I Was Stuck in a Waymo!

Are we losing our voice to AI?

We were locked in a Waymo at a stop sign in San Francisco when a woman ran in front of us and started trying to rob an ATM.

Follow this story closely. There are a few twists.

Last fall, I turned a certain age and decided to live a little. After dinner at the legendary 3rd Cousin, we opted for a Waymo back to the hotel — which seemed sketchier than hopping into a stranger's car (Uber). The Jaguar seats were clean, comfy, and yes, it was nice only talking to family. Waymo graciously took us through a street with nice lights, and I took an award-winning photo at my wife's request. You are welcome.

Then it happened. Police cars rolled in and blocked the intersection, so the woman trying to steal money ran off. Then she realized the three police cars weren't there for her — they were after someone else entirely. So she strolled back to the ATM to take care of business. Then more police cars arrived and blocked all the roads while we sat in our Waymo. We watched 12-15 officers running back and forth, intensely looking for someone, while we were locked in our car and stuck.

The stoplights cycled green multiple times. We were just chilling in our Waymo, watching crime and police in action.

Were we nervous? Yes. Did we feel out of control? Yes. Was it pleasant? No.

Then something changed. A message appeared on the screen: "MANUAL TAKE OVER." Someone, somewhere in the world, joy-sticked our car around the police cars in the intersection and moved us to safety. After the manual maneuver, the AI took over again, and we made it back to the hotel.

What's the point? We were enjoying the AI trip, but we still needed a human's critical thinking to navigate the situation.

Is there a place for AI? Obviously. It can streamline functions, create efficiencies, process information, and write code.

Does AI replace the unique voice, skills, and capabilities you bring to the table? Not a chance.

Here's the hot take: As much as you try to train AI to your voice, to do your work, to communicate with your teams — it can't replace you. When you delegate your voice, you diminish your own capabilities. You lose your authenticity. You limit your impact.

Leaders — fight the urge to mail it in. Keep sharpening your critical thinking and communication skills. What will set great leaders apart from average ones in the age of rapidly advancing AI is the ability to think critically and communicate authentically.

Leaders who over-rely on AI now will slowly erode the very skills they need to make strategic shifts, mobilize teams, lead through change, inspire vision, and develop talent.

A key to effective leadership is authenticity. Authenticity comes from the soul. It comes from leaders leading with a clear sense of purpose. When we delegate our communication to AI, we strip the soul from our messaging — no matter how well we train it. And our leadership influence slowly begins to erode.

Let's use AI. Let's not get left behind.

But let's remember — AI can't replace your leadership.

What's your take?