AI is a tool. A powerful one. But leaders are choosing to let it replace the most human parts of the job. That’s not a technology problem. That’s a leadership problem.
People are being laid off or fired without a conversation. Performance reviews are AI generated without a human touch. The next generation, who needs and deserves real feedback and coaching, can tell the difference between a real conversation and a generated one.
Brené Brown named it: “If you are an asshole leader, you have never had more cover than you have right now.”
Strong-man authoritarianism has given bad leadership permission. Exclusion is trending. Being the center of the circle, rather than expanding it, is being mistaken for strength. An asshole leader may be different than a lazy leader, but the result is the same. The people beneath you suffer.
Women and underrepresented people are being hit hardest. The progress that took decades to build is being quietly dismantled and strong-man cover is making it easier to look away.
And yet some companies are making a different bet.
Liz Wright shared something this week that caught my attention. While 41% of companies are flattening management and cutting benefits, Starbucks invested $500 million in their store managers: wages, parental leave, healthcare, retention bonuses, staffing support.
Their Q1 results: comparable sales up 7.1%, store traffic up 4.4%, first quarter of profit and sales growth in two years. Their COO said it simply: their highest performing stores are far more likely to have leaders who’ve been in the role over a year.
Manager tenure. Store performance. It’s not complicated. Invest in the people closest to the work. Develop them. Keep them long enough to lead. Historically roughly 60% of Starbucks store managers have been internal promotions — the company raised that goal to 90% for its retail leadership roles because “Great people make great things happen.” — Brian Niccol.
AI can generate a review. A good leader uses it as a starting point, not a substitute. Knowing the difference — that’s still on us.