Is AI your Competitive Advantage?

The leaders we work with are asking the question, “How can AI (Artificial Intelligence) help us scale our business and deliver our services faster and more efficiently?” We’ve been doing our own research on AI, and we have some beliefs to add to the conversation.

It’s easy to see why so many leaders are tempted to treat AI as the “silver bullet” — the solution that will streamline operations, reduce costs, and drive a healthier bottom line. The promise of speed, precision, and automation is alluring, especially in a competitive, fast-moving marketplace.

But we see it differently.

For us, AI is not the solution. It’s a tool — and like any tool, the results depend on how you use it. AI can certainly make processes more efficient, but efficiency without human connection — and without the emotional intelligence (EQ) skills that make connection possible — can erode trust, diminish creativity, and weaken culture. Without EQ, meaningful client interactions can turn into transactions, and employees can start to feel like cogs in a machine.

That’s why we believe the true opportunity lies in pairing AI insights with both a strong Human Experience (HX) strategy and leaders skilled in emotional intelligence. AI can tell you where to focus — HX ensures how you show up is authentic, empathetic, and trust-building — and EQ determines your ability to read the situation, manage your own reactions, and connect meaningfully. AI can process the data — HX ensures you use it in ways that honor individuality, foster belonging, and strengthen relationships — and EQ is the skill set that makes those human moments count.

In other words: AI can make you faster. HX makes you better. EQ makes you connect. And in today’s business world, you need all three.

When we look at AI through this lens, it becomes clear that its real value is unlocked when AI works hand-in-hand with the human side of business. The most successful organizations are intentional about where technology ends and where the human experience begins — and they design their strategies so each plays to its strengths.

Here’s what that looks like in practice:

Use AI to streamline processes — let humans handle the moments that matter. AI can design workflows, improve processes, and anticipate needs, but it cannot tell an employee how to respond to a client complaint or a team conflict. Those moments require the emotional intelligence (EQ) skills of self-awareness, self-management, empathy, and trust-building.
Keep technology in a supporting role, not the lead. Without intention, technology can start driving the agenda. That’s when relationships feel transactional, creativity flattens, and meaning gets lost. HX ensures people — not tools — remain in the driver’s seat.
Pair data with personal understanding. AI can give us the numbers, but thriving organizations believe every employee and client is unique, motivated by different things. Retention depends on human connection to build the trust, loyalty, and belonging that data alone can’t deliver.
Use AI to amplify — not replace — human strengths. AI can flag performance trends, sentiment changes, or early signs of burnout. Leaders can then step in with timely, personalized support that keeps people engaged and motivated.
Design AI to meet human needs for belonging and purpose. When AI is used to create space for meaningful work, collaboration, and well-being, organizations become both productive and energizing — the kind of places where innovation naturally thrives.
Let AI handle the “what” so humans can focus on the “how.” AI can quickly identify what needs attention, but it’s people who decide how to respond in ways that are authentic, relationship-driven, and aligned with organizational values.
Combine AI data with human connection to increase client retention. AI can identify at-risk clients through usage patterns, sentiment analysis, or service metrics. HX ensures those insights are acted on with genuine outreach, tailored solutions, and a human touch that rebuilds trust and strengthens the relationship.