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Building Equity in the Era of Generative AI: Lessons from Sheryl Sandberg’s Leadership Playbook
“Leadership isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about asking the questions that create a more equitable future.”
In the evolving landscape of leadership and technology, Sheryl Sandberg’s iconic interview question — “If you were in my role, what would you focus on?” — is more than a test of strategic thinking. It’s a lens into how leaders identify talent, drive transformation, and shape the future. Sandberg’s ability to ask the right questions and identify “legends” like Chris Cox and Lori Goler highlights an essential truth: great leaders don’t just manage systems; they unlock the potential of people and ideas.
In today’s era of generative AI and programmable economies, this lesson is more relevant than ever. Sandberg’s framework for identifying leaders offers three critical lessons for navigating this new frontier, particularly when applied to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) change work.
1. Leadership as Vision: Seeing the Whole Chessboard
Sandberg’s question demanded candidates show strategic thinking — an ability to not just identify challenges but also articulate scalable solutions aligned with the organization’s mission. Similarly, today’s DEI leaders must…
