AI is everywhere right now.
So is the pressure to move faster, decide sooner, and sound more certain than many of us actually feel.
Over the past year, almost every conversation I’ve had with leaders and coaches has circled the same tension. People aren’t anti-AI. They see the potential. But many are quietly wondering what’s being lost as adoption accelerates. Not because the technology is wrong, but because the pace of change is outstripping our ability to make meaning together.
That tension is what led me to write Leading Below the Surface in the Age of AI.
I didn’t write this to argue for or against technology. I wrote it because I kept hearing the same things below the surface of otherwise “successful” AI conversations: fear showing up as urgency or silence, uneven adoption quietly eroding trust, and leaders trying to keep up without enough space to pause and ask what this moment actually calls for.
One pattern has become especially clear to me.
When everything speeds up, it’s often the human work that gets stripped away first: the conversations, reflection, and trust that actually help people navigate change.
AI can help us do many things faster.
It can’t replace the work of helping people feel safe enough to think, speak, and adapt together.
The white paper explores what’s happening below the surface of today’s workplaces, what AI can and can’t replace, and why human-centered leadership and change matter even more right now.
👉🏾 You can download Leading Below the Surface in the Age of AI here.
More than anything, I’m opening conversations.
If you’re navigating complexity, transition, or questions about how you want to lead or coach in this moment, I’d genuinely love to hear what you’re noticing. Many leaders are carrying these questions quietly, without many places to talk about them honestly.
For those who prefer to reflect in community, I’m also partnering with ICF Georgia to host a complimentary learning series for coaches who want to slow down, deepen presence, and engage more meaningfully in moments of change.
The first session—Coaching Through Change: Meeting Clients in Uncertainty, Transition, and Identity Shifts—is a live, facilitated conversation (not a lecture or webinar). We’ll explore how to stay grounded with clients when roles, identities, and systems are shifting, and how to create enough safety for insight and movement to emerge.
February 17, 2026 | 10:00 AM ET
Live, virtual | Complimentary
I hope to connect with some of you via email or in conversation at the event.
To meaningful work and real connection,
LaTonya