Book review - Human Skills in the Age of AI: Insights for Local Government Leadership

Having just finished Andrea Iorio’s Between You and AI: Unlock the Power of Human Skills to Thrive in an AI-Driven World, I was struck by how directly its core thesis applies to public sector governance and workforce transformation.

Iorio presents a compelling blueprint for navigating digital transformation across three critical dimensions: cognitive, behavioural, and emotional. Rather than viewing artificial intelligence as an existential threat to human labour, the book argues that AI should be seen as a new tool, just as the printing press was a new tool. When the printing press emerged, it didn’t replace human thought or authority; it democratised information, expanded access to knowledge, and fundamentally shifted human effort toward synthesis, evaluation, and higher-order reasoning. AI represents an identical evolutionary leap.

For operational leaders, thriving alongside AI requires shifting our day-to-day behaviours in three vital ways:

1. Shift from Execution to Critical Evaluation

Instead of relying on AI to perform our thinking, workers must adopt the mindset of an editor and auditor of AI output. In local government—where compliance, fairness, and public trust are paramount—the key behaviour is rigorous verification: validating context, challenging algorithmic bias, and ensuring public policy decisions remain anchored in human judgment.

2. Embrace Experimentation over Friction Resistance

Rather than treating AI as a fixed solution, workers need to treat it as an interactive thought partner. Adapting effectively means building hybrid workflows—testing prompts, iterative refinement, and actively exploring how automated tools can absorb routine processing so staff can focus on high-touch community engagement.

3. Double Down on Uniquely Human Capabilities

AI can synthesise vast amounts of structured data, but it cannot navigate complex stakeholder politics, exercise empathy, or establish community trust. The behaviour workers must double down on is relational leadership—leveraging emotional intelligence, nuanced communication, and ethics where machines simply cannot add value.

The Bottom Line

AI won't replace professionals, but professionals who effectively leverage AI will replace those who don't. By adopting the right behavioural framework, we ensure technology serves as a powerful force multiplier for our teams and our communities.

 

Silence at the Dairy

Sitting at the Pyengana Dairy Farmgate Café in Tasmania’s lush north-east, I was captivated by the surroundings—the rolling green pastures, happy cows wandering past the scenic deck, and the rich, earthy aroma of traditional cloth-matured cheddar ripening in the cellar below. Yet, my attention was drawn toward the adjacent table.

A couple sat in heavy silence. The man, in his early thirties, quietly ate his gourmet paddock-to-plate lunch, while his partner, in her late twenties, stared down at her manicured nails. Silent tears streamed down her cheeks. They had clearly reached an impasse—a sharp argument on the road, perhaps born from accumulated exhaustion or unspoken fears that spilled over mid-journey. Encapsulated in their grief, they were entirely oblivious to the idyllic country paradise wrapping around them.

It made me reflect on how easily love can be derailed by moments of miscommunication. Travel, though romantic, often lays bare raw vulnerabilities. They had arrived here bruised and distant, separated by an invisible wall.

Yet, there was reason for hope. Fittingly, Pyengana is an Indigenous word meaning "the meeting of two rivers". Much like two turbulent streams that clash before merging into a calmer, unified flow, relationship storms often clear the path for deeper understanding. The woman did not walk away, and he chose to stay at the table. Even in silent grief, they remained together.

As I finished my cheese tasting board, I hoped that the serene magic of Pyengana—watching the cheesemakers at work or sharing a quiet moment over local ice cream—might eventually soften the tension. Sometimes, taking a breath in a peaceful place is all it takes for two diverging paths to meet once again.

Shalom,

Ozhamada