We’ve been intrigued by Duolingo’s CEO making recent headlines. In a sensational all-hands email, Luis von Ahn sent a message: Duolingo will transition to becoming a more AI-focused company, including not using contractors to do work that AI can handle. The statement went viral. Prompting backlash, confusion, and ultimately, a walk-back.
While we can’t deny that AI is a hot topic in the workforce (and pretty much everywhere else we look), the real lesson here isn’t about navigating the newest tech, it’s about leadership.
Words matter. Especially from the top.
To quote one of our favorite business minds of all time (who announced his retirement at 94 years old earlier this year, in case you missed it) “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.”
Talk of major shifts in the workforce, whether they come to fruition or not, are high stakes for your customer service rep, warehouse associate, data entry clerk, contractor, and so forth. How you communicate change determines how your people respond. As the famous idiom goes, don’t paint yourself into a corner. Acting too fast or being too absolute can backfire, damaging trust and credibility in ways that are hard to undo.
As leaders, we should:
- Provide context: Explain the “why” behind decisions to increase understanding and mitigate feelings of uncertainty.
- Avoid absolutes: Flexibility is key. Absolutes leave limited room for pivots and clarity.
- Be people-minded: Chasing the next best thing shouldn’t come at the expense of the people who helped you get where you are today.
AI isn’t the first tool to change how we operate, just look at Henry Ford and the moving assembly line, and it certainly won’t be the last. So, avoid painting the floor without planning ahead, or there may not be a way out without ruining your work.
Until next time,
Your Spherion South Central WI & Northern IL team