Harness the Power of Emotional Intelligence in the Age of AI

Research shows that innovation has more to do with determination, grit, and psychological safety than pure intellect. According to Business EQ Research Monthly, in our AI age, uniquely human qualities like empathy, adaptability, and interpersonal skills will become more crucial than ever. Human skills of adaptability, resilience, trust, and fearlessness are just as critical for successful AI adoption as technical proficiency. If leaders fail to address the social-emotional aspects of transformation, they will struggle to fully realize the benefits of AI and machine learning. A thoughtful people-innovation strategy can be the key to harnessing the promise of these technologies.

As the Global Program Manager of the EPIC program at AWS, I've had the privilege of working with hundreds of customers to help them navigate the human side of innovation. At the core of our engagements, the EPIC team shares insights on the mindset and emotional intelligence skills required to thrive in an AI-powered future. By cultivating these capabilities, organizations empower their workforce to effectively leverage processes and technology to drive innovation. In over two decades working on technology projects, I have rarely seen a project fail because the technology did not work. If you think of digital transformation projects as a 3-legged stool consisting of people, process, and technology, AWS’s EPIC leadership program focuses squarely on the people leg of the stool. If the human factor is ignored, the stool will topple over.

Automation and machine learning will help humans to automate the tedious tasks in our work and life. That can free up more time from doing menial tasks to work on more complex and uniquely human problems. It’s critical that amidst the global revolution toward adopting more advanced machine learning techniques that the human side of innovation does not get left behind. With a proliferation of new AI tools available to help us create and automate, it’s key to remember that what makes our work meaningful and interesting is the inclusion of our unique voices and strengths as humans. When we defer to AI for the entire solution, these gifts can get lost. This is a choice we will all make more consciously as AI becomes more ubiquitous in our work and personal lives.

Equals Group, a publicly-traded fintech company in the UK, offers an example of how EQ skills come into play in innovation. As the Chief Technology Officer of Equals Group, Andrew “Rew” Phillips has seen the company grow rapidly from just six people to over 450. He attributes much of this success to the company's strong culture of caring, winning, and empowering employees to innovate. However, Rew recognized that as the business scaled, an additional edge was needed; one that came in the form of focusing on EQ and empathetic leadership.

Rew initially thought his EQ skills were strong, but the AWS EPIC leadership training he and his team underwent revealed some key areas for improvement, like being more present and attentive when listening to colleagues, and avoiding the tendency to quickly "solutionize" instead of drawing out others' ideas. By making small but impactful changes like putting away his phone during meetings and asking more open-ended questions, Rew was able to create an environment where introverted team members felt empowered to share their innovative thinking. The EPIC training, with its blend of science-backed techniques and peer-to-peer feedback, gave Rew and his leaders the tools to drive further growth at Equals by cultivating a psychologically safe culture of creativity and collaboration. As Rew reflected, "it's about enabling these people to speak their mind and knowing I will listen." Learn more about Rew's EPIC journey here.

The most innovative teams possess this characteristic of psychological safety: a shared belief that it's safe to take risks, express ideas, and admit mistakes without fear of negative consequences. Harvard Business School professor Amy Edmondson's research shows that psychological safety is the top characteristic of high-performing and innovative teams. Edmonson’s research also uncovered downsides of not having psychological safety, including negative impacts on employee well-being, including stress, burnout, and turnover, not to mention the overall performance of the organization. Notably, her latest research tells us that psychological safety is necessary, but not sufficient, to foster innovation. Leaders must pair high psychological safely with high expectations to put the team in the high performance zone. (Source)

In summary, the organizations that will thrive in the age of AI are those that invest heavily in their human capital. By cultivating emotional intelligence, fostering psychological safety, and earning trust, leaders can empower their workforce to harness the full potential of these transformative technologies. The EPIC team at AWS engages customer executives and leaders to help them tap into this often-underrated side of the brain and supercharge their focus, creativity, and innovation. We have empowered tens of thousands of customer leaders with these vital skills, and we look forward to empowering many more.