Jolen Anderson
Chief People and Community Officer
BetterUp
Episode 298
Beyond AI Hype: The 'Pilot Mindset' & Empathy for Peak Performance
Current chapter: Covering monthly expenses is the number one concern for employees in 2024
Built By PeopleFebruary 17, 2025 · 11:56
Thesis
“Organizations must adopt a 'pilot mindset' characterized by optimism, agency, curiosity, and resilience to navigate disruptive changes like AI, while simultaneously investing in deeply human leadership qualities such as empathy and connection to foster peak performance and wellbeing.”
Show notes
Jolen Anderson opened her career as an antitrust litigator. She argues that background is directly relevant to her work in HR — because both fields are fundamentally about the same thing: how do you unlock peak performance in human systems operating under constraint? At BetterUp, the company whose core product is coaching for exactly that challenge, she's found the right laboratory to test the answer.
Her central framework for navigating AI disruption is what she calls the pilot mindset: optimism and agency. Not blind optimism — the belief that things will automatically improve — but the kind of grounded confidence that accepts uncertainty while refusing helplessness. "There's nothing more complex than an organization trying to tackle how to unlock and drive peak performance of its workforce," she says. AI doesn't simplify that challenge. It changes the terrain. The organizations that will win are those whose employees believe they have the agency to navigate it.
Jolen is also clear-eyed about the human dimensions of the current moment that technology alone cannot address: social and political polarization inside organizations, the psychological toll of crisis on dispersed workforces, and the growing gap between AI-enabled administrative efficiency and the deeply human leadership qualities — empathy, connection, presence — that no tool replicates. Her argument: as AI scales the transactional work, leaders must double down on the relational work. That's not a soft investment. It's the strategic one.
- The pilot mindset — cultivating optimism and agency as the core disposition for AI adoption and organizational change
- Unlocking peak performance — what the research actually shows about how organizations create conditions for employees to do their best work
- Navigating workplace polarization — strategies for maintaining civility and connection during periods of social and political tension
- Supporting employees through crises — immediate empathetic response plus long-term emotional and practical recovery
- Human leadership as AI's complement — why empathy and connection become more valuable as technology scales administrative tasks
- Curiosity as the foundational competency — why staying genuinely inquisitive is the best defense against disruption
Built by People is sponsored by Previ, the private pricing network that saves employees an average of $2,200/year on essentials like cell phone and auto insurance — free for companies to launch and maintain.
What you'll take away
- 1Cultivate a 'pilot mindset' (optimism and agency) among employees to drive successful AI adoption and leverage its full potential.
- 2During times of social and political polarization, prioritize investments in worker wellbeing and foster opportunities for genuine connection and unity to maintain workplace harmony.
- 3In crisis situations, provide immediate empathetic support and tangible aid, but also commit to long-term emotional and psychological wellbeing resources for impacted employees.
- 4As AI scales administrative tasks, leaders must increasingly focus on and develop 'deeply human' qualities like empathy, resilience, and the ability to drive connection.
- 5Encourage a spirit of curiosity, resilience, and positivity to adapt and thrive amidst significant workplace disruptions and technological advancements.
What most organizations get wrong
- •While many fear AI will eliminate jobs, Jolen suggests focusing on its promise to automate administrative tasks, thereby freeing people to concentrate on more purposeful, strategic, and value-adding work.
In Jolen's words
“there's nothing more complex than an organization's trying to tackle than how to unlock and drive peak performance of its people.”
This quote defines the fundamental challenge and opportunity for HR leaders in any organization.
“And that pilot mindset is the most important predictor of AI adoption at work.”
This highlights BetterUp's research on the critical factor for successful AI integration within a workforce.
“our research told us that the most effective strategy to preserve kind of harmony in the workplace consists of, first, no surprise, investing in worker wellbeing, and then fostering opportunities for connection and unity.”
Provides a research-backed actionable strategy for HR to address social and political polarization in the workplace.
“organizations should show up with that empathy and an understanding of the situations and really have processes and systems to check in with affected employees.”
Emphasizes the crucial immediate response and compassionate approach organizations need during employee crises.
“I think we also should be focused on the promise of what AI can do when it allows us to really scale the things that are sometimes those administrative tasks that frankly none of us wanna do. And allow people to be focused on work that drives more purpose and meaning and is more strategic in terms of the value add that they, that they give to an organization.”
This offers an optimistic and strategic perspective on AI's role in augmenting human work rather than solely replacing it.
“I think always stay curious.”
A concise piece of parting advice that serves as a foundational mindset for navigating an uncertain future.
The problems this episode addresses
- •Organizations struggle with complex problem-solving to unlock and drive peak human performance.
- •Managers lack effective strategies and tools to help employees overcome fear and adopt AI, distinguishing between 'pilots' and 'passengers'.
- •Maintaining civility and camaraderie in organizations during times of high social and political polarization remains a significant challenge.
- •Companies need robust immediate and long-term support systems for employees impacted by personal or widespread disasters.
- •HR leaders face the challenge of balancing AI-driven efficiencies with the critical need to maintain human-centered leadership and employee support.
- •The rapid pace of change and uncertainty in the modern workforce requires continuous adaptation and resilience from employees and leaders.
In this episode
Covering monthly expenses is the number one concern for employees in 2024
Built by People
JoLynn Johnson is the founder and CEO of Built By People
Built By People: JoLynn on the Career Journey
How can managers help employees embrace AI in a way that enhances productivity
How Managers Can Help Employees Gain the Power of AI
What strategies are effective in maintaining civility in organizations during polarized times
How to maintain civility in the workplace during times of polarization
What immediate steps can organizations take to provide meaningful support to impacted employees
How to Support Employees During Disasters
What balance should organizations strike between AI-driven efficiencies and maintaining human-centered leadership
Human-centered leadership in the era of AI
Jolynn: I think we are entering a time that's really exciting
Jolynn on Disrupting the Workplace
Jolynn, thank you so much for joining us on the Built by People podcast
Built by People Podcast
Topics covered
Organizations and entities mentioned
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