The Future Is Human: Leadership in a time of tech-paradox

Technology for better or worse, has been transformational for society. And now, with AI as a part of our daily lives - the opportunities are endless. In one sense, AI can be seen as disruptive or corrosive to society. On the flip side, it’s potentially helping us achieve more in a given day and extending that courtesy to those often overlooked.

Issa He, an expert in inclusive communication, sees AI as a link to connect remote and diverse communities by providing tools tailored to their strengths, needs, and cultural contexts. AI can also enhance life for people with disabilities by providing enhanced communication and mobility tools. Tim Shriver, Chairman of the Special Olympics, highlights AI’s role in education, noting that it can simplify information and enhance accessibility for young people with intellectual disabilities (Time, 2024).

At the same time, there are widely held views that AI is costing us jobs, replacing human roles with automated bots. Others argue that this tech advancement is helping us create greater efficiencies in our work lives, removing mundane tasks and allowing space for deeper strategic thinking. Some C-Suite leaders see this as transformative—automating low-value tasks means employees can focus on meaningful work and reach their full potential (Business Insider, 2024).

While AI accelerates globalisation and promotes communication equity, it still raises concerns. The erosion of critical thinking, threats to mental well-being, and a diminishing sense of social connection. These challenges, unprecedented in scale, have led us to a tipping point. Can we embrace innovation while simultaneously challenging its impact? Can we keep pace with technological advancements while building connected and inclusive communities? And most importantly, what role must our leaders play in navigating this evolving landscape?

Diversity meets complexity in today’s workplace

These are not easy times to be a leader. Australia’s diversity is growing, yet only 47% of people reported feeling a sense of belonging last year (Scanlon Foundation, 2024). A recent KPMG Australia study has confirmed that these types of social issues are also keeping our leaders up at night. Cybersecurity risks, talent shortages, and complex regulations are stretching Australian business leaders—compounded by geopolitical conflicts and rapid AI advancements (KPMG, 2024). The pace of change has never been faster.

When you layer these insights on top of the mental health responsibility managers have inadvertently inherited (more on that next), it's clear that the future of leadership has changed. Strong leaders are no longer anchored to tired tropes about ‘moving cheese’ or steering teams from ‘good to great’. Today, leaders need to now shift to be inclusive, influential, empathetic, and relatable humans.  

The Leadership Landscape 

Alongside KPMG’s findings, another important leadership insight has made headlines. A cross-section of research from ten countries has found that ‘60% of workers list their jobs as having the biggest impact on their mental health’ (UKG, 2023). This means that our managers now outweigh professionals (doctors and therapists) in this area and have equal weight to our partners. 

With great management, comes great responsibility. Or so we now say. This phenomenon is said to be linked to the ‘chronic anxiety that comes from working through one global crisis after another’ - Dr. Jarik Conrad, UKG, 2023. He adds, ‘Employers can be the anchor of stability for their people by giving them the support and resources they need - not just what they think they need’. 

This is where our paradox really comes to light. We have never before been so connected yet ultimately disconnected. We are stuck on the fundamentals of cohesion, disparate on what our public holidays should even look like. We have increased flexible work, a huge win for many employees. Yet some of us can’t seem to grasp what success looks like in a remote setting and feel more and more disengaged. The picture tells us that teams need a human first and a manager second.

What does human-centred leadership actually mean? 

At its core, human-centred leadership is for managers who aren’t afraid to tear up the rule book and start again—not just once, but repeatedly. Too often, organisations post job ads seeking ‘innovative’ talent, only for those same ‘innovators’ to be hired and eventually told to settle in and comply with how things have always been done. Sound familiar?

Human-centred leadership means learning from the past while embracing change. It’s grounded in empathy, inclusion, accountability, and critical thinking. Because the only way any of us can keep up, is to dust ourselves off and keep going.

Empathy - because a divide between our ‘work selves’ and ‘self-selves’ isn’t real. 

Some studies suggest that empathy could be the most important leadership skill of all (Forbes, 2022). Why? Empathy taps into the very essence of what it means to be human. It’s about pausing to consider others’ perspectives before jumping to conclusions. It’s about approaching problems with curiosity and nuance rather than oversimplifying the complex.

While we all bring our own professional and tactical approaches to our work, alignment with our core values means we are authentic in our leadership. Empathy also works both ways. By showing up as a tangible, relatable human, you’re far more likely to earn empathy—and, in turn, respect—from your employees.

Inclusion - with or without the label of ‘diversity’

It’s common practice—and in some cases, the law—for managers to provide customised work plans to support employees living with disability in the workplace. But human-centred leadership goes further; it recognises that inclusive practices benefit everyone. After all, who doesn’t need wrap-around support when juggling complex carer duties? Or when managing an invisible illness and striving to bring your best self to work?

We need to shift our focus from simplistic ‘diversity’ labelling, to seeing everyone as inherently human and therefore complex. This doesn’t mean ignoring individual needs, unconscious biases, or the barriers some employees face compared to others. Instead, it’s about creating space for all teams to customise an approach to work that suits their individual, and, often, changing needs. This mindset champions inclusion, builds trust, and strengthens empathy—all while creating support systems to tackle wellbeing and hybrid workplace challenges.

Embracing failure 

How many times have you turned to your team and openly said, 'I got this wrong'? My guess is, not many. Yet the more you own and vocalise your failures, the more room you create for innovation across your organisation. After failure comes critical thinking and that’s often where the best ideas are sprung. 

Being human means being flawed. Expecting anyone to perform at 100% accuracy, 100% of the time, for 48 weeks of the year, simply isn’t realistic. Of course, we all want to get things right—celebrating our mistakes doesn’t come naturally. But in the leadership landscape of 2025, we need to be willing to build, rebuild, and rebuild all over again. 

Take Steve Jobs, for example. Exited from the company he founded, he turned failure into one giant success story. Yet you don’t need an entrepreneurial garage start-up story behind you to inspire innovation—you just need the courage to say, ‘I got that wrong. Let’s try something else, shall we.’

Accountability- but make it real

This period of workplace instability can create a lot of ‘grey’ within a typical working day. When working remotely, we all know that not ‘seeing’ your team doesn’t mean they aren’t working. Yet, for some, working in this foggy area can lead to confusion, disengagement or a lack of basic accountability. 

The answer? Allow flexibility while establishing clear parameters for success. This can take many forms: daily stand-ups, monthly in-person meetings (if possible), informal online check-ins, or whatever works best for you and your team. Human-centred leaders know that they have to measure what matters and follow through with tangible solutions. 

Maintaining the ‘pace’ or ‘hum’ of a remote workplace is challenging, but it’s essential. When your team has clear expectations, defined reporting areas, and space for connection, they’re far more likely to bring their full potential to the table. This isn’t accountability for accountability’s sake—it’s about building team morale, providing role clarity, and helping individuals connect to a greater purpose and end goal. There’s nothing more motivating than purpose. 

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Why the future is human

Picture a world where your mental health depends on your manager. Not your partner or therapist, but your manager. Now, what if that manager were an AI-powered operating system? What would that mean for the future of leadership?

Technology presents us with a paradox. On one hand, technology is incredible, even life-giving in its applications. But its exponential growth often feels misaligned with our social realities. As leadership author John Dore puts it; “No amount of artificial software innovation can really make up for the fact that it’s difficult to engage and empathise with another human being via a machine.”

Today’s leaders must navigate digital complexity, while constantly up-skilling themselves and their teams to keep up. Compounding this situation are other mounting challenges; a cost-of-living crisis, a fragmented workforce spanning dispersed ways of working, stagnant social cohesion, and, widespread political disengagement and disenfranchisement. These challenges demand more than tired and traditional leadership ‘rules’. 

We need humans to power the AI models that help us create daily efficiencies. We also need leaders who will set aside outdated modes of culture-building and rethink what it really means to be human in today’s workplace. Being human serves both ourselves and our teams. It’s how we build trust, embrace failure, and empower inclusion. It’s how we navigate complexity while staying connected.

Finally, holding such high stakes over your team’s mental health and success is confronting, but it’s also an opportunity to lead differently. Because, ultimately, the future is human.

Join the conversation - reach out to Jon Yeo and the team at TEDxMelbourne.