In this timely episode of the Quantum Leadership Podcast, Dr. Stephen Sideroff welcomes Kari Naimon, Strategic AI Advisor at Workday and Founder of AixHR, for a direct conversation about what AI will change at work, why fear leaves people behind, and how leaders can make adoption more human.
Kari makes a provocative case: AI should take parts of your job. She is not arguing for eliminating people. Her “Elevate, Not Eliminate” approach targets the administrative and repetitive work many people already dislike, creating more time for coaching, problem-solving, and meaningful conversations. At the same time, she does not soften the reality of the shift. Jobs will change whether people want them to or not, and those who refuse to engage with AI risk falling behind colleagues who do.
Drawing on more than two decades in HR and leadership development, including eight years building manager and leadership capability in Amazon fulfillment centers, Kari explains why success in one role does not prepare someone to lead a team. Leadership requires a different skill set, and she learned it by making mistakes, asking better questions, and giving up the pressure to have every answer. She brings that lesson to AI adoption, where handing employees a tool and saying “go use it” fails without training, communication, accountability, room to experiment, and psychological safety.
Topics covered:
- Why being good at your job does not automatically make you a good leader
- What “Elevate, Not Eliminate” means in practice
- Why ignoring AI could leave you behind at work
- The four-part prompting framework: persona, context, task, and format
- Why AI adoption is a culture change, not a software rollout
- How psychological safety and honest communication support better leadership
Learn more about Kari Naimon here: AixHR
