The Case For Human Coaches In An Artificial World
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Author: Carol Zizzo
Why Have a Human—a Real Human—as a Coach?
As AI rapidly expands its presence in the workplace, many of us at Henley Leadership Group are asking big questions about what it means for leadership, human connection, and personal development. Can AI replace a coach, as some suggest? What do we lose when we hand off the more human parts of our work to machines?
A prompt from our most recent HLG writing group, where we write about leadership and read back aloud in community, asked: “As intelligence becomes artificial, what remains beautifully, necessarily human in the work we do?”
HLG’s CEO, Carol Zizzo, invites us to consider what coaching and growth require. In a world full of powerful tools, the most transformative work still happens in relationships.
We’re living in a time of great workplace uncertainty.
There’s no denying it—we’re living in a time of great workplace uncertainty. The meteoric rise of AI, the unrelenting pace of change, and the ripple effects of layoffs, reorgs, budget cuts, social disconnection, and economic instability leave many of us feeling unsteady. And right in the middle of it, AI promises to alter how we work, lead, and grow completely. Some of those promises are exciting, and some feel scary.
As professional coaches, we’re used to sitting in the swirl of change and disruption. But AI is introducing something new: it’s becoming both a competitor and a collaborator in the space of leadership development.
AI can do a lot, and it's only getting better.
AI can emulate empathy, humor, curiosity, and intelligence. It can assign you homework, create development plans, interpret and summarize your leadership feedback reports and assessments. It can get to know you at a level of detail few humans ever will. And, it remembers everything.
Feed it a tough workplace challenge, and it will offer a range of thoughtful solutions. Drawing from a massive pool of information, it can ask excellent coaching questions, apply leadership models to real-world situations, and even tailor its approach to your specific role. And this is just scratching the surface.
In Japan, researchers have even created silicon humanoids. They’re AI-driven companions designed to simulate human connection. And they’re eerily effective. Some people have even begun forming relationships with them. And it is so much easier. AI won’t argue, ignore, or defend you or your position. Here’s the truth, though: the brain might be fooled by that kind of interaction, but the body, heart, and spirit know better. And humans need more than just mental intelligence. They need real connection for healthy development.
Humans need more than mental intelligence. We need real connection.
A real human coach will ask the question beneath the question, laugh out loud with you, be moved to tears by your life and your stories, and be your accountability buddy. And when it comes time to apply everything you’ve learned, when the real-world pressure hits, they’ll notice if you're overwhelmed and help you course-correct without you having to say a word.
That’s not a small thing. That’s what makes change stick.
Even the most introverted among us need to be seen, heard, and felt. We’re wired for connection. It’s how we survive and how we thrive.
The truth is: we don’t yet know what AI’s full impact will be.
It’s still hard to tell the full impact of AI, personally and professionally. On the one hand, we love hearing that AI is not replacing people’s jobs but rather automating the repetitive and redundant tasks that could be delegated to AI. So we are freed up to be more creative, innovative, and strategic. On the other hand, we don’t yet know how it will shape how we relate and work over time, leaving many people feeling uneasy, unsure if these shifts will truly empower them, or just leave them more disconnected and less essential, or even out of a job.
Will it empower us, or isolate us? Will it support our growth, or make us feel obsolete?
For me, AI has helped me manage tasks and simplify some of my more complex goals. What an incredible asset and gift in saving time and learning! But when we rely on it too much, we risk losing balance and connection. Human beings need a healthy integration of the head, heart, and hands.
So why have a human—a real human—as a coach?
Here’s why: because real change—sustainable, soulful, in-your-body change—doesn’t happen through mental processing alone. AI can handle the tasks that clutter your mind or fill up your inbox, but only a human can meet you where you are right now and genuinely explore what is sensed and not written or spoken as a question. We are wired for connection. AI is in our world to stay. If you are in the workplace, you will use it. Use the tools to deepen your connection to the world and others, not to replace it.
Here are a few things we’re learning as AI enters the coaching space—powerful reminders of what remains beautifully, necessarily human:
AI can support your growth, save you time and educate you.
But it is not a source for emotional connection on its own. You can feed it your story, but it won’t feel your anxiety, or laugh at your jokes, or hold you accountable in the way a human can. And often, we are finding it will say what you want it to say because you are the one adding content to its library of responses.Human development requires human presence.
Good coaching lives in nuance, emotion, and relational insight—not just well-formed questions, good advice and truisms.Connection isn’t optional—it’s vital for our evolution and health.
No matter how efficient or smart the tools get, we still need each other. Meaningful personal and professional growth happens in relationships, not isolation.
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