Kevin Weishaar
Founder and CEO
Property Management/Affordable Housing Firm
Episode 9
Beyond Algorithms: Why Human-First Leadership Defines Success in the AI Age
Current chapter: Built by People podcast features insights from world's top HR leaders
Built By PeopleJanuary 26, 2026 · 6:58
Thesis
“In an increasingly data-driven and AI-influenced world, effective leadership hinges on prioritizing personal connections and fostering strong relationships to inspire teams, navigate change, and ultimately drive organizational and societal success.”
Show notes
Summary
In this episode of the Build By People podcast, Kevin Weishaar shares his unexpected journey in property management, highlighting the importance of leadership, employee engagement, and the integration of AI in operations. He emphasizes the need for effective communication and relationship building over mere accomplishments, providing insights into the evolving landscape of property management and the tools necessary for success.
Takeaways
- Everything in property management is unexpected.
- Building leaders and cutting through the noise of data is crucial.
- AI initiatives are becoming essential in property management.
- Engagement through communication is challenging but necessary.
- Regular community groups and team-building events enhance engagement.
- Staying updated with technology tools is a full-time job.
- Interconnectedness among team members leads to better decision-making.
- Building relationships is more important than short-term accomplishments.
- Big wins may help in reviews but relationships last longer.
- Inspiring people with a personal touch is key to effective leadership.
What you'll take away
- 1Prioritize building leaders and inspiring people with a personal touch, cutting through data noise and adapting to ever-changing AI and regulations.
- 2Successful AI initiatives require significant upfront work on buy-in and change management to demonstrate benefits and make mundane tasks go away.
- 3Improve employee engagement and communication by fostering regular touchpoints, community groups, and personal interactions, especially with disparate and post-COVID teams.
- 4Focus on building long-term relationships over short-term accomplishments, as these connections create trust, accelerate decision-making, and strengthen teams.
- 5Continuously evaluate and adapt to the rapidly evolving landscape of AI and productivity tools to identify what truly enhances efficiency and impact.
What most organizations get wrong
In Kevin's words
“just building leaders and doing the best you can to really just cut through the noise of data and trying to figure out things in this world of ever-changing AI and regulations and as much as you can as things are evolving to be able to still make it about the people and inspiring people”
Highlights the critical balance between technological advancements and human-centric leadership in a dynamic environment.
“one of the AI initiatives we had. At least AI is kind of the name of the game these days. And so getting that going and having, you know, buy-in, it's, it's, it's something that takes a lot of work upfront and getting folks engaged and a lot of change in management is a big part of it.”
Emphasizes that successful AI implementation requires substantial effort in change management and securing employee buy-in.
“it's, it's tougher to get people after COVID, just getting people in the room together, getting people to pick up the phone, getting people to turn on their camera sometimes.”
Acknowledges the persistent challenges in fostering engagement and direct communication in a post-pandemic work setting.
“for me, you know, personally, everything is It's ChatGPT and Gemini and Copilot and Claude and Perplexity and Comet AI and, you know, and 8N and Zapier and all that fun stuff.”
Illustrates the broad and rapidly expanding suite of AI tools being integrated into daily operations for productivity.
“I would say relationships are more important than accomplishments.”
Offers a concise yet profound piece of career advice, prioritizing human connection and trust over transient achievements.
The problems this episode addresses
- •HR leaders struggle to filter through data noise and make sense of information amidst rapidly changing AI and regulations.
- •Implementing new AI initiatives faces significant hurdles in gaining employee buy-in and managing organizational change effectively.
- •Post-COVID, it's challenging to foster genuine employee engagement and ensure effective communication, with difficulty getting people to connect in person or virtually.
- •Keeping up with the overwhelming number of new AI tools and platforms is a full-time job, making it hard to identify truly effective productivity solutions.
- •Ensuring disparate teams feel interconnected and part of a cohesive unit for better communication, faster decision-making, and improved resident support.
In this episode
Built by People podcast features insights from world's top HR leaders
Built by People
Kevin Weisar started in property management after college
Leadership in Property Management Podcast
How do you improve employee engagement through better communication
Employee engagement at Work
What tools or platforms are most essential for your operations today? Well, everything is
What tools or platforms are most essential for your operations today?
Kevin says relationships are more important than accomplishments in your career
Kevin Knows More About Relationships Than Accomplishes
Topics covered
Organizations and entities mentioned
Full transcript
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