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Theres no denying that AI has touched almost every part of our lives, from how we shop, learn, and get medical advice, to how we do our jobs. We still dont know exactly how far it will go in automating tasks and jobs versus augmenting humans and unlocking their potential, but one thing is certain: AI is already reshaping how we think about work. Take a financial analyst who once spent days building models in Excel; now AI can produce a first draft in seconds, freeing them to focus on scenario planning and decision-making. Or a marketing manager who used to spend hours compiling reports; with AI, they can devote more time to creative strategy and client engagement. Even within the same role, the skills that create value are shifting toward judgment, creativity, and relationshipsareas where humans still have the upper hand. But the impact isnt limited to specific jobs. It cuts across every rung of the corporate ladder. Which leads to one of the most intriguing (and perhaps provocative) questions in business: could AI replace human leaders? Could Your Next Boss Be a Machine? Augmentation is already here. AI lets leaders outsource a growing list of tasks to machines: scheduling and prioritizing, drafting emails and presentations, scanning for competitive threats, modeling strategic options, even running simulations of tough decisions to see possible outcomes. That leaves more time for the human parts of leadership: inspiring, motivating, listening, and coaching. But what if AI didnt just help your boss . . . what if it was your boss? Heres the case for and against replacing your manager with a machine, but feel free to differ (even if you arent a boss). The Pros of an AI Boss Smarter and more rationalAI doesnt get tired, distracted, or hangry. It makes decisions based on data rather than mood swings, personal grudges, or office politics. In theory, this could mean more consistent, merit-based decisions, and no favoritism for the loudest voice in the room. More predictableIf your boss is an algorithm, you know what to expect. No Monday-morning temper, no mysterious U-turns on strategic priorities. This predictability could reduce workplace stress and uncertainty. After all, people generally prefer working for managers who are reliable, predictable, and, well, quite boring (in a good way). Better at learning . . . and unlearningAI can ingest vast amounts of information, adjust to new patterns, and discard outdated assumptions far faster than most humans. Leaders often cling to what worked in the past; AI can pivot the moment the data says so. Note also that no amount of unconscious bias training will remove stereotypical and prejudiced inferences from the human mind (to be human is to be biased by deign). However, AI can be trained to unlearn human biases, paying attention to true signals of talent and performance while ignoring bias and noise. Cheaper than an executiveMany CEOs and senior leaders are expensive not just in salary but in perks, bonuses (in the U.S., executive compensation increased by an astonishing 1,085% over the past four decades, compared to just 24% for typical workers), and the political cost of bad decisions. An AI boss can be updated rather than bought out. Better at personalizationAn AI manager could tailor feedback, development plans, and even motivational tactics to each employees personality and working style, the way Netflix personalizes your watch list. Typical bosses dont like to personalize because it can evoke feelings of unfairness (this is why they often are against hybrid or flexible working arrangements, as opposed to forcing everybody to be in the office). Personalization requires thinking, planning, and evaluating actual employee output: things AI algorithms are good at but humans are not. If this sounds far-fetched, consider that millions of Uber drivers (and in fact any food-delivery app worker) already take their marching orders from an algorithm that sets prices, assigns rides, and rates performance. Warehouse workers at Amazon follow routes and pick lists generated by AI. Hedge funds and logistics firms use AI-driven systems to set priorities and allocate resources. And research is emerging that AI can outperform humans not only in repetitive decision-making but in certain aspects of strategy and innovation, such as identifying new market opportunities or optimizing supply chains. Oh, and if you wear an Oura ring or other wearable monitoring your health and fitness analytics you will know what it means to be bossed around by an AI well-being coach! The Cons of an AI Boss People crave human connectionYour robot spouse may never argue, but theres value in having someone to argue with. Leadership isnt just about efficiency; its about meaning, trust, and shared experience. Many employees want a boss who can empathize with their struggles and celebrate their wins. The employability problemIf AI took over leadership, what would all those executives do? The displacement of senior roles could ripple through organizations, creating a glut of ex-leaders looking for work in a market that doesnt need them. Granted, in past industrial revolutions short-term disruption to jobs (and especially tasks) eventually led to long-term periods of prosperity, which is what experts predict vis--vis AI. But this still implies some employment losses in the immediate term. Context and nuanceAI can be brilliant at pattern recognition but still miss cultural signals, ethical gray areas, or subtle interpersonal dynamics. An algorithm might optimize for productivity without realizing its creating burnout, not to mention inequality. Change resistancePeople may trust AI to recommend music or plan a commute, but trusting it to guide their careers, assess their performance, or decide who gets promoted is a bigger leap. The optics and politics of reporting to a machine could be messy. Ethical and bias risksAI is only as fair as the data and rules its built on. If trained on biased decision-making patterns, it can replicate and even amplify discrimination in promotions, pay, or workload allocation. Worse, AI decisions can be opaque, making it harder to challenge or even detect unfair treatment. This is why AI ethicists and teams governing AI with the highest ethical and legal standards are in such high-demand today. Accountability gapsWhen your boss is an algorithm, who do you appeal to if a decision is wrong or harmful? Without clear lines of responsibility, unethical or damaging outcomes could go unaddressed, or be endlessly passed between the system and the humans who manage it. Better than average isnt the same as greatAI might outperform the median boss (the distracted, biased, or mediocre manager) but its unlikely to surpass a truly exceptional leader who combines vision, emotional intelligence, and moral courage. Granted, the latter variant is rather rare. The Real Opportunity: Better Leaders, Not Fewer Leaders Rather than replace leaders wholesale, AI gives us a chance to rethink how we select and develop them. Imagine if AI could take on the routine, analytical, and administrative burden of leadership, freeing human leaders to focus on the qualities that machines cant replicate: empathy, inspiration, judgment under uncertainty, and the ability to build culture. We could also use AI to make better leadership appointments in the first place, predicting who has the personality traits and learning agility to thrive in the role, and giving them targeted development before they start. This could help end the cycle of promoting based on technical expertise or tenure rather than leadership potential. The best path forward may be a partnership: machines handling the logic, humans handling the meaning. Thats not just about efficiency; its about making leadership more human than it has been in years. So, would you replace your boss with AI? The answer may depend less on your faith in technology than on the quality of your current boss. If theyre great, youll want them augmented. If theyre terrible, you might be happy to let the algorithm take over. Either way, the leadership model is changing; and we shouldnt wait for AI to pick our next boss to start making it better.
Category:
E-Commerce
Allbirds made a name for itself by making shoes out of natural fibers like wool and tree pulp that weren’t commonly used to make sneakers in the past. Today the company is stepping in a new direction with a shoe collection called Remix, which is made from a different material: trash. On the surface, the two Remix silhouettes look similar to other Allbirds sneakers: There’s the sporty-looking Runner, and the streetwear-inspired Cruiser. But their familiar exterior belies the fact that they’re actually made entirely from waste. The uppers are made from clothes destined for landfills; the soles are made from scraps of old shoes. And Allbirds is hoping that new materials can make the brand exciting again. The stumbling years Allbirds launched in 2016 and went public in 2021. But over the past three years, its revenues have plummeted. After its 2022 peak of $297.8 million, it generated only $189.8 million in revenue last year. The company is now trying to regain its footing. In March 2024, Allbirds promoted Joe Vernachio from the role of COO to CEO. Vernachio previously led Mountain Hardwear’s turnaround from losses to profitability, and believes he can do the same with Allbirds. Part of the plan involves shrinking the brand’s retail footprint to 21 stores this year from 43 in 2023. But it also involves introducing new and updated products while also telling a story about what the brand represents. The Remix collection encapsulates this strategy. Adrian Nyman, who was hired as the brand’s chief design officer last year, argues that one way to add some excitement to the collection is to branch out into new materials. “I believe we should open up the aperture of the brand by playing with different materials,” he says. “As long as we’re holding true to our commitment to sustainability, we owe the consumer as many permutations of this brand as possible.” That said, given our current moment of economic and political turbulence, many consumers aren’t focused on environmentalism right now. So we’ll have to wait and see how well the Remix collection resonates in the market. Cruiser [Photo: Allbirds] A Shoe That Tells a Story When Allbirds launched a decade ago, the impact of climate change was beginning to sink in, as natural disasters became more frequent. Consumers started to show interest in brands’ environmental practices, which is why many of the startups that popped up during that eraincluding Reformation and Everlanefocused on an eco-friendly approach. But times have changed. According to McKinsey, many brands have seen softer sales over the past two years due to inflation; this has resulted in many of them scaling back their sustainability pledges. Footwear brands across the industry are rolling back their commitment to fight climate change: Nike has laid off dozens of sustainability managers as part of a broader cost-cutting effort, and Crocs has reset its net-zero carbon emissions goal from 2030 to 2040. Nyman says that many consumers appear to be less focused on the planet than they used to be. But he also says it would be a mistake for Allbirdswhich was founded as a sustainable brandto pull back on its commitments to the environment. “Consumers may be distracted right now, and in a bit of a fever dream, but I think the pendulum will swing and people will wake up,” he says. “When that happens we need to show that we stayed the course and remained true to our original charter.” The design team at Allbirds has been thinking about how to expand beyond its portfolio of materials, specifically into the world of recycled materials, which are now more sophisticated than ever. The big shoe brands have experimented with designs made from recycled plastic, such as Nike, with sneakers made using scraps from factory floors, and Adidas, with footwear made from ocean-bound plastic. The startup Rothy’s makes shoes from recycled bottles. But Allbirds wanted to try something different and create shoes using recycled lyocell (sometimes referred to by its brand name, Tencel), which is derived from cellulose, the building block of natural materials like cotton and tree pulp. [Photo: Allbirds] It made sense to partner with Circ, now a leader in textile-to-textile recycling. Circ, which launched in 2011, has developed the technology to break down polyester, cotton, or a blend of the two into its component materials. It then spins these materials into new polyester and lyocell fibers, which it sells to brands. Now its investing in large factories to do the work at scale. It has a factory in Danville, Virginia, and recently announced a $500 million investment to build a new factory in France that will open in 2028. But to ensure these factories stay in business, Circ needs brands to buy its recycled fabric at scale. Circ has partnered with high-fashion labels like Christian Siriano and mass-market brands like Zara to create garments from recycled fibers. To keep growing its customer bse, Circ is keen to illustrate that its materials can also be used to make shoes. According to Peter Majeranowski, Circ cofounder and CEO, fibers used in shoes need to be stronger than those used in garments. Circ transformed the lyocell into filaments, which are much longer than yarn and are therefore less likely to break. The company then used a weaving technique that ensures the fabric is thick but also has some stretch. “Performance footwear has the highest technical standards,” he says. “It was important for us to showcase our technology to illustrate that you can create a filament that is good enough to go into sneakers.” Allbirds also partnered with Blumaka, a company that collects foam waste that is discarded during the production of sneakers and transforms it into foam soles. Some companies transform old soles into furniture; since 1992, Nike has used old foam scraps to make Grind, a material that is used on everything from running tracks to playground flooring. But here, the old foam in shoes is used to make new foam soles, creating a more circular system. For Nyman, this is a way to not only demonstrate the brand’s commitment to sustainability but also create an interesting design twist that he hopes spurs new interest in the brand. “Sustainability doesn’t have to be a zero-sum game, where you have to give up comfort, functionality, or fashion,” he says. “We want to create a product that excites the customer aesthetically.”
Category:
E-Commerce
How many tabs are open on your browser right now? How many in your brain? For most leaders, the answer is the same: way too many. Ive been theredesigning organizational development experiences, coaching executives, writing books, hosting a podcast, and managing the operational realities of running a business. My calendar can become a patchwork quilt of 30-minute calls, quick turnarounds, and constant urgent pings. I told myself I thrived on variety, but what I was really doing was fragmenting my attention. And heres what Ive learned: the true cost of mental switching isnt just time. Its the erosion of the spacious thinking that we all need to see patterns, explore ideas, and create breakthroughs. Research from the American Psychological Association indicates that shifting between tasks can result in a loss of up to 40% of productive time due to the switch cost of reorienting to a new context. Gloria Mark, author of Attention Span, found that once distracted, it can take an average of 23 minutes and 15 seconds to return to full focus on the original task. A Stanford University study revealed something more troubling: heavy multitaskers perform worse at filtering irrelevant information and are more easily distracted. The more you switch, the more your brain treats everything as equally urgent, making it harder to prioritize the big picture. Why This Matters for Leaders Mental switching is a tax on your most valuable leadership currency: clarity. When your attention is split, you default to reactive thinkingresponding to the next ping, the next fire, the next question. Strategic thinking, creativity, and visioning require expansive thinking: time and space to explore ideas without the pressure to act on them immediately. In my work with executives, Ive seen this play out countless times. A CEO told me, Im so busy putting out fires that I havent looked at our three-year vision in months. Another leader said she was never more creative than during a weekend hike because her brain had room to wander and make new connections. As someone who thrives on variety, whether designing a team offsite, painting, or leading deep coaching sessions, I once believed mental switching was a creative strength. But theres a difference between cross-pollination and cognitive whiplash. Cross-pollination occurs when you intentionally bring insights from one area to another. Cognitive whiplash occurs when you switch so quickly that your brain never forms a deep connection with anything. Practical Strategies to Stop Mental Switching Leaders often assume that the only way to get more done is to push harder, fill the calendar, and stay always on. But real breakthroughs rarely happen when your mind is sprinting from one demand to the next. Spaciousness is not the absence of work; its the presence of focus. Creating that space involves intentionally designing your environment, schedule, and mental habits so that your brain can shift from survival mode into expansive mode. Its in that stateunhurried, undistracted, and fully presentthat your best thinking emerges. This isnt about doing less; its about creating the mental conditions for your most important work to surface, the ideas that change the game rather than keep it running. Here are some strategies you can use. 1. Tab audit. Once a day, close every browser tab. Reopen only what you truly need for the next focus block. This visual reset cues your brain to start fresh and primes you for intentional focus. 2. Context clustering. Group similar work together. Put all one-on-ones in the same half-day. Dedicate an afternoon to strategic work. Batching related tasks improves performance and reduces fatigue. 3. Strategic pauses. Before switching, take 60 seconds to write down where you left off. This creates a mental bookmark so your brain can release the task and reengage faster later. 4. The weekly spark check-in. Once a week, block 60 to 90 minutes for a personal spark sessiona structured pause to step back from the noise and reanchor in what matters most. Using specific prompts to reflect, envision, and act on what is important. Once I am done, I choose a single illuminating move for the week ahead. Leaders I have worked with find this ritual not only clears mental clutter but also sparks expansive, pattern-making thinking that doesnt happen in the middle of back-to-back calls. Expansive thinking isnt a luxury; its a leadership necessity. Without it, youre not steering the ship; youre just bailing water. So heres my challenge: audit your mental tabs this week, close what you can, and batch the rest. It is time to protect space for your most important thinking because the open tabs will always be there, but the breakthroughs? They need room to breathe and take shape. Spaciousness is where strategy gains clarity, creativity catches fire, and your leadership shifts from reacting to shaping the future. Guard it as fiercely as any meeting on your calendar, because your next big leap will rarely come from a crowded mind.
Category:
E-Commerce
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