Hi Reader,
Welcome to deep summer!
Artificial intelligence continues to dominate conversations across commercial real estate, and many of the most interesting discussions are transitioning from the technology to the leadership of the change it brings. Leaders are wrestling with the critical question: How do we help our teams navigate this change?
This month we explore that question through a lens from nature. Herds survive by moving together, yet periods of change stretch the herd as some move ahead, others hesitate, and many are stuck in the mire. Leadership cannot eliminate the uncertainty, but it can provide direction through it. That direction creates the conditions for people to move forward with confidence and, ultimately, find joy amid the change.
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Finding Joy Amid the Shifting Herd
Our teams are facing multiple pressures, stresses, and changes. Artificial intelligence is one of the most significant forces reshaping our daily lives.
As leaders, we have an opportunity to help our teams navigate this seismic shift. Not by pretending that the disruption is not real, but by helping people find joy in moving toward the future instead of fearing it.
Humans are wired to avoid pain and seek joy. We also find comfort and safety in numbers, which is why we naturally look to the herd for cues about how to respond during times of uncertainty.
Today, the shape of that herd is changing. It is stretching out and thinning in places.
Some people are sprinting forward, experimenting with new AI tools and discovering new ways to work. Others are hanging back, questioning whether these technologies are worth the investment or concerned about what they mean for the future. Most people find themselves somewhere in the middle, watching both groups, trying to decide when and how quickly to move.
The front of the herd is pulling ahead. The rear is falling back. The middle is becoming increasingly exposed.
For many people, the question becomes: Do I accelerate to catch up to the head of the pack, or shift down to remain with the rear guard? No need to judge either choice. Every individual is making a calculation based on experience, confidence, risk tolerance, and responsibilities.
Organizations and their leaders are making similar calculations.
Leaders cannot eliminate uncertainty. What they can do is reduce unnecessary fear. When people understand where they are going, why they matter, and how they contribute to the journey, they are far more likely to move toward the future than retreat from it.
That is where joy has room to emerge.
None of this dismisses the legitimate societal questions surrounding AI. We need thoughtful policy, governance, and public discussion about the capabilities, risks, and consequences of these technologies. Those conversations matter. And while those debates continue, leaders still have organizations to lead today.
What can we do now to help our team find joy while maneuvering through the shifting landscape?
Communicate the North Star
People can tolerate uncertainty far better than they can tolerate silence.
Share the destination. Explain the goals, the priorities, and what success looks like for the organization. The details will evolve, but a clearly articulated North Star provides direction when the path itself is still under construction.
Be Honest and Be Human
No leader has all the answers right now.
Tell your team what you know. Tell them what you do not know. Acknowledge the difficult issues that remain unresolved. Discuss the questions everyone is already asking quietly, including how AI may impact roles, responsibilities, and organizational structure.
Authenticity builds trust. Avoiding difficult conversations rarely does.
Bring People Into the Conversation
Change imposed feels very different from change experienced together.
Ask questions. Listen carefully.
Invite ideas from across the organization. The individuals closest to the work often have the clearest understanding of where AI can improve processes, eliminate repetitive tasks, or create unintended problems.
People support what they help create.
Create a Safe Place to Learn
Learning requires experimentation. Experimentation requires mistakes. If people fear embarrassment or punishment every time they try something new, they will stop trying altogether.
Create an environment where respectful disagreement is welcomed, lessons learned are shared openly, and curiosity is rewarded. Leaders cannot solve problems they never hear about.
Connect the Dots
Perhaps the most important responsibility of leadership is helping people understand why they matter.
Show each team member how their work contributes to the organization’s future. Explain how AI supports the mission rather than replacing the mission. Help people see themselves in tomorrow’s organization instead of wondering whether they still belong in it.
The role of leadership is not to eliminate uncertainty. It is to provide direction through uncertainty. When leaders provide that direction, they give people something worth moving toward.
If you are wondering where to begin, start small. Try these three things this month.
- First, go on a listening tour. Meet with small groups across different functions and ask how they are using AI today. What excites them? What concerns them? What barriers are they encountering? These conversations will reveal far more about your organization’s AI readiness than any survey ever will.
- Second, get educated. Whether it is a general AI course or one focused specifically on commercial real estate, invest time in understanding the technology. You do not need to become the technical expert. But do not abdicate leadership during one of the most significant technological shifts our industry has experienced. This is commercial real estate. We hire experts all the time. Learn enough to ask better questions and make better decisions.
- Finally, try the tools yourself. Subscribe to a paid version of ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot, or Gemini, follow your organization’s data security policies, and simply start using it. Ask it to help you prepare for a difficult conversation, organize a strategic planning session, summarize a report, or even build a shopping list for a summer barbecue.
During this time of exciting and terrifying change, set your team up to find joy. Help them move from spending most of their time looking in the rearview mirror, worried about the predator chasing them to looking forward to the horizon, anticipating what comes next.