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Rasmus Hougaard is the founder and managing partner of Potential Project. In 2019 he was nominated by Thinkers50 as one of the eight most important leadership thinkers in the world. He writes for Harvard Business Review, Forbes, Fast Company, and Fortune and is the coauthor, with Jacqueline Carter, of Compassionate Leadership and The Mind of the Leader. Jacqueline Carter is a senior partner at Potential Project. She has more than 20 years of experience working with leaders in large global companies to unlock potential. She writes regularly for Harvard Business Review and Fast Company and is a sought-after keynote speaker and facilitator. She is the coauthor, with Rasmus Hougaard, of Compassionate Leadership and The Mind of the Leader. Whats the big idea? AI has the power to transform leadership and work, but whether it enhances or erodes the human experience depends on how we use it. In More Human, Rasmus Hougaard and Jacqueline Carter argue that AI, when harnessed wisely, can strengthen leadership by enhancing awareness, wisdom, and compassion. Drawing on insights from top executives, AI experts, and global research, they reveal how leaders can delegate tasks to AI while amplifying human connection and performance. With deep insight and practical strategies, this book offers a road map for making AI a force for more meaningful and human-centered work. Below, Hougaard and Carter share five key insights from their new book, More Human: How the Power of AI Can Transform the Way You Lead. Listen to the audio versionread by Hougaardin the Next Big Idea App. 1. AI wont replace leadersbut AI-augmented leaders will replace those who dont adapt. In essence, AI is reshaping leadership, but not in many ways that people fear. Its not that machines will replace humansits that leaders who use AI will replace those who dont. Take Ellyn Shook, the chief leadership and human resources Officer of Accenture, as an example. When AI started generating performance reviews, some leaders worried it would dehumanize the process. But Shook saw the real opportunity: Instead of spending 45 minutes compiling feedback, AI did the heavy lifting in seconds, freeing her up to have more meaningful, human-centered conversations with employees. This is what it means to be an AI-augmented leader. AI can automate repetitive tasks, analyze vast amounts of data, and offer insight that leaders might not have time to find on their own. But the best leaders will use AI to elevate their human leadershipnot replace it. Imagine having AI summarize your teams well-being trends, highlight potential burnout risks, or even suggest how to tailor your leadership approach to different individuals. These insights dont diminish leadershipthey enhance it. The future of leadership really belongs to those who can blend the best of AI and human strengths. The choice is clear: Leaders who embrace AI will thrive. Those who ignore it will be left behind. 2. AI generates answers. Wisdom asks the right questions. In todays world, leaders arent struggling to find answerstheyre drowning in them. AI can analyze billions of data points, generate instant insights, and predict trends with incredible accuracy. But heres the catch: It cant ask the right questions. Thats where wisdom comes in. Take Cameron Hedrick, Citibanks chief learning officer. He wanted to understand his own blind spots, so he created an AI-powered version of himselfa digital model that analyzed his leadership approach. The AI provided feedback without bias, fear, or hesitationsomething many human colleagues might hesitate to do. But AI alone wasnt enough. Cameron had to use wisdomto ask deeper questions, interpret the insights, and apply them in a way that made sense. AI provided the data. He provided the discernment. This is what AI-augmented wisdom looks like. AI is a powerful thought partner, but its up to leaders to challenge its outputs, explore whats missing, and ensure decisions are grounded in both data and human judgment. 3. Awareness is the antidote to AIs blind spots. AI can see patterns, but it cant see the bigger picture. It can process billions of data points, but it doesnt understand meaning. Thats where human awareness comes in. Many of our clients leaders use AI-powered tools to analyze employee well-being. AI helps identify stress patterns, flagging teams that may be at risk of burnout. But heres the catch: AI cant understand why employees feel the way they do. It lacks context. For example, imagine AI detects that a team has had a 15% drop in engagement. Without awareness, a leader might assume their employees are losing motivation. But a truly aware leader asks: What else is happening here? Maybe the drop is due to a company-wide restructuring. Or a major project deadline. AI might flag the problem, but only human awareness can interpret it correctly. Thats why AI-augmented leaders develop deep awarenessso they dont just act on AIs insights blindly. Instead, they combine AIs speed with human perspective. AI can provide content, but only humans can provide context. AI can highlight patterns, but only leaders can apply meaning, ethics, and judgment. The leaders who thrive in an AI-powered world wont just accept AIs answers at face valuetheyll bring the bigger picture into focus. 4. Compassion is leaderships greatest differentiator in an AI-driven world. Some people believe AI will eventually replace human leadership. But heres what AI will never do: truly care. AI can simulate empathyit can recognize emotional cues, adjust its tone, and even predict human responses. But it doesnt actually feel anything. It doesnt experience human emotions. And it doesnt understand the weight of its actions. True compassion isnt just about responding to emotions; its about genuinely understanding and caring about people. Thats why AI cant replace human leadership. But it can help make compassionate leaders even more effective. Imagine a leader who uses AI to analyze employee well-being data, but instead of just reviewing the numbers, they use those insights to have deeper, more meaningful conversations. Imagine a leader who lets AI flag burnout risks but then personally checks in with their team to see how theyre feeling. Compassion is what makes leadership human. AI can assist in making decisions, but it takes a human leader to make people feel seen, valued, and understood. The best leaders will leverage AI to enhance, not replace, their ability to care. In a world increasingly shaped by technology, compassion is the ultimate competitive advantage. 5. The future of leadership isnt either/or. Its both/and. For too long, leadership has been framed as an either/or choice. Either data or intuition. Either efficiency or empathy. Either technology or human wisdom. But the truth is,the best leaders will embrace both/and thinking. Take Sage, a fictional leader in More Human, who finds herself drowning in information, moving too fast, and unable to see clearly. Her breakthrough comes at a leadership retreat called Mountain Wisdom, where she learns the power of awareness and reflection. She realizes AI can offer answers, but she must provide clarity, meaning, and vision. The best leaders wont choose between AI and human leadershiptheyll combine them. Theyll use AI to process vast amounts of informationbut theyll apply human wisdom to interpret it. Theyll let AI enhance efficiencybut theyll bring compassion to decision-making. Theyll trust AI to challenge their thinkingbut theyll have the awareness to question its conclusions. The future belongs to leaders who can toggle between AIs intelligence and human intuition, leveraging both to lead in a way thats more human than ever before. This article originally appeared in Next Big Idea Club magazine and is reprinted with permission.
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As the old folklore goes, if you are feeling extra tired and cranky this week, the upcoming full moon might be to blame. And while you definitely won’t turn into a werewolf, there is some data to suggest the old folklore is true, even if the scientific research on the topic is limited: A 2013 sleep study found that during a full moon, participants spent 30% less time in deep sleep and lost out on 20 minutes of slumber on average. However, skywatchers are in for a treat this weekend, even if they may be missing a little sleep, as a full moon will rise on Saturday night. Here’s what to know about the full moon, and how best to see it. What is the name of the full moon? Typically there are 12 full moons a year, one for every month. Each of these has a nickname given to it by the Old Farmers Almanac, based on Native American culture and other traditional North American historical sources. Aprils full moon is known as the Pink Moon, but this does not refer to the color of the orb. It is based on the flowers that begin to bloom in spring. There are other names for Aprils full moon that celebrate the season. The Algonquin called it the Breaking Ice Moon, while the Lakota dubbed it the Moon When the Ducks Come Back. Even within the same tribe, there were different preferred monikers. The Dakota referred to it as both the Moon When the Streams Are Again Navigable, and the Moon When the Geese Lay Eggs. Anything else to know about the full Pink Moon? Beyond its colorful name, the full Pink Moon will occur just before apogeethis fancy NASA vocab word means the moon is the farthest away from Earth during its elliptical orbit. Because of the distance, the full Pink Moon is considered a micromoon, as it is smaller and dimmer to the human eye compared to a normal full moon or a supermoon. How does Easter play into the full pink micromoon? Full moons are also a tool used by the Christian Church to determine when the Easter holiday will occur. Christmas is always December 25, but Easter is on the Sunday after the so-called Paschal Full Moon. So this year, the full Pink Moon and the Paschal Full Moon happen to be two names for the same celestial event, depending on your religious preferences. This is not always the case. How can you best view Aprils full moon? To catch a glimpse of this cosmic wonder, head outside on April 12. According to the Old Farmers Almanac, the moon will rise at 8:22 p.m. EDT. For best viewing, find a location away from bright city lights. A pair of binoculars or a telescope will help you see more details of the moon. Whats the next celestial event to look forward to? If you need something to look forward to, the night sky has your back. On the evenings of April 21 and 22, the annual Lyrid meteor shower will reach its peak. More to come on this cosmic wonder.
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Tax Day is right around the corneran annual reminder that without the option to file jointly, singles pay more per dollar earned than married people. Tax advantages are just one of more than 1,000 legal and economic benefits married couples enjoy, a disparity worsened by marketplace and employer practices. Despite its disadvantages, single living is on the rise. While the average age of first marriage was just 21 in 1960, today it has risen to 29. Half the adults in the U.S. are unmarried, and half of them arent seeking a relationship. As many as a third of Zoomers may never tie the knot. But this shift is more than culturalits redefining the rules of personal finance. Freed from the constraints of shared decision-making, single people are earning, spending, and investing on their own terms. And as a behavioral economist who studies single living, I think this could mean big things for the future of money. As more people opt out of marriage, I expect that governments, businesses, and financial systems will adaptjust as they did in response to womens economic independence. The price of singlehood As a lifelong bachelor, I have a cheeky response when filing my taxes: Thats the price of freedom. For many singles, the price is too steep. More than half of singles over 30 feel financially insecure, one survey found, and their economic reality backs it up. For example, singles spend about $5,500 more annually than their married peerswhich adds up to more than $200,000 over a 40-year career. Some of the challenge is mathematical. Married couples split major expenses like housing, transportation, and travel, and rely on dual incomes as a buffer against job loss or disability. Policy amplifies the financial burdens. One-person households are the most common type in the U.S., yet developers still prioritize building large single-family housesdriving up apartment and condo costs. Retirement presents another stark contrast. Singles cant claim spousal or survivor Social Security benefits and solely fund their retirement. Employers design benefits around families, offering spousal coverage, dependent tax breaks and family leave. Single employees tend to shoulder more responsibilities yet receive 3.6 fewer paid days off per year than their married peers. In the marketplacefrom travel to tech and insurancebusinesses often price goods and services with couples and families in mind. Solo travelers often pay single supplements on cruises and tours. Streaming, phone, and retail memberships offer family plans with no option for solo users subscribing as part of a group. Even auto insurance penalizes solo driverstwo-door cars cost 16% more to insure. The costs add up. But the news for singles isnt all bad. The financial upside of going solo I study how singles build financial security through the hallmarks of single living: autonomy and adaptability. An obvious financial factor is the cost of children. While some singles are parents, theyre far less likely than married couples to shoulder the expense of raising a childan outlay of more than $300,000 per child before college. A key advantage: Singles have complete financial control. They choose how to earn, save and spend. Theres less risk of absorbing a partners credit card or student loan debt, covering for reckless spending, or facing the financial fallout of divorce. Career flexibility is another key advantage. Singles can more easily relocate for higher-paying jobs or lower-cost locales , freedom that enables powerful financial arbitrage. Many digital nomads, most of them single, choose countries with lower costs and better quality of life. Singles also have greater control over when and how they retire. Unlike couples, who must coordinate timing and strategies, singles have more freedom to retire early, ride out a down market, or ease into semiretirement. Building a financial system for everyone As a business school professor, Ive seen how slow business and government can be to respond to demographic shifts. The tax system wont change overnightgovernments have long used the tax code to promote marriagebut other policies and practices will evolve. I believe the rise of singles, and the power of their votes and dollars, will make the status quo unsustainable. Scandinavia and parts of Asia are setting precedents. In Sweden, solo adults are recognized as a family of one, with access to housing support, parental leave, and pension benefitsno marriage required. Smart companies will also adapt to recruit and retain singles, who make up a large portion of the labor force. I expect to see an expansion of single-inclusive offerings like caregiving leave, flexible work arrangements, and individual-friendly health plans. Singles also build lifelong support systems outside marriage. Sweden again offers a glimpse of what might be: A landmark court case recently granted life insurance benefits to a platonic partner, proving that legal protections dont have to hinge on romance. Housing remains another legacy system built for couples. While most new developments still prioritize single-family homes, markets like Japan and Hong Kong have embraced lower-cost micro-apartments with shared community spacesan appealing model for solo dwellers. Some U.S. cities are beginning to experiment with similar designs, signaling a shift toward more inclusive urban housing. Chinas celebration of solo living, Singles Day (held every year on 11/11) is now the worlds largest e-commerce holiday, generating more sales than Black Friday and Cyber Monday combined. The company that created it, Alibaba, promotes deals on single-serve appliances, one-way flights, and self-care bundles. Western companies are catching on: Travel brands are waiving singles supplements, restaurants are welcoming solo diners with dedicated seating, and telecom companies are rolling out friends and family plans that dont require a romantic partner. Finally, I believe wealth management will respond to the rise of singles. While Ive found that most financial advice still assumes that people will eventually marry, solo earners need different strategies, such as bigger emergency funds, flexible housing options, and proactive estate planning. Expect a wave of financial products designed for solo living, from retirement tools to mortgages built for one. As singles become the majority in many countries, governments, businesses, and financial institutions will adapt by necessity. The bottom line As an advocate for singles, I am an optimist. Yes, singles pay more on Tax Day, among other challenges. But they also have one undeniable advantage: financial freedom. Singles can do more than survive in a system built for twothey can thrive. Americans are not going back to the 1960s. As solo living becomes the norm, financial systems will evolve. Governments will face pressure to modernize policy, businesses will launch products and services for one-person households, and financial professionals will adapt to better serve solo earners. The institutions that recognize this shift first will shape the futurefor everyone. Peter McGraw is a professor of marketing and psychology at the University of Colorado Boulder This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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