THE POWER OF LEADERSHIP HUMILITY IN THE AI ERA

Abstract

The author, who among other things is the Chief Innovation Officer at ManpowerGroup, a professor of business psychology at University College London and at Columbia University, writes about the normalization of narcissism in an age of AI/artificial intelligence, and what this means for leadership and society as a whole. He also discusses the disinformation that can come about with generative AI, which “can be easily trained to produce anything we would normally produce, in our style, automating our opinions and thoughts.” Yet this a complicated, nuanced situation: “Humans have always displayed a deep desire for appreciation, which is not just responsible for much of the vanity and entitlement in the world, but also civilization and progress.” He continues that, “whatever you think of cathedrals, symphonies, and hundred‐year‐old corporations, they are rarely the product of pure narcissism, but rather a watered‐down version of it, diluted with hard work and competence, including leadership talent.” He notes the importance of humility, especially in “personal risk management. The less you are dishonest with yourself about your own talents, the more likely you will be to avoid unnecessary risks, mistakes, and failure. Only people who overestimate their abilities go to critical job interviews, client presentations, and academic exams ill‐prepared.”