People First: Leadership, Change Management & AI | Jennifer Santoso, Vast Leadership
You can introduce new technology, rewrite a process, or promote your best performer. Your team still needs clarity, trust, and leadership to make the change work.
In Episode 49 of The Digital Dilemma, Nick Dreyfus welcomes Jennifer Santoso of VAST Leadership Development for "People First: Leadership, Change Management & AI." They explore leading through uncertainty, strengthening communication, and helping teams grow.
Jennifer draws on 15 years of management consulting supporting the Department of Defense and experience developing supervisors at San Diego Gas & Electric. Her approach starts with understanding how people experience change, involving employees in the process, and helping them move forward.
Nick and Jennifer discuss AI as a thought partner and a tool for repetitive work while emphasizing human judgment, relationships, and accountability. They explore how leaders can address concerns about changing roles.
IN THIS EPISODE
Change management: Anticipating disruption, involving the people doing the work, and supporting adoption.
Communication and trust: Why leaders become "chief reminding officers," how consistent communication helps, and why authentic conversations matter more than checking a box.
AI and human judgment: Where routine assistance can help, and why context, tone, and expert review remain important.
Competence and character: The two sides of trust and what happens when a leader has one without the other.
Coaching and blind spots: How openness, feedback, and honest conversations help people develop as their responsibilities evolve.
The promotion trap: Why being excellent at a job does not automatically prepare someone to manage the people doing it.
Leadership development: Practicing interpersonal skills, applying lessons between training sessions, and revisiting them as you grow.
Career progression: Setting expectations, discussing added responsibilities, and defining milestones so advancement becomes a shared effort.
The conversation also tackles a difficult balance: leaders need confidence that someone can handle a bigger role, while employees need clarity and recognition when they take on more. Jennifer explains how regular development conversations can reduce uncertainty on both sides.
For CEOs, business owners, nonprofit leaders, managers, and emerging leaders, bring these questions to your next team meeting: What is changing for our people? Have we explained why? What support do they need? Are we helping our future leaders prepare?
CONNECT WITH JENNIFER SANTOSO
Explore leadership development, workshops, and coaching with VAST Leadership Development.
Website: https://vastleader.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenn-santoso-7427394/
CONNECT WITH NICK DREYFUS AND i-NETT
Managed IT and cybersecurity: https://www.i-nett.com
Fortify AI and AI readiness: https://i-nett.ai
Nonprofit technology resources: https://nonprofit.i-nett.com
Book a conversation: https://meetings-na2.hubspot.com/ndreyfus
Email: NickD@i-nett.com
Phone: (858) 337-2866
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