Will AI Make the Workplace More or Less Human? Ft. Dr. Towanna Burrous w/Anita Nowak - Purposeful Empathy

AI is impacting every part of our lives—and we need to start paying more attention.Listen to this insightful conversation with Dr. Towanna Burrous, author of Where AI Meets Empathy, whose work as a leadership coach explores the human side of performance and innovation. We discuss:Why empathy is becoming a form of leadership intelligence in the age of AIWhy organizations need to invest in human infrastructure as much as technological infrastructureHow leaders can create cultures of trust, psychological safety, and belongingWhy AI cannot replace human wisdom, discernment, or cultural awarenessIf you care about the future of work, culture, employee well-being, and how we can harness technology without losing our humanity—you don’t want to miss this conversation.00:00 Preview01:00 Episode introduction03:33 About Dr. Towanna Burrous05:08 Towanna’s backstory07:34 Towanna’s book, Where AI Meets Empathy: Coaching the Human Side of Innovation12:37 Why empathy is needed for “leadership intelligence” in the age of AI16:02 What does it mean for employees to feel seen, heard, and understood?20:07 Why organizations need to invest in “human infrastructure”24:34 What happens when companies cut coaching and professional development?29:36 Towanna’s biggest concerns about AI at scale32:53 How leaders can build a human-centered workplace in the age of AI37:36 Why trust and psychological safety are essential for effective leadership41:03 What is the impact of leadership vulnerability?44:03 How reflection helps leaders make better decisions46:39 Flourishing at work requires finding the balance between technology and humanity51:31 Dr. Towanna Burrous’s Purposeful Empathy storyEpisode #5 of Empathy in the Age of AI part II, a special 25-part series: https://tinyurl.com/exyw2nua CONNECT WITH TOWANNA✩ LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/towannaburrous/ ✩ Website https://coachinginnovation.co ✩ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/towannaburrous/ CONNECT WITH ANITA✩ Email [email protected] ✩ Website https://www.anitanowak.com✩ Buy a copy of Purposeful Empathy http://tiny.cc/PurposefulEmpathyCA✩ LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/anitanowak/✩ Instagram https://tinyurl.com/anitanowakinstagram✩ Podcast Audio https://tinyurl.com/PurposefulEmpathyPodcast✩ Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/anitanowak.bsky.socialSHOW NOTES✩ Where Empathy Meets AI: Coaching the Human Side of Innovation https://www.amazon.com/Where-AI-Meets-Empathy-Innovation-ebook/dp/B0GX34XVR4Video edited by Jad Misri, Green Horizon Studio