Workhuman LIVE Insights on Leadership, DEI, AI, and Resiliency

At Workhuman LIVE, experts and thought leaders shared practical insights on the future of work—uncovering hidden potential, redefining psychological safety, and building resilient teams equipped for change. 

In this episode of Relationships at Work, I break down the biggest takeaways across leadership, DEI, artificial intelligence, and resiliency. Learn how brave spaces challenge comfort, why AI demands clean data, and how true resilience is built through preparation and growth.

Discover insights that will help you lead with purpose and transform your workplace culture. Tune in.

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Transcript

Welcome back to Relationships At Work – Your leadership guide to building workplace connections and avoiding blind spots...  I’m your host Russel Lolacher 

I’m a communications and leadership nerd with a couple of decades of experience and a heap of curiosity on how we can make the workplace better. If you’re a leader trying to understand and improve your impact on work culture and the employee experience, you’re in the right place.

This mini-episode is a quick and valuable bit of information to help your mindset for the week ahead. 

Inspired by our R@W Note Newsletter, I’m passing on to you… 

 The Takeaways and Observations from Workhuman*LIVE 2025

Recently, I attended the Workhuman*LIVE event in Colorado. This was my 2nd time attending and being invited by the organization. And, just like last year, I sat down with some amazing people to gather their insights on how we can be better leaders and build stronger connections at work. Those episodes are coming soon but first I want to share my takeaways and observations from the week. 

As you can imagine, considering their such hot topics across the world, the big two focuses were AI and DEI. But I also enjoyed some great insights on leadership, psychological safety, and resiliency and have collected them here because I think they'll matter the most to your workplace experience. 

Artificial Intelligence

One of the major talking points at Workhuman LIVE was how leaders need to embrace Artificial Intelligence, not just as a tool, but as a philosophy. As noted in the HR Leadership Now panel with leaders from CISCO and BP, “Leaders are going to need to be ‘philosophers’ in embracing AI—when, how, and where.” It’s not just about deploying AI; it’s about understanding its implications deeply and ethically.

But before we even get there, it was emphasized that we need to clean up our data. The message was direct: “Stop talking about AI before cleaning up your data. It has to be good first. Garbage in, garbage out.” If your data is a mess, your AI will be too. This isn’t just about innovation; it’s about setting the right foundation for success. So before anyone pushes AI, ask who owns the data, how often is the data is reviewed and updated and how confident they are in it. 

They also introduced the idea that skills and capability are the new currency, not titles or degrees. AI is reshaping the landscape of what matters. It’s about what people can do, not just what’s listed on their resumes. And Trevor Noah wrapped that up perfectly when he said, “Play in your current world to prepare for the world you want to work in.” If you’re not experimenting with AI now, you’re not getting ready for what’s coming.

DEI - Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Leaders expressed disappointment, frustration, confusion, and challenge with the current state of DEI. But despite that, the message was clear: DEI is still a business imperative, and it needs to be connected to KPIs to show its value. It’s not just a “nice to have”—it’s a must-have for any organization that wants to thrive.

One statement from the DEI Under Fire Panel that really stood out for me was from Dr. Alaysia Black Hacket, who proposed the idea of "creating a brave space, not just a safe space." The concept is about going beyond comfort and challenging biases head-on. Not just making room for voices but amplifying them, even if it’s uncomfortable.

There was also a strong emphasis on interrupting biases, even with facial expressions. Sometimes, that slight look of disapproval is enough to make someone rethink a comment or behavior. And the idea of holding leaders accountable was crystal clear: “If you would fire someone for messing up an Excel spreadsheet, you should be willing to do the same for those not living up to your cultural expectations.”

James Baldwin’s words were echoed and resonated deeply with this: “I can’t judge you for what’s in your heart, I can only judge you on how you treat me.” In DEI, it’s not just about intentions; it’s about actions and follow-through.

Psychological Safety

The panel on psychological safety drove home that this is not just a concept—it’s, as Peter Andrew Danzig highlighted, a belief system. And it’s one that’s often shattered between what is said and what is done. Leaders need to close that gap, or trust evaporates.

One of the most powerful questions raised and proposed that we ask employees was: “Do you feel like you belong here?” It’s a simple question, but it cuts to the core of psychological safety. If people don’t feel safe, they won’t speak up. And if they don’t speak up, innovation stalls and safety gets neglected. It’s as straightforward—and as complicated—as that.

Another perspective raised in the discussion was the idea that psychological safety needs to be defined before it can be nurtured. One of the panelists noted that many people don't fully understand the steps that drive inclusion and safety. When we just throw out terms like 'safe space,' we risk losing the true essence of what that means. For psychological safety to be real, it must be clearly communicated, practiced, and measured. If people don’t know what belonging looks like, how can they achieve it? (and you know how I love my definitions). 

Leadership

Leadership was explored in various dimensions, but Adam Grant’s talk really centered on finding and fostering hidden potential. He mentioned that every job interview should have a “do-over” because sometimes, the best talent isn’t obvious on the first try. His advice? Find the diamonds in the rough.

From the HR Leadership Now panel, there was a call to not lead with ego and a reminder that leaders need to be fully present—not leading from the front or back, but right in the thick of it.

Trevor Noah added that curiosity fuels engagement and innovation. He stated, “Doubt is the fuel for curiosity that moves to innovation.” That curiosity allows leaders to zoom out for perspective and zoom in to be present. It’s about staying grounded while always questioning how things could be better. And he really hammered home the importance of optimism, because nothing really improves without it. 

Resiliency

Resiliency was actually the theme of the conference and, though I didn't find it to be the biggest topic of conversation, it was woven in. Resiliency isn’t just about enduring setbacks—it’s about growing stronger because of them. The HR Leadership Now panel highlighted the importance of not just celebrating wins, but building the capacity to take on the next challenge. It’s not about one-off victories; it’s about sustained growth and learning from each experience.

One of the speakers got to the root of it by quoting Sir Ernest Shakleton, “Optimism is an act of moral courage.” That struck a chord because it reframes resilience as a mindset, not just an outcome. It’s not just about getting back up; it’s about believing there’s something worth standing back up for.

To be resilient, leaders need to prioritize self-care—not as an afterthought but as a strategic practice. You can’t lead others through adversity if you’re barely holding on yourself. Real resilience is built through preparation, reflection, and the willingness to confront hard truths. If we want to create resilient teams, it starts with us. It’s not enough to just push forward; we need to model what it means to thrive under pressure, not just survive it.

Bonus Observations

• "I work in culture, so we only touch DEI." – WTH?! During the psychological safety panel, an audience member had a question and started it by saying this with a matter-of-fact attitude. My heart broke. As much for her not realizing that this is an issue but the environment she works in that perpetuates it. Culture IS diversity, equity and inclusion. These are not separate things or separate responsibilities. We're doing our teams a diserve if we think and act that way. 
   
• "People Leader" and "People Team" - The other one I wanted to mention… the phrases “people leader” and “people team” Sorry, I'm a comms nerd so these statements drive me nuts. The former was mentioned by some pretty heavy hitters while the latter was only mentioned by one HR leader but they kind of go hand in hand. I don’t want to get ranty. I just want to highlight that at least “people leader” is getting a bit of traction. I find it problematic. I know people mean well and they’re trying ot be clear but…  Let me explain through a question: if you're not a leader of people, what kind of leader are you? To me, it’s like saying "ATM machine". Why do we need to feel it’s necessary to put “people” at the front? I’m genuinely curious. There’s a part of me that feels we say things like this to let bad leaders know who they're supposed to be focusing on. Oooooh… people. But I think the deeper issue, and we’ve talked about this on the show: we aren't defining leadership properly, at conferences or in the workplace. Leadership is always about people - their experience and their growth. Let's not confuse it with management, which is about resources and deliverables. Both are vital but they're each very different. 
  
  
• Fighting the Good Fight – one more. One more observation. The need to do right by their humans. Whether they were HR leaders or professionals, consultants, or HR-adjacent, I was blown away by the hope that we can do better. Faced with attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion, challenging leadership that sometimes gets it and a lot of times doesn’t, and a landscape that is changing constantly…. These people were there to learn. To grow. To support each other. To find allies. To not feel alone. And there were 777 teams of 1 represented at this conference. There’s LOTS of alone. I just wanted to say how in awe I was of them and their passion, not only for what they do but for what they are capable of. I often joke that HR does seem to have much humanity or resources but I’ll tell you, every person I heard from and talked to… they sure brought the humanity. Resources, still working on it.  

So that's my observations and takeaways. Another kickass Workhuman*LIVE event. And just like last time, though the speakers were great, it was the engagement with other HR and leadership professionals and those experts that sat down with me to talk about improving our relationships at work that was the highlight. Appreciate all of you.