Last week, SalesChoice and The Bedford /Transearch Group did a webinar with Dr. Margie Warrell discussing her new book, The Courage Gap. This webinar was part of our new HR AI Series, where we are advancing discussions on the Human Advantage to Future Proof AI.
When we put this session together – it might seem like AI and courage are inherently different concepts – but they are inextricably linked, especially in leadership, innovation, and transformation contexts. Here’s a summary of some of the intersections of these two terms.
One of the challenges we consistently see in innovations or major disruptions is humans’ willingness and comfort to Embrace the Unknown. In Dr. Warrell’s comments, she stresses that courage is not the absence of fear but the willingness to act despite it.
When we think of AI, most people would still say we are still learning and in uncharted territory, and that its rapid evolution means that outcomes are unpredictable, as new business models are challenging current ways of working and thinking, and hence many ethical dilemmas are playing out.
In the context of courage, leaders must be courageous to experiment and adopt AI early and take calculated risks, while knowing there will likely be failures and backlashes – but the risk of doing nothing is much greater. So, for example, if a company implements generative AI in a call center, there may be union issues or headcount reduction as increasingly more automated agents are tackling routine work. However, the consequences competitively and economically often outweigh staying in outdated operating processes.
A second example is Challenging Bias and Ethics. We have spoken and written a great deal about the inherent biases in training data. What we have not discussed a great deal is that it takes courage to: expose these biases publicly, question entrenched business practices that benefit from biased outputs, and advocate for responsible AI governance even when it slows down speed-to-market. Just as courage drives people to speak truth to power, ethical AI requires technologists, executives, and policymakers to confront uncomfortable truths about algorithms and their social consequences.
A third example is AI is about Driving Transformational Change. We have already experienced how AI adoption is disrupting entire industries. AI has the incredible power to automate, predict, and scale. It takes a great deal of courage to lead teams through uncertainty, job role changes, and resistance. Without courage, companies risk playing it safe, falling behind competitors who dare to reimagine their business with AI. Although an old example, it still has learning relevance, as when Netflix shifted from DVDs to streaming, then to AI-driven personalization — a courageous move that disrupted their own legacy model.
A fourth example is Facing Fear of Replacement. There is no question that AI introduces fear of job loss or irrelevance. Courage is needed on both sides: workers to upskill, reskill, and adapt rather than resist change. Leaders: to invest in human growth, not just automation, and communicate transparently. Both AI innovation and courageous leadership thrive on growth mindsets — seeing change as an opportunity, not a threat.
A fifth example is Decision-Making Under Uncertainty. AI provides data-driven recommendations, but leaders must interpret, challenge, and ultimately decide. It takes courage to: go against an AI model when human judgment senses risk and accepts accountability for decisions that AI informs but cannot own. This balance is essential for trusted AI governance.
A sixth example is a metaphor – Think of AI as the sword and courage as the hand that wields it: AI provides power, speed, and capability. And courage determines how, when, and why that power is used — ensuring it serves people, not just profits.
How can you track a culture evolving its courage muscle like we do with an emotional IQ quotient?
At SalesChoice, we have built a new GenAI NLP MoodInsights product that can easily mine language and provide context on cultural language. Just think of mining all the emails in a company to identify how often the word “fear” or the word “anxiety” appears, or “not comfortable.”
With our AI tools, we can now help organizations make more sense of the conversations that are in motion and tap into the psyches and personas inherent in the cultural context of an organization. If employees are not feeling “brave,” “confident,” and are willing to embrace “courage,” – how can we ever adopt AI successfully?
We already have over 60% of Canadians fearing AI and concerns that AI will replace their jobs. Most Americans now see artificial intelligence as a threat to their livelihoods, with 71% fearing it could permanently wipe out jobs. The findings come from a new Reuters/Ipsos poll, which shows widespread anxiety across the US as AI threatens job security and challenges the future of employment
Conclusion
In closing, “The future belongs to those who are brave enough to create it.” In the AI era, courage means not only embracing new technology but also protecting humanity’s values as we deploy it. Our ability to ensure humanity is preserved in meaningful ways so humans are not marginalized is going to be one of the greatest leadership responsibilities in the new age of AI.
Notes:
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Enclosed is a link to the recording, and if you want to order Dr. Warrell’s new book , it is on Amazon here.
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To see our other recordings in our HR AI Series with The Bedford/Transearch Group, see here:
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Research: Americans fear AI Job Loss – Survey.
