Bridging humanity and technology: Brené Brown on leadership’s new challenge

This was the focus of New York Times bestselling author Brené Brown’s keynote at Workday Rising 2025, the technology company’s annual user conference. Brown explained that we can choose to be on “team technology” or “team human,” but “the future will belong to those of us who can straddle the paradox of humanity and technology.” Both are needed, she affirmed.

Over the past two years, leaders have navigated unprecedented uncertainty and complexity, managing this challenge at every turn, Brown said. The future of AI is a paradox itself, balancing innovation and regulation, speed and human involvement, even physics and philosophy, she said. 

Our minds want to resolve such issues quickly, so we tap out before solving the problem, Brown explained. “If you can hold onto the conflict long enough, something innovative and new will emerge,” she said.

In the age of AI, essential leadership skills aren’t about choosing between AI and humans, but rather figuring out how to unite the two to drive growth. Organizations that pick sides, Brown emphasized, won’t succeed. “Paradoxical thinking is huge,” she said.

Roughly 78% of enterprise companies are currently deploying AI, with some using it in production and others in trials or experimentation, according to McKinsey. During Workday CEO Carl Eschenbach’s opening address, he said 75% of Workday customers are using Workday AI capabilities. The company will continue to deliver innovation aligned with its values “in a responsible, ethical, safe, and thoughtful way, with human centricity at the center,” he said.

Brown, a research professor at the University of Houston, was named executive chair of the Center for Daring Leadership at BetterUp in 2024. She currently works with organizations and CEOs globally to promote “courageous leadership.” Her new book is “Strong Ground: The Lessons of Daring Leadership, the Tenacity of Paradox, and the Wisdom of the Human Spirit.” Brown’s 2010 TED Talk, “The Power of Vulnerability,” remains one of the most-viewed ever.

She told the audience that leading organizations into the future requires building new strengths including paradoxical thinking, situational awareness, anticipatory thinking, transparency, and mission-critical communication. “Say what you mean, mean what you say,” she advised.

Accountability, which requires courage and vulnerability, is also critical for leadership, Brown said. She explained that vulnerability includes uncertainty, risk, and emotional exposure.

“This is the hard part—like probably everyone here, I was raised to believe that vulnerability is weakness,” she said. “There is no courage without vulnerability.”

Sheryl Estrada
sheryl.estrada@fortune.com

Leaderboard

Srinivas Phatak was promoted to CFO of Unilever PLC, effective immediately. In February, the company announced that Srinivas, who was deputy CFO and group controller at the time, would become acting CFO. He was selected as finance chief following a full search.

Jeff Alkhas was appointed CFO of ThayerMahan, a maritime technology company. Alkhas joins ThayerMahan with more than 20 years of experience. His most recent role was CFO and COO for Arbill Industries, a safety solutions provider. 

Big Deal

A global CFO survey by IQ-EQ explores how finance leaders across private markets are navigating today’s market volatility.

Three key trends identified include outsourcing non-core functions; restructuring compliance as a strategic, tech-enabled function; and advancing AI adoption from theory to practical application—though growing pains persist, according to the report.

More than half (56%) of CFOs report that AI is already improving efficiency, with use cases spanning fund performance analysis, predictive analytics, and automated reporting. However, limited talent and inconsistent data strategies remain significant barriers to scaling AI initiatives.

Going deeper

The Federal Reserve is widely expected to announce a quarter-point interest rate cut today during its meeting, marking its first reduction this year. Although many analysts agree the economic environment calls for a rate reduction, with the federal funds rate target currently at 4.25% to 4.5%, few believe the committee will go further than a single cut of 25 basis points, Fortune reported. 

Overheard

“We can’t be everywhere. I wish we could, but we are putting $600 billion to work in the next four years. And so it is an extraordinary commitment.”