Now you know the article I would have LOVED to be writing this week is about the recent scandal of two C-suite individuals caught mid-embrace on the Jumbotron at a Coldplay concert.
The entire story is just too torrid for words. But we’ll wait because we need the full gist. Naturally, when the full tea spills, I’ll wrap a corporate bow around my amebo and discuss the responsibilities of women in leadership positions, or maybe even how to handle reputational damage for a high visibility brand. Either way, just know we’ll dissect it together because, sis????
In the meantime, let’s take the more grown-up, centred route and discuss something wholesome, like the recent webinar I hosted on the 15th: “Building Trust in the Age of AI: Strategies for PR Professionals.”
Now, before your eyes glaze over, let me assure you, this session was anything but dry. This was a virtual summit organised in honour of World PR Day by leading Nigerian PR firm, GLG Communications, but honestly, the discussions were impactful for anyone looking to understand and navigate personal branding in today’s world.
One of the standout moments for me came when a panellist addressed the one fear that we’re all nursing: that AI is coming for our jobs.
And this is not paranoia. The leaps AI has made in just the past year are enough to make anyone rethink their value in the workplace. Companies like IBM have already started automating their more mundane and repetitive tasks with bot agent.
Just a few months ago, I uploaded a photo of a cluttered room in my home and got a design from a chatbot that, after some modifications to the prompt, was perfect for my redesign needs. So yes, AI is here. It’s powerful, it’s pervasive, and it’s evolving faster than I ever thought possible.
The panellist’s response, however, really stuck with me: “It’s not ChatGPT that will take your job. It’s the person who knows how to use ChatGPT better than you who will.”
I would like to add an extra layer and say: it’s not just your learned skills that will keep you employed, visible and thriving, it’s your emotional depth and ability to understand nuance. Machines can do almost every single thing we do, faster and with greater accuracy. But your ability to harness the power of automation and then infuse humanity, thought and balance into the wireframe it provides and create a vibrant masterpiece is what will keep you ahead.
Because what AI cannot replicate – not today, not next year, not in GPT-27 – is what makes you you. Emotional intelligence, intuition and strong relational skills are no longer “nice-to-haves”; they are power tools in the age of artificial everything.
A high EQ allows you to lead teams through uncertainty, build psychological safety, and navigate those deliciously messy things we call human relationships, things that no algorithm has figured out yet. AI can generate a killer campaign strategy, but it cannot sense when your team is burned out, read the unspoken tension in a client call, or lead a difficult conversation without breaking morale.
Empathy is what tells you when a client doesn’t just need data, they need reassurance. It’s what guides you when you’re managing up, down and sideways, all while carrying your own personal concerns. It allows you to step into someone else’s shoes and still lead with discipline and clarity.
And relational intelligence is a first-class human trait too. Life will never be all about prompts. We need people who can connect – authentically, consistently, and across cultural, generational, and digital lines. Because at the heart of every brand, every strategy, every crisis…is a human. At the front end (a need) and the back end (a solution provider). Last I checked, humans are still running the world. This is your world.
So yes, master the tools. Learn to prompt, automate, analyse. It would be foolhardy to bury your head in the sand and try to ignore AI. It is already helping to refine emails, create excellent proposals and reshape our world. Get on the bus and do it quickly. The more you use it, the better you will be at making it work for you.
But you’re going to need to learn to optimise those softer skills. Get better with leadership skills. Become a leader the team respects, listens to, and wants to work for. Because when tech levels the playing field, your humanity is what becomes your competitive edge.
Let’s never forget who trained the original intelligence in the first place.
Rachel Onamusi is the CEO of VN Sync, a UK-based tech company and full-service marketing firm with expertise in all aspects of media and a strong focus on digital strategy development and implementation. Dedicated to creating lasting impact, Ms. Onamusi is a sought-after speaker, thought leader, writer and frequent media contributor.
