There's a haunting line from the series Severance that has been echoing in my mind: "The work is mysterious and important."

For those who haven't seen it, the show depicts a company where employees undergo a procedure that severs their work memories from their personal lives. They show up to an office with no knowledge of the outside world, perform tasks they don't understand, and are placated with this simple, yet profoundly empty, assurance. It's a chilling portrayal of a dystopian workplace, but it strikes a chord because it challenges us to ask a vital question: in a less dramatic way, do we sometimes treat our own teams similarly? And as the rise of artificial intelligence makes this question more crucial than ever before, what are the consequences of leading this way?

The Ache for Meaning

We were not created for mindless repetition. Deep in our spiritual DNA is a longing to be part of a story bigger than ourselves. We want to know that our efforts, our keystrokes, our lines of code, our hours spent in meetings are all culminating in something meaningful. When we as leaders fail to connect the dots for our teams, we starve that fundamental human need.

When we reduce a person's role to a list of tasks, we unintentionally communicate that we only value their hands, not their head or their heart. We signal that their unique perspective, their creativity, and their potential to see a better way isn't required. It's a subtle but powerful message: "Just do the job." This approach will never unlock a person's best work. It keeps people in a state of working for their value, rather than from their value.

But when we entrust someone with the "why"—the context, the strategy, the customer's pain, the company's goals—the message changes entirely. It becomes, "I need your mind. I need your insight. I trust you." This is the shift that ignites engagement. You are no longer just an executor of tasks; you are a steward of the mission. You are being called up to bring the best of who you are to the challenge before you.

This is how we create a culture where people feel deeply valued. And people who feel valued don't just do the work; they elevate it. They solve problems you didn't know you had. They find efficiencies you never would have seen. They pour their discretionary effort into the mission not because they have to, but because they are an integral, respected part of it.

The Great AI Divide: Tools vs. Tasks

Now, let’s bring this into the present reality. We stand at the beginning of a new era, and the rise of AI is forcing a critical question: What is our real value?

If we, as leaders, continue to define our team's worth by their ability to simply execute tasks, we are setting them up for obsolescence. AI models can already write code, analyze data, and perform a thousand other tasks faster and cheaper than any human can. A role defined by pure execution is a role that is easily automated. This is the uncomfortable truth we must challenge ourselves with first.

However, if we have already been cultivating a team of engaged, context-aware collaborators, the narrative changes completely. AI is no longer a threat; it becomes the most powerful tool in their arsenal. A team that understands the "why" can now wield AI to achieve the mission in ways we could have only dreamed of. They won't be replaced by AI, because their value was never just in the task. Their value is in their wisdom, their understanding of the customer, their ability to ask the right questions, and their capacity to direct the power of this new technology toward the correct strategic goals.

By repositioning our people as thinkers, strategists, and mission-stewards, we empower them to command AI, not compete with it. We call them up from being the players on the board to being the ones who are directing the pieces. This is our mandate: to build teams with the organizational bravery to not just face the future, but to build it.