The Business Brief – Every Choice Shapes Tomorrow

Personal Log: Popularity does not mean results

I’ve met many leaders throughout my career—whether in the private sector, with government-owned corporations, or working alongside politicians from municipal to federal levels. Some believe that being liked is the same as being effective. But popularity alone doesn’t deliver results. There’s a big difference between winning applause and driving real change. Leadership is about outcomes, not optics.

Unfortunately, we all know that managers, boards, and voters can be blindsided by these optics and make the wrong decisions. I remember one person being hired because of their charisma (I was not part of the hiring committee), but within 6 months that hire was unceremoniously exited. These hiring and appointment mistakes are made often. We have to stop confusing confidence with competence, and charm with capability. The most dangerous leader isn’t the one who’s feared or firm—it’s the one who’s adored but ineffective.

Because in the end, applause fades. But consequences don’t.

Empty leadership leaves scars: missed opportunities, wasted budgets, disengaged teams, and shattered public trust. Whether it’s in the boardroom or the cabinet, when decisions are based on likability instead of merit, organizations suffer—and so do the people they serve. We need leaders who make tough calls, not just say the right things. Leaders who measure success not by how many people like them, but by how many lives they improve, how many problems they solve, and how well they prepare their teams, companies, or countries for the future.

When one’s legacy is built on being popular and applause, they shouldn’t be surprised when they are not hired or are voted out.

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The H.I.V.E. – People will always ignore what they fear

AI is about to shake up the world of work in ways we have not imagined. AI will be your strategic business partner or executive assistant. You will be expected to learn to work with this technology, to become more effective and efficient. This is all because the competitive marketplace, which many are also ignoring, will become more hyper-competitive, which I have warned about for the last couple of years.

However, it will be more than just a business partner; the workplace will change, and it will have two sets of employees, human and artificial. And believe me, both will be considered assets of the organization. In a presentation I deliver next month, I will be pointing towards even greater disruption. Something of a magnitude more disruptive than even Personal AI Assistants. I call it the H.I.V.E., which stands for Human, Ideas, and Values Exchange. It is destined to shake up marketing, research, politics, institutions, and work as we know it even further. And the best way to think of this is like a hive where society weighs in on government policies and even their likes and dislikes of brands. It could be considered a revolutionary shift in social media, and it will likely be operated solely by AI. We are already awaiting the arrival of the first AI-led business. This may be one form of it.

But society will always ignore what it fears until it has no choice but to confront and deal with it. And this is a bigger risk than AI or the H.I.V.E. combined.

Technology-Economy-Society:

What you are owed by the creators of AI

This week, IO was acquired by OpenAI for $6.4 billion. They plan to launch hardware that will enable humans to connect with AI and make it a part of our lives. There’s no question that change is inevitable, given that the internet, e-commerce, smartphones, and social media are all between 20 and 30 years old. This technology and these services have reached their plateau in terms of productivity and competitive uses. Look, Google is now as exciting as the Yellow Pages. However, with all this technology comes anxiety.

Human Panic:This is about how AI will be impacting our lives and what we as humans will give up, and for that matter, lose as a result of our own adoption. We know that there will be job losses and work that becomes redundant, and new jobs created that many will not qualify for. This will be a financial shake-up initially as workers scramble to find new work. I have heard all the theories that we can be retrained, but not everyone will be retrainable.

Retail’s Silent Panic:When I look at retailers and Personal AI Assistants, I doubt that most retailers even know how disruptive this will be. The risk is a significant decline in foot traffic. And consumers will embrace it because it will fulfill many of their overly time-consuming and unaffordable lives. They will be driven by convenience, choices, price, personalization, and what becomes a trusted advisor or confidant. Just to list a few. Ultimately, we humans, if we’re not involved in creating the uses of AI, are the enablers of AI. So is the retailer’s risk moving too quickly or too slowly? I’ve heard advisors say Take your time. NO, No, no! Taking our time is what caused all the retail failures between 2012 to 2019. This requires, at the very least, diligent vision and experimentation.

Global Panic:All of this will also enable social, economic, and political disruption. We will be the recipients of the catalyst we adopted. And as affordability remains an issue, possibly for one or two generations, this can also lead to chaos and unrest. It’s a dark depiction that many agencies within governments have highlighted as risks.

Genie Out of the Bottle: We can’t unplug it. Our global foes will do no such thing. AI is their new weapon. We can’t afford to be naive or not develop our capabilities. But we do have to be careful. And the creators of AI owe humanity something, and that is to deliver, at the very least, cures or advanced treatments for common ailments that are debilitating society from living healthy and productive lives. Nothing is worse than poor health and trying ot make ends meet. And then perhaps humanity can have hope and become entrepreneurs or creators, because right now, AI and all technology are perceived to benefit billionaires only. If, on the other hand, it is designed to serve and save society first, then we may be okay.

George Minakakis is the CEO of Inception Retail Group Inc. He’s the Board Chair for Milton Hydro and the Board Chair for ACTION Milton a community group brought together to protect rural and old Milton from an unnecessary quarry which will impact the water table. George, a former CEO and Country Manager. He has held senior-level positions working for Fortune 500 Companies he is also the author of four books all of which have been best sellers.