AI and the Workplace

I grew up in Pittsburgh where my dad sold systems and forms to US Steel. And then the steel industry slowly disappeared in this country, in a way that feels all too familiar. He adapted, however, selling forms and systems to companies like PNC and Mellon Bank. And then things went digital and he could not compete. So he threw in the towel and retired. I watched many of my dad's friends follow a similar path as their jobs became obsolete as the mills closed up for good.

We are seeing something similar now and we are in the midst of the so-called fourth industrial revolution, heralded by perhaps the most important technology of this century: AI. It's hard to go a day now without hearing at least some mention of AI. Some articles are highly optimistic, saying that AI will change the world for the better, increase life expectancy, decrease poverty, and solve all of our issues. Some are highly pessimistic and predict that AI will bring about the end of humanity. The reality is likely somewhere in the middle; however, concerns about AI and job security are warranted.

During the pandemic, tech companies, in particular, went on hiring sprees. Amazon tripled their headcount between 2019 and 2022. Something new is happening though: companies are cutting back and are being coy about the real reasons. The culprit is AI; studies have estimated that in some fields more than half of the jobs can be automated. In the near term this is unlikely; what we are seeing now is something in between. Scott Galloway, a professor at NYU's Stern School of Business, calls this "corporate Ozempic." He anticipates we will see corporate growth without the same headcount as needed before. We can eat without calories.

A lot of typical advice on how to keep your job and stay relevant is to learn AI; we, however, think there is more to the puzzle. We believe the people who will succeed in this brave new world need to master grit and resilience.

When we look at grit we look at dominance and competing. Dominance measures one's need to control, to lead, and it defines ego. The higher the score, the higher the ego. Competing measures one's need to win with a sense of urgency. The higher the score, the more competitive an individual will be. Understanding dominance and competing scores can help an individual understand the relationship between influence and motivation, which can help understand one's natural grit. It's important to note that grit here does not simply refer to physical grit but rather to the more nuanced intellectual grit.

It's easy to think of grit as one of those buzz words used by flashy social scientists to sell books or promote their podcasts, but grit can make a serious impact on one's performance. Angela Duckworth, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, has found that one's grit is an effective indicator of academic success as well as career success. And it turns out that those with grit are more able to embrace change and seek out new opportunities.

The good news is that grit can be learned. Anyone, regardless of IQ, income, race, gender, etc., can learn how to improve their grit, and the best way to start is to understand your behavioral profile. For more information on setting up a consultation, please reach out to us. Beyond understanding one's score, we have a few simple suggestions:

• Improve conflict resolution skills: Learn to view disagreements as opportunities to learn rather than as conflicts to be avoided.
• Enhance social acuity: Develop the ability to read social situations and interact effectively with people from various backgrounds.
• Cultivate patience: Especially for those with high intellectual abilities, learn to be patient with others who may not process information as quickly.
• Expand your "tribes": Engage with diverse groups of people to broaden your perspective and enhance your ability to connect with others.

It's easy to think that those with advanced computer science degrees and experts in AI will be the ones leading in the future. We, however, slightly disagree. We know that the leaders of the future are going to be a lot like the leaders of the past and of today. Those leaders know how to embrace change through grit and have the connections and the social acuity to survive in any situation.