AI Won’t Replace Leaders – But It Reveals How Human Leadership Must BeFrom Digital Change to AI Leadership: Why People, Not Technology, Remain the Real Challenge
New! Find highlights in DE and EN at the end
Welcome to your fresh DesignChange edition, delivered every 2nd Tuesday at 8am to over 730 forward-thinking leaders like you!
Harvard professor Linda Hill once said: “The hardest thing about digital transformation is never the technology, it’s always the people.”
That’s exactly what we saw in our More Human Masterclass last week. AI can sharpen leadership clarity. But it takes human awareness, empathy, and ethics to make change stick.
🌿 What Happened in the Masterclass
A true story: One participant made a decision on the spot to switch to the paid version of ChatGPT.
Why?
Because of this simple truth, Karla’s mantra: “If you don’t pay for the tool, you – and your data – are the payment.”
Here are the more takeaways leaders left with, more to come in the next Lab:
- Better questions = better outcomes. Precise language is the key to both AI prompts and leadership conversations.
- The Human Leader Compass matters more than ever! Awareness, wisdom, and compassion guide you when algorithms can’t.
- Experiment, then reflect, Tools like Copilot or Perplexity only create value when you use them consciously and integrate what you learn safely (EU AI ACT).
🔆 What’s Next? Join Our Free Office Hour!
📅 Mark your calendar: Oct. 23 at 17:17 CET This is an open space to explore your AI leadership questions, hear more about the Masterclass, and connect with other leaders navigating these same waters.
👉 Next Masterclass dates: Nov. 12 and Dec. 9 for 2 hours.
Spots are limited. These sessions fill quickly because they’re designed for depth, not scale.
💡 LeadershipLab Tips: Communicating AI Change
Change succeeds or fails in how you communicate it. Here’s a simple 3-step framework you can use with your team today:
Why – Explain the purpose clearly. Example: “We’re creating more focus time so you can work on complex tasks that need your expertise.”
What – Be transparent about how AI will be used. Clarity reduces fear. Vagueness breeds resistance.
How – Show how employees are included through training, feedback loops, and clear contact points. People need to know who to ask when things feel uncertain.
Here’s a real example: One retail company introduced an AI ordering tool not as “automation” but as a partner taking over repetitive work. The result? High acceptance instead of resistance. The framing made all the difference.
🤝 Miranda CoachBot – Your Questions Answered
Many of you asked about my AI CoachBot, Miranda.
Here are two questions I hear often:
Q: Is Miranda training on my data? A: No. Its secure engine (CORA™) is designed so that user input is never used to fine-tune the underlying model. Your conversations stay yours.
Q: What happens if I use Miranda as a sounding board and I show that I’m upset? Miranda is trained with guardrails. It sets boundaries if language gets disrespectful or touches areas better handled by therapists. Think of Miranda as a thoughtful colleague who knows when to redirect you when you get loud.
👉 Interested in trying Miranda, coaching or talking with me about it? Set up a free consultation here
Thanks for reading! Let’s connect again soon!
Karla Schlaepfer and the amazing DesignChange backend team!
AI is a tool. Leadership is a practice. The future belongs to those who can hold both.
DesignChange Highlights
- Change Management Framework: 3-step tool (Why, What, How) for communicating AI implementation to your team
- Masterclass Insights: Better questions, Human Leader Compass, and conscious tool integration
- Office Hour: Free session Oct. 23 at 17:17 CET – explore AI leadership questions
- Next Masterclasses: Nov. 12 and Dec. 9 – limited spots available
- Miranda CoachBot: AI coaching assistant with privacy safeguards – join the waiting list
- Leadership Coaching: Available for AI confidence, change management, and strategic leadership
NEU! DesignChange Highlights auf Deutsch
- Change-Management-Rahmen: 3-Schritte-Tool (Warum, Was, Wie) zur Kommunikation der KI-Implementierung an Ihr Team
- Masterclass-Erkenntnisse: Bessere Fragen, Human Leader Compass und bewusste Tool-Integration
- Office Hour: Kostenlose Session am 23. Okt. um 17:17 Uhr MEZ – erkunden Sie Fragen zur KI-Führung
- Nächste Masterclasses: 12. Nov. und 9. Dez. – begrenzte Plätze verfügbar
- Miranda CoachBot: KI-Coaching-Assistent mit Datenschutz-Garantien – auf die Warteliste setzen
- Führungscoaching: Verfügbar für KI-Vertrauen, Change Management und strategische Führung