Harness the AI Revolution to Strengthen Your Leadership Strategies (& Influencers Podcast)

Harness the AI Revolution to Strengthen Your Leadership Strategies (& Influencers Podcast)

How are your leadership strategies helping shape leaders who rise with courage instead of shrinking in fear, especially in this AI Revolution, where the way we live, work, and lead is being challenged?

That question was fresh on my mind as I watched the docu-drama, The American Miracle. I’ve seen it twice now. The second time was during a special screening with executive producer Tim Mahoney, at the AMC theater in Minot. It gets better every time.

This movie stirred something in me, not just as a mom and gramma, but as someone deeply committed to building leaders of character. I found myself reflecting on the courage of our Founding Fathers. They didn’t run from fear. They pressed into it. They stood for virtue, liberty, and purpose—and they sacrificed everything so future generations could thrive.

These weren’t random ideas. They were values—truths—that brave leaders held onto, even in the darkest of times. As I traced my family roots back to the Mayflower, I was struck by the courage it took to leave everything behind to build something better.

Facing a New Kind of Fear – Rise of AI

Today, we’re facing a new kind of fear: the rise of artificial intelligence. I hear it in conversations with leaders and young people alike. Will AI replace me? Can I trust it? Is it dangerous? As Yuval Noah Harari said – “It’s an alien invasion.”  (Read the story in the Dakota Digital Review.) These are real fears.

The good news? We’re still that same nation. We are still those same people. We don’t have to bow to fear, to AI Tyranny. We can rise to the occasion, just like our forefathers did, fending off government tyranny.

Here’s what I believe: AI doesn’t have to be something we fear. Like the printing press or the internet, it’s a tool. And with strong character and wise leadership, we can utilize it to serve others, not control them.

The American Miracle reminded me of the character and conviction we need in leadership today. We need leaders who have a clear compass and can guide others through uncertainty. Leaders who remind us that we are still a people of courage, creativity, and deep conviction.

Leading in a Culture of Fear and Distrust

Dave Donaldson and Scott Young invited me to discuss Effective Leadership Influence in a Culture of Fear and Distrust on the Influencers Podcast. This article is my pre-interview planning notes.

 I asked ChatGPT to scan my notes, spotlighting ideas that relate to how we deal with fear in the Age of AI.

• 13 Quotes to encourage you to lead with courage, character, and gratitude, even in a fast-changing world.
• A summary of the full Podcast Article.

12 Powerful Quotes to Guide Your Leadership Journey in the Age of AI (ChatGPT)

I trust these powerful quotes—drawn from a planning article — fuel more clarity and character in today’s fast-changing world. Each one is a short, simple reminder that core values like gratitude, courage, and connection aren’t just nice ideas. They’re the building blocks of strong leadership. Use these quotes to inspire your own journey AND to coach the next generation as they navigate the challenges of the AI era.

Gratitude: The Foundation of Resilient Leadership

• Gratitude silences fear and fuels forward motion.
• Next-Gen leaders thrive when gratitude powers their growth.
• Gratitude transforms roadblocks into stepping stones.
• Gratitude breeds confidence, and confidence crushes fear.

Courage: Leading Boldly Through Uncertainty

• Courage helps leaders leap from fear to growth.
• Every act of courage plants a seed of strong character.
• When the journey feels impossible, trusted guides fuel courage.
• Courage chooses the high road—even when it’s hard to.

Character: Ownership that Inspires Action

• An Ownership Mindset turns fear into vision—and vision into action.
• Leadership begins when you own your growth, not just your goals.

Character built on trust creates lasting relationships

• Ownership starts with one question: What might I do?
• The right route demands grit—step by determined step.

These quotes offer a selection of leadership wisdom, but there’s so much more to explore.

With the help of ChatGPT, I’ve crafted a summary of the full article that highlights key takeaways for dealing with fear in the Age of AI. This is a tricky task because this article is packed full of practical leadership frameworks:

• Era of Exponential Progress
• Moving from Fear Zone to Growth Zone
• 5 Capital Leadership
• Pillars of Trust (Dave Horsager)

In the end, ChatGPT focused on 3 areas:

• Right Route
• Right Mindset
• Right Guide

Here’s Chat’s summary:

Fear, Distrust, and the Leadership Vacuum in the Age of AI (ChatGPT)

Insights from the Influencers Podcast with Danita Bye: We live in a time of rapid change—new technology, social shifts, and an evolving workplace culture. Fear and distrust are growing, especially among Millennials and Next-Gen leaders. That makes our leadership role even more critical—not just to offer direction, but to model character, courage, and clarity in uncertain times.

Today’s emerging leaders are navigating what some call an Era of Exponential Progress. You’ve seen it firsthand—AI, self-driving cars, biotech innovations—change is happening at lightning speed. But with all this progress comes a darker side: fear of the unknown, a breakdown of trust, and emotional paralysis that can stall leadership growth and weaken character formation.

Millennials, in particular, grew up in a world filled with division and uncertainty. That’s led to what I call a “leadership vacuum”—where trust is low and fear dominates decision-making. Psychiatrists like Dr. Mark McDonald remind us that when fear takes over, it paralyzes our rational thinking—and that affects every aspect of leadership.

 

Lessons from Kilimanjaro: Stepping into Ownership, Gratitude, and Mentorship

Let me tell you a story from my daughter Danae’s climb of Mount Kilimanjaro. Half of the climbers don’t reach the summit. Why? Because they take the wrong path, have the wrong mindset, or follow the wrong guide.

Sound familiar? These are exactly the same pitfalls young leaders face today in this AI-driven world, especially if no one has helped them develop the character to withstand pressure, uncertainty, and rapid change.

1. The Right Route: Step into Ownership

In AI-driven environments, speed and efficiency rule. Yet, when it comes to developing human leaders, shortcuts fail. Danae learned that the easiest path up Kilimanjaro often leads to trouble. Why? It doesn’t allow climbers enough time to adjust to low oxygen. Similarly, many young leaders chase what seems like the “quick route” to success. They focus on influence, instant results, or viral moments without the inner growth needed for lasting leadership.

This shallow climb is riskier in an AI culture where decision-making can be outsourced and accountability fades. The solution? An Ownership Mindset.

Ownership demands courage, humility, and integrity. It urges leaders to stop blaming others and ask, “What can I do to move forward?” In a world where AI manages logistics, analysis, or content creation, the true leader offers moral clarity and personal responsibility.

The best route isn’t about speed—it’s about climbing well. Coaching young leaders to embrace their values and actions builds the inner strength needed to thrive in a complex, automated world.

Top Tip: An Ownership Mindset tackles fear by building clarity, personal agency, and hope—even amid technological disruption. An Ownership Mindset tackles fear by building clarity, personal agency, and hope—even amid technological disruption.

2. The Right Mindset: Step into Gratitude

AI is a powerful tool, but it lacks a heart. It can’t feel, hope, or love. That’s why a leader’s attitude, especially one filled with thankfulness, matters more than ever.

Danae said climbing Mount Kilimanjaro was hard on her body and mind. Today’s leaders face similar stress. With technology, economic shifts, and cultural changes, it’s easy to fall into what Danita calls the 3C trap: Criticize, Condemn, and Complain. These attitudes block creativity, lower confidence, and create disconnection.

Gratitude changes everything.

When leaders adopt a thankful attitude, they stay strong during tough times. It helps them build better relationships by focusing on connection instead of comparison. A thankful mindset also supports better health in both body and mind, which is vital in today’s fast-paced world.

Being thankful keeps leaders human. It reminds them of what truly matters—their purpose, their people, and their journey. Even when things feel cold and robotic, gratitude adds warmth and meaning.

Top Tip: A thankful mindset fights fear. It gives leaders the strength, focus, and confidence to persevere.

3. The Right Guide: Step into Mentorship

As Danae’s Kilimanjaro climb reached its most difficult stages, her headlamp failed. Her guide, noticing the need, handed her his without hesitation. No words—just presence. That moment of trust illuminates the heart of true leadership.

In a world increasingly shaped by machines and mediated through screens, human guidance matters more than ever. Algorithms may be smart, but they cannot build trust, offer wisdom, or believe in someone’s potential. Only people can do that.

Today’s Next-Gen leaders aren’t just searching for data or strategies—they’re searching for guides. People who see them. Challenge them. Walk with them. Leaders who are honest about their own struggles, consistent in their values, and courageous enough to stay close when others drift away.

Being the right guide also means modeling what it means to lead with character in a digital world. AI can make leadership faster. But it’s our integrity, emotional intelligence, and relational presence that make leadership real.

Top Tip: Being a trusted guide tackles fear by offering stability, connection, and courage to those climbing unfamiliar terrain.

Leading with Power, Love, and a Sound Mind

Ultimately, Danita Bye challenges us to recognize that leadership isn’t just about external skills—it’s about internal transformation. In an age where AI can automate tasks and simulate intelligence, it cannot replace the spiritual wisdom, ethical clarity, and relational trust that define great leaders.

Her Kilimanjaro metaphor underscores this: to lead well in a culture of fear and exponential change, we must help emerging leaders find the:

• right route (ownership),
• embrace the right mindset (gratitude), and
• follow the right guide (trustworthy presence)

When we do, they can move out of the Fear Zone, through the Learning Zone, and into the Growth Zone—where their true leadership potential is unleashed.

As Danae reflected at the summit of Kilimanjaro:

“This is a perfect moment… a moment that defines me as being Kichwa Moto—not willing to give up on myself, or the people around me.”

That’s the kind of leader the world needs now—not one who’s perfect, but one who’s purposeful.

My Summary

Your role is to help young leaders own their path, build strong character, and find purpose and momentum—even when the climb is steep and the path ahead is being redrawn by AI.

In a culture clouded by fear and distrust, character-based influence matters more than ever. If you’re thinking about how to lead with clarity, confidence, and competence, maybe start by asking yourself the question Scott Young raised on the podcast:

“What if the leader who needs to change is you?”

As we navigate the fast-changing world shaped by AI, the foundation of effective leadership remains the same: character, courage, and clarity of purpose. This is what strengthened our Founding Fathers. It can also strengthen us.

Your leadership matters – NOW, more than ever.

Leadership Lesson:
Strong leadership starts with character, not just competence.

Leadership Question:
What step will you take today to lead with courage and clarity in a world transformed by AI?

Copyright, Danita Bye (with AI-generated input)