AI, Connection, and Purpose: A Wake-Up Call for Leaders

Are your employees turning to AI for purpose and connection? A recent Harvard Business Review article by Marc Zao-Sanders highlighted something that stopped me in my tracks. Two of the top three uses of AI in 2025 are:

#1. Therapy and Companionship
#3. Finding Purpose

Let that sink in.

We are asking AI to fill our human gaps: for connection, meaning, and reflection.

As a coach who works with leaders and teams every day, I find this both fascinating and a little sobering. It signals just how much our traditional systems of leadership, mentorship, and community need to evolve.

Leadership and workplace culture are going through a massive shift in 2025. And while that shift is not always reflecting the trends of what's needed, there is one specific way that it is. The most requested leadership training I’m delivering right now is helping leaders learn to coach.

Not to fix problems.

Not to direct tasks.

But to really listen, ask better questions, and help others think critically, become more self-aware, and grow.

That is the essence of Leader-as-Coach.

This is a massive opportunity for organizations and leaders that are willing to lean into the shift. It's really a no-brainer. When you develop coaching skills of leaders, you get more engaged employees, better retention, more autonomy, better decision-making, more efficient use of time, better conversations, more career satisfaction, more opportunity for growth, and a workforce that can adapt to a complex, uncertain, and fast changing world.

I’m having incredible conversations with leaders who want to build these coaching skills. If you’re curious, let’s connect (see what I did there?)