How AI Helped Me Become a More Human Leader

I’ve Led Teams at Google, Glean, and GrowthLoop. Here’s Why AI Is Making Me a More Human Leader

A recent report showed that nearly half of tech executives are already using agentic AI in their workplaces. That got me thinking: what’s holding the other half back? With generative AI and autonomous agents changing how work happens, hesitation is becoming the real risk. As Salesforce’s Andy Valenzuela put it, “Every job should be rethought.” I agree, and I started with my own.

Over more than 20 years, I’ve led teams through major shifts—scaling operations at Google Canada, turning around Evernote, launching an AI-native workplace assistant at Glean, and now steering AI-driven marketing at GrowthLoop. Each role came with fast pace, changing tech, and high expectations. But nothing has changed how I lead more than AI has recently.

The Hustle Era of Leadership

Years ago, leadership for me meant output. I measured myself by how fast and decisively I moved. My days were packed with meetings, Slack threads, and a to-do list that spilled into weekends. I thought busyness was a badge of honor. Looking back, it wasn’t leadership—it was survival. I was reacting constantly, which was efficient but left little room for reflection or connection.

My Inflection Point with AI

I began using AI for speed—summarizing reports, drafting emails, and synthesizing customer research. At first, these felt like simple shortcuts. But soon, I realized AI was clearing mental clutter. When an AI agent boiled down a 260-page report to key points, I saved not just time, but mental energy. When AI helped personalize outreach to Fortune 500 contacts, I wasn’t just faster—I was more genuine. It gave me room to be intentional and add value.

This extra space let me do things I’d postponed for months: mentoring team members, thinking deeply about product vision, writing company updates that felt human instead of robotic.

Scaling Output and Impact

Now, AI handles 60% to 70% of my daily tasks: status updates, document analysis, first-pass messaging. In return, I reclaimed something I didn’t realize was missing—space to think, coach, and lead. Instead of obsessing over every detail or brute forcing personalization, I rely on AI to surface relevant insights—customer activity, project updates, internal sentiment—before I even ask.

That shift made me more thoughtful, focused, and available. A teammate recently said I was asking bigger questions, not just quicker ones. That captured how I’m showing up differently—not reactive, but reflective. The real impact of AI isn’t what it removes, but what it restores. It lightens the load and shifts leadership from strained to strategic, scattered to present.

The Human Return on Automation

The real value of AI goes beyond saved hours. It sharpens thinking, deepens conversations, and improves decisions. For example, I recently sent a personalized note to a high-profile contact, recalling a specific anecdote about a hockey match he once played with a famous politician. AI helped craft a message that felt real and relevant—something I wouldn’t have done in the middle of my usual whirlwind. That’s where strong relationships and new opportunities begin.

Rethinking Leadership

We often talk about which jobs AI will change or replace. But what about leadership itself? That role needs a rethink. Traditional leadership focused on control, predictability, and long-term plans. But control is an illusion, and plans are guesses. AI moves faster than long-term planning. Leaders must move with it.

This means shifting from directing to designing; from command-and-control to context-and-coach. Instead of making every decision, focus on creating conditions where your team can thrive. You don’t need all the answers, but you must build systems, processes, and culture that empower your teams to decide well without constant oversight.

Soon, every employee will manage multiple AI agents. This turns every employee into a leader responsible for clear goals, feedback, and delegation to drive outcomes through these tools. Executives must prepare teams for this reality now—by investing in training, setting decision-making principles, and redesigning workflows to integrate AI effectively.

A Call to Reimagine, Not Retreat

If you’re a founder or executive still trying to control everything, here’s the straightforward advice: stop. You can’t scale yourself. But you can scale your impact by embracing AI, your team, and your own humanity.

Start small. Pick a task you dread—status updates, research, inbox triage—and hand it off to an AI agent. Then use the time you gain to do what no machine can: give honest feedback, listen to a frustrated customer, or say thank you. Those moments are where leadership lives. AI can’t replace them, but it can create space for them.

Yes, every job should be rethought. But let’s begin with leadership.

For those interested in practical AI training to better integrate AI in leadership and management, resources are available at Complete AI Training.