In today’s evolving business landscape, artificial intelligence is reshaping how businesses operate across nearly every industry. As the CFO of Floor Coverings International (FCI), I’ve seen firsthand how AI can streamline reporting, improve forecasting accuracy, and uncover new efficiencies. But amid this progress, there’s a growing concern across many teams: Will AI eventually replace the human workforce?
While AI is a powerful tool for automation and analysis, it’s just that—a tool. It’s important to remember that AI cannot replace what makes many businesses profitable, which is human interaction. Throughout my career, I’ve quickly learned to navigate disruption and lead with flexibility. That means understanding the balance between technology and people, and recognizing that while AI can analyze the numbers, it’s people who make the decisions that truly move a business forward.
Through economic uncertainty, teams lean on reliable, data-driven leadership. An executive’s attitude and outlook have a trickle-down effect, so it is important to lead by example, be proactive and adaptable, and stay educated to set teams up for success.
Below are three tips that have proven useful in leading teams across the fast-shifting AI landscape:
Treat AI as an Assistant, Not an Expert
There are many risks when utilizing AI in finance, including flawed outputs, misinformed financial decisions, and costly errors. It’s crucial that teams understand how to use AI to benefit their roles and aid in decision-making, rather than make decisions for them. While it can make research and summarizing easier, AI is more prone to error, especially without human oversight.
When AI is approached as a helpful tool rather than a replacement for human expertise, it becomes much easier to embrace without losing sight of key values. Treating AI like an assistant—not an authority—keeps humans in the driver’s seat. The right mindset enhances judgment and results, instead of replacing them.
Leaders have a responsibility to set clear intentions for use within organizations. Defining how AI should be used to enhance efficiency and setting clear expectations for its use are crucial in maintaining workplace guidelines. Offer training and guided workshops to introduce team members to AI tools and their core features. Include exercises comparing AI-generated work with human-generated content to practice critical evaluation. Encourage minimal AI usage to keep skills sharp, emphasizing a human-centric approach. AI can support the process, but the best results are products of human insight and experience.
Stay Grounded in Human Connections
I didn’t take a traditional path to the C-suite—and that’s exactly what gives me the perspective I have today. Working as a golf caddy taught me the most important key to success in any workplace: how to talk to people. Great leadership starts with empathy. Getting to know a client or coworker takes time, effort, and the ability to cut through all the gray areas that come with being human.
Human interaction plays a direct role in profitability in home services, directly impacting customer trust, loyalty, and satisfaction. Like many industries, home service is built on relationships—between franchisors and franchisees, between technicians and homeowners. AI can’t come into a client’s home and read between the lines of their concerns, nor can it establish long-term relationships built over years of interactions that are essential to driving sustainable profit.
It’s more important today than ever to unplug from time to time. Taking a step back from technology to reconnect with the basics—real conversations, active listening, and the subtle cues that come only through face-to-face interaction—is crucial. Keeping that human element at the heart of everything is key to creating a culture where employees thrive.
Lead with Reassurance—Your Team is Looking to You
Growth comes from action, not just theory. My goal is to empower the team at Floor Coverings International to trust their own abilities and remember that their intelligence, judgment, and experience matter now more than ever. AI can assist, but it can’t replace the wisdom that comes from years of real-world financial analysis and problem-solving.
Leaders each have a responsibility to shape how teams and organizations adapt to change. Encouraging your teams to experiment with new tools is essential for remaining innovative, but it is also crucial to foster confidence in their own expertise. Make space for questions, foster curiosity, and reinforce that technology is there to support them, not to undermine their value.
Stay ahead of the curve, lean into innovation, and share what works with your network. Embrace the learning curve and take the lead in teaching best practices. AI shouldn’t be replacing jobs—it should be refining and optimizing how teams work to deliver efficient results and maintain relationships.
AI is going to continuously transform the way business is conducted across all sectors. As AI continues to develop, society cannot become complacent, and it’s on leaders to ensure that their individual businesses are not only staying on top of these trends but ahead of them.
Ben Pace is the CFO of Floor Coverings International, the No. 1 flooring franchise in North America. Ben’s unique career experiences spanning blue-collar construction to white-collar finance provide him with a flexible and resilient approach to leadership.
Photo courtesy Getty Images for Unsplash+
