Technology and Human Influence in Executive Learning and Development

(Illustrative Only)

"Listen whipper snappers"

Chuck starts.....

Chuck is knowledgeable of

businesses and shares the 

fundamentals of business

prior to technology 

and teaches executives 

how to integrate advanced

tech with fundamental 

human elements

that enhance both. 

A few executives are confused

as to how an old bib

wearing shepard

can teach them about 

managing global companies.

They snicker and discount

what he has to say.

Chuck just

engaged in lesson #1 

that not all things are 

as they seem and limitations

in perspective also limit

corporate innovation. 

Open your mind and you

can maximize the value

of technology, the value

of lives, and integrate

the human element.

Some of these

executives may someday

want to lauch tech

start-ups in places

 like Escanaba.

"Talent hits a target no

one else can hit;

Genius hits a target

no one else can see."

Arthur Schopenhauer

Related concepts

Intuition

Spinoza

Blank Spaces

Intuition

Philosophical Principles of 

Consciousness

Frontiers of Consciousness

Global Intelligence

Hegel

Unconscious Branding

Innovative Structures

Executive development can be approached in multiple ways, including competency models, which I’ve been working on. These models measure learning that prepares executives by aligning key concepts and skills with what’s needed to compete in today’s workplace. Others are exploring the use of technology, including coaching tools, to support executive development. Technology can enhance learning by offering insights and opportunities for reflection, but it cannot replace the active engagement of people. Human participation in the learning process is essential, and technology should always serve as a supplement rather than a substitute.

For example, chatbots—similar to customer service systems—can guide users through sequences of choices and provide feedback. While useful, they can also narrow learning because they follow predefined algorithms. Not everyone learns the same way, and variability in learning styles is a strength; it allows humans to adapt creatively to changing circumstances and solve complex problems. Traditional approaches often focus on memorization or regurgitation of knowledge, which is necessary as a foundation, but innovation often requires doing and learning in new ways—something algorithms may not support.

In short, technology can enhance executive development, but the human-to-human element remains critical. People bring reflection, connection, and motivation that extend beyond what algorithms can provide. The study below illustrates one approach to blending technology with human coaching, and it’s worth a read.

Coaching copilot: Blended form of an LLM-powered chatbot and a human coach to effectively support self-reflection for leadership growth

• Executive coaching is commonly used for leadership development and focuses on helping leaders reflect on their behaviors, decisions, and professional goals through guided conversations.

• The study examines how a large language model (LLM) chatbot can support leadership development by encouraging executives to engage in self-reflection between coaching sessions.

• Researchers developed a “coaching copilot” that combines chatbot interaction with traditional human coaching to provide continuous reflection and goal tracking.

• Findings indicate that AI tools can support leadership growth by prompting reflection and extending coaching conversations beyond scheduled meetings.

• The study concludes that AI works best as a supplement to human coaching rather than a replacement, as human coaches provide deeper insight, empathy, and contextual understanding.

Reference

Arakawa, R., & Yakura, H. (2024). Coaching copilot: Blended form of an LLM-powered chatbot and a human coach to effectively support self-reflection for leadership growth. In Proceedings of the 6th ACM Conference on Conversational User Interfaces (CUI ’24). Association for Computing Machinery. https://doi.org/10.1145/3640794.3665549