead,
you will be left behind and so will your team.
Because you lacked the leadership to climb.
You will need to shell out $$$$$ later to pay the McKinsey’s of the world.
In reality, standing still is no longer an option. It's time to move. NOW.
Because the cost of waiting is compounding, just like interest and tariffs.
Don’t invite the double whammy that my article title reads!
✅ Take one step: Learn what AI can (and can’t) do
✅ Take another: Identify a single, strategic use case
✅ And another: Build capability and mindset in your people
Takeaways for People Leaders
1. You don’t need to be an AI expert, but you do need to lead with AI fluency.
Your teams are looking to you not just for tech answers, but for strategic direction and encouragement.
2. AI is not a “tool” - it’s a cultural shift.
It requires new ways of working, redefined roles, and a refreshed mindset. Embed AI into the DNA of your organization. Reward and recognize people for thinking out of the box.
3. Start with one high-impact, low-risk use case.
Instead of boiling the ocean, pilot AI in one specific area- like analyzing employee surveys, skills mapping or job descriptions. Then share wins, learnings, and challenges transparently across the org.
4. Build AI readiness into your talent strategy.
AI fluency should be part of every role, not just Data Scientists and IT. Upskill your workforce to become better AI collaborators - people who can interpret, question, and act on AI insights responsibly.
5. Build a culture where people can challenge AI.
Encourage employees to question, probe, and even reject AI outputs when necessary. It is pro-accountability. Teach your teams not just to use AI, but to supervise it.