So much of the AI conversation in corporate America right now stresses what we can eliminate and make more efficient.

The news headlines perpetuate this narrative by emphasizing AI driven layoffs and projected future job reductions tied to AI.

It’s no surprise the current overall sentiment about AI in the workplace shows a more worried than hopeful view: with 52% of workers worried about AI’s future impact at work versus 36% feeling hopeful (Pew Research Center). 

However, elimination doesn’t have to be the main AI narrative.

The question I wish more leaders would ask is: what if AI could help you elevate to the next level?

Here’s an example of the distinction with an AI “eliminate” compare to the “elevate” narrative. One of the top factors contributing to leader burnout is being overwhelmed by the amount of work they have to do. I consistently hear from leaders and executives that they don’t have enough time in the day to get done what they need to for their role.

Viewing AI solely from an eliminate lens means AI’s focus in this situation is on reducing mundane tasks or making them more efficient. While leaders spending less time on low-value work is valuable, it is limiting. The untapped potential is what happens next once you have space—which is often missing from the conversation.

What might be possible once AI supports mundane tasks? 

Leaders have more space to prioritize the human side of work by connecting, building relationships and collaborating. Leaders can transform themselves to focus more on high-value, fulfilling work that stimulates them.

To do this, we must shift AI focus from eliminate to elevate.

I’ve experienced how AI elevates my work and have seen similar results with clients. AI has increased my capacity for the impactful and fulfilling client and coaching work, as I spend less time on aspects of my role that were more tedious.

Differences between eliminate versus elevate narratives:

• An eliminate narrative spreads fear and anxiety versus an elevate narrative promotes innovation and transformation
• It narrows AI to what to reduce versus expanding its capacity to unlock human potential
• It reinforces a transactional culture versus creating a thriving culture
• It leads to shorter-term decisions versus developing longer-term effectiveness
• It increases disconnection versus improving connection
• It emphasizes speed and output versus redesigning work to cultivate fulfillment and peak performance

Using AI to elevate our roles isn’t simply a nice-to-have; it is imperative for the future of work and leadership.

The Future of Jobs 2025 Report by the World Economic Forum compared core and emerging skills by 2030. The results highlight that in addition to the growing need for technological capabilities, multiple skills for leading self and others are not only critical now but are expected to increase in importance for all workers. In the US, the top such human and leadership skills include:

• Leadership and social influence
• Resilience, flexibility and agility
• Curiosity and lifelong learning
• Motivation and self-awareness
• Empathy and active listening

The opportunity is once AI frees up leaders from the mundane, they can elevate their leadership skills. As the importance of these skills grows for all workers, leaders can model fostering these skills first.

How Leaders can Elevate AI

1. Internalize the technology for yourself and your team

Executive conversations about AI tend to be framed about the potential for large-scale impact. But, for many leaders that scope feels abstract and overwhelming because it doesn’t apply to their day-to-day role.

Elevating AI starts with internalizing the technology for yourself and your team if you haven’t yet. Leaders won’t be able to strategize about how AI could elevate their role, team or organization if they don’t yet understand how to use it for themselves. 

Play around with the technology and explore its capabilities. Start small, such as with using AI to assist you with one mundane work task. Then, build on that to use AI for the next low-value or mundane task. If you already use AI, consider how you could keep expanding its use for greater effectiveness. 

Reflection: What’s one mundane task I could use AI to support me with?

2. Shift your AI focus to elevate and effectiveness

How leaders speak about AI matters. Stop using the language that AI is about elimination and efficiency.

Instead, focus on elevate and effectiveness first in how you speak about AI, then in your AI strategy. This can be incredibly powerful and send the message to the organization that AI the strategy isn’t about reducing roles, if it truly isn’t. It’s about what’s possible once people’s capacity has been freed from spending their time on tedious and low-value tasks. 

Leaders can still look for efficiencies for the purpose of elevating people.

Reflection:

• As a leader, how can I help others be more fulfilled in the work they are doing?
• How might I support my team to be more effective in the roles that they’re in

3. Collaborate as a team on how AI could elevate everyone

Have a team conversation about how to use AI to elevate everyone’s roles. Collaborate and share ideas with each other. Hearing different perspectives broadens your view about new uses for yourself and how the team could support each other. Everyone learns from the conversation. Team discussions about AI have the added benefit of helping you deepen how you internalize AI for your role, in addition to your team.

Team discussion questions:

• What’s one example of how AI helps you be more effective with your role?
• Where could our team leverage this technology to gain more effectiveness together?
• What are the ways we can utilize this technology as a team?

 

AI isn’t inherently good or bad; it’s a powerful tool. Its impact depends on how we choose to use it. Yes, there are risks that we need to be thoughtful and ethical in navigating.

And, I’m optimistic AI can be used as a tool to elevate humanity.

Recent research explores how AI is already enhancing human well-being across multiple domains. The analysis found AI is increasingly functioning as extensions of human capabilities, rather than replacements. This creates new opportunities for a better life.

By focusing on how AI can elevate humanity, what’s ultimately possible is to inspire flourishing.

It starts with shifting the question from: “What will AI destroy?” To “How can AI enable more human thriving?”

As we do, we don’t simply find efficiencies through using AI workflows. We reimagine what leadership looks like with increased capacity for connection, fulfillment and impact.