How small moments of convenience quietly weaken discernment, presence, and leadership
Recently at my other job, I received a request that seemed simple enough on the surface.
“Is there a way for this summary to automatically populate the next field?”
Technically, sort of. The system has an AI assistant that can copy the text over with one click.
But my first thought was something else. The two fields sit right beside each other.
Highlight. Copy. Paste.
Three seconds. A very simple step.
And yet we’re increasingly looking for ways to remove even that small of a step.
Not because we can’t do it. But because we’ve gotten so used to having even the simplest of things done for us.
Convenience and efficiency can be useful and help save time, but efficiency should support thinking. Not replace it.
The more we automate small acts of thinking, the easier it becomes to disconnect from our own discernment and leadership.
What do leaders slowly lose when they stop engaging their own thinking?
- discernment
- ownership
- presence
If we are to lead ourselves and others well, we must take ownership of our actions.
And more than anything, leaders need to be present. Our attention is focused when we are present. When we are present, our discernment becomes clearer. We lead ourself and others from a place of calm instead of chaos when we are present.
The danger isn’t AI. AI is just another tool we can use to make the most of our time. One I use every day. It’s forgetting how to engage our own thinking.
I’m constantly aware of how it can make me forget to engage with my own critical thinking and how it can affect how I lead myself and others.
Leadership isn’t just about big decisions.
It’s built in the small moments where we stay mentally present instead of looking to another source to do the work.
Leadership weakens the moment we stop participating in our own decisions and outsource it to another tool.