The Last Competitive Advantage: Becoming a Better Human in the Age of AI

In a world obsessed with speed, scale, and smart machines, we are faced with a question that will define this era:

What does it mean to be human when artificial intelligence outperforms us in almost everything—except empathy?

That was the soul of a recent conversation I had with my friend and leadership expert Richard Vickers. What began as a discussion about emotional intelligence quickly became something more urgent, more universal, and frankly, more human.

We are at a crossroads: AI is not coming—it’s here. It’s faster than us. More accurate. More efficient. It can draft emails, crunch data, create strategy decks, and even diagnose disease better than most people.

But it can’t care.

And that’s the point.

The Pendulum Has Swung Too Far

For the last few years, the pendulum has swung hard toward automation, acceleration, and efficiency. We’ve praised productivity tools and digital transformations—and rightly so. Technology has empowered us to do more in less time.

But in our race to go faster, have we lost the art of slowing down?

Have we stopped asking better questions, listening deeply, or being present with the people right in front of us?

We’ve been so busy perfecting performance that we’ve neglected the foundation of leadership, trust, and influence: emotional connection.

Emotional Intelligence: The Last Great Differentiator

Richard said something that struck me deeply: “AI will always outperform us on the left side of the brain. But the right side—that’s still our domain.”

The left brain powers logic. The right brain powers empathy, intuition, and creativity.

And make no mistake: the future will belong to those who invest in both.

We’re seeing AI outperform medical professionals in diagnosis. But it cannot comfort a scared patient. It cannot earn trust through presence, patience, or vulnerability. It cannot hold space for someone navigating heartbreak, fear, or failure.

We can.

But only if we choose to.

The Rise of the Conversational Narcissist

Somewhere along the way, we stopped listening. Not just hearing—but truly listening.

We’ve become what Richard calls “conversational narcissists.” Someone says, “I just got laid off,” and we respond with, “Let me tell you what happened when I got laid off…”

We think we’re being helpful. But we’ve just stolen their moment to be seen, heard, and validated.

Instead, we should be asking:

“How are you feeling right now?”

“What do you need from me?”

“How can I support you in this moment?”

Sometimes, the greatest gift we can give another person is not advice, but presence.

Let’s Stop Calling Them Soft Skills

Empathy. Listening. Compassion. Curiosity. Vulnerability.

We’ve long mislabeled these as “soft skills,” when in fact, they’re essential skills. They’re the human differentiators in an age where AI can mimic almost everything else.

The future will not belong to the most efficient. It will belong to the most emotionally intelligent.

As Richard put it: “There is no magic wand to become a better human. But there is daily practice. And questions. And trusted mirrors that show us who we are becoming.”

What Will You Do With Your Time?

AI is giving us the gift of time. Tasks that took hours now take minutes.

So the question becomes: What will you do with the time AI gives back to you?

Will you spend it sending more emails? Attending more meetings?

Or will you reinvest it in the moments that matter?

Writing that thank-you note.

Checking in on a teammate.

Mentoring someone who’s struggling.

Pausing to ask: “How are you really?”

Because AI can’t do that. And it never will.

The Power of Recognition

I recently took mountains of data and fed it into an AI engine. Sales metrics, dashboards, spreadsheets.

And I asked it one thing: “Help me find where my people are winning so I can celebrate them.”

The result? A one-hour meeting filled with nothing but praise, gratitude, and recognition.

People lit up. They remembered it. And they deserved it.

AI helped me uncover what mattered. But it was my humanity that brought it to life.

Plant Your Flag

In 2025 and beyond, leadership isn’t about being the smartest person in the room.

It’s about being the most curious. The most present. The most human.

So plant your flag.

Declare that you will show up better. As a leader. As a listener. As a dad. As a friend. As a manager. As a human.

Because the real flex isn’t being the fastest at automation.

It’s being the first one to look someone in the eye and say:

“I’m here. I see you. I’ve got you.”

In a world full of artificial intelligence, be real. Be human. Be unforgettable.

That’s the last competitive advantage. That’s the future of leadership. And that’s how we win.

If this moved you, share it. Tag someone who inspires you to be a better human. Then ask them a better question.

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