AI won’t decide who wins, leadership will; I’m studying both at Harvard :: WRAL.com
AI won’t decide who wins, leadership will; I’m studying both at Harvard :: WRAL.com
https://www.wral.com/business/technology/donald-thompson-ai-leadership-harvard-february-2026/
Publish Date: 2026-02-16 16:34:00
Source Domain: www.wral.com
Later this month, I’m heading to Harvard to learn
about AI.
Artificial intelligence was once a science fiction
trope; today it’s a business fact. It shapes how decisions get made, how work
is evaluated, and how much stakeholders trust organizations. Leaders aren’t
being asked if they’re using AI; they’re being asked how they are
integrating it—and they are being judged on their response.
That reality is what drove my decision to explore
AI-driven, human-centered solutions with a world-class instructor and a cohort of
business leaders.
AI is a culture and performance issue
When executives talk about AI, most conversations are
about tools, speed and efficiency. Less often are discussions about the human
element and how to responsibly adopt the technology.
But this is where the real impact shows up. When organizations focus on the
“how” of AI integration, instead of the “why,” they risk damaging their
workplace culture and eroding psychological safety.
In
my role as managing director for Workplace Options’ Center of Organizational
Effectiveness, I lead a
practice focused on culture and performance. Across industries, I see the same
pattern when AI enters decision-making environments.
With
each machine-generated recommendation, people pause and ask:
●
Is it safe to
question this?
●
Will disagreeing make me look less competent?
● Does
leadership want my perspective or just…
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