This week, I met with our peer group, which has been a valuable resource to me and our company for the last 10 years. We are comprised of 5 contractors spread coast-to-coast in non-competing markets. Our semi-annual meetings are a time to share best practices and lessons learned, with the hopes of making each of us stronger.
The last couple of meetings, conversation has drifted toward AI and how it will affect our industry. The consensus was AI can give a head start and help us get through tasks more efficiently. It can’t, however, replace what it means to be a true leader, at least not at this point in this cycle. The decisions that guide a company are made in specific contexts, hopefully with a little creativity and a lot of empathy. AI is capable of none of these things.
AI can’t build relationships, nor can it foster loyalty. It doesn’t understand the larger picture and it certainly doesn’t interpret the context of emotions. These are the things that make leaders excel. In short, does not seem that AI can’t outpace leadership.
While we are just beginning to learn AI, we believe it will become a useful tool across our business. Right now, we are encouraging the team to continue to learn on their own, vetting the information along the way.
