It was Friday night. A room full of eager debaters, in various states of desperation, and a topic that sounded absurd enough to be fun: Robots make better leaders than humans.
We were the affirmative team. We argued our case with irreverence, humour, and just enough chaos to feel alive. We lost. Spectacularly. And to a great team.
And that loss? It was fascinating. Because what I learned watching humans vote for humans: against robots, logic, and frankly, common sense, was a sharp reminder of what leadership, behaviour, and self-awareness really look like in the wild.
Humans vote for Humans
Here’s the thing: people vote in self-interest. Even when the evidence is clear. Even when you have just painted a picture of how humans fumble, stall, and take forever to decide anything.
Humans, it turns out, love themselves. And in leadership, we often protect, defend, or rationalise our own kind, even when we know it is messy.
That moment alone was instructive. It was not about who had the better argument (although we can argue that point). It was about loyalty, ego, and emotional alignment. You could see it in the laughter, the nods, and the cheering. Humans are predictably… human.
Observing the chaos
I have had a front-row seat to what I call “human leadership in practice” and I saw it again at the debate. Fun as it was.
What struck me most was not the losing, but our behaviours as humans.
- People laughed at the jokes because it was relief, a break from their own self-seriousness and the weight of the day they probably had.
- Personal digs against each other seemed to be the order of the day, instead of addressing the argument. Classic “attack the man/woman, not the ball.”
- Others defended the human ego relentlessly: not because they disagreed per se with the argument, but because they needed to feel aligned with themselves.
Does this all sound familiar? It is the same stuff you see in meetings, reviews, or even casual team conversations. Humans rarely operate purely on logic or fairness; we operate on emotion, habit, and unconscious patterns. And sometimes that’s delightful. Sometimes, it is…a mess.
What Robots can teach us about leadership
In the course of my practice, I think a lot about what makes leadership work, and what trips us up.
If we strip away titles, meetings, and buzzwords, leadership often comes down to how humans show up… and how predictably messy we can be.
As we contrasted robots vs humans, we started imaging the worst of human leadership and by contrast, what the best leader might look like.
Humans are wonderfully messy. We make mistakes, misjudge, overcomplicate. We do empathy (those who can or learn to), sometimes brilliantly, sometimes catastrophically.
Here is the key lesson: human behaviour, while imperfect, is predictably unpredictable. It is patterned, it is emotional, it is full of blind spots and biases, and noticing it, without judgment, is where self-awareness begins.
Because noticing yourself and others in action: the quirks, the missteps, the brilliance, gives you the insight to lead more consciously, collaborate more effectively, and make decisions with clarity instead of reaction.
Laughter as a lens
One of the most revealing parts of the debate was laughter.
Laughter does not just signal humour; it signals relief, alignment, discomfort, or recognition. In the room that night, laughter eased tension, built connection, and revealed unspoken truths.
Humans are emotional creatures. Sometimes messy. Sometimes ridiculous. And sometimes, recognising that with a laugh is the first step toward understanding why we do what we do, and how we might do it differently.
What I noticed about patterns
Beyond the humour, beyond the applause and jeers, I noticed patterns that are true in workplaces, leadership, and life in general:
- Defend yourself before you consider the idea. Humans often protect identity before logic.
- Emotion drives decisions more than facts. Even in debate, even when the robot case was airtight (we still stand by our arguments).
- We gravitate toward what is familiar. Comfort trumps clarity.
- We attack the messenger, not the message. Critique the person, not the point, is alive and well.
These are not criticisms. They are observations. And noticing them in action, on a fun debate night or in the office, is powerful.
Why? Because it gives you insight into yourself, your team, and the patterns you might unconsciously be reinforcing.
A reflection on leadership
Humans bring creativity, empathy, connection, all things robots cannot replicate. But humans also bring chaos, distraction, and stubborn attachment to self-interest. And recognising that duality is part of the self-awareness journey I talk about with my clients: seeing reality as it is, not how you wish it to be.
What this means for us
Here’s the takeaway I’m leaving with:
- Notice the patterns. Where do people (including yourself) defend identity over ideas?
- Observe reactions. What triggers laughter, discomfort, or defensiveness?
- Reflect on what’s beneath the surface. Often, behaviour reveals priorities, fears, or blind spots.
No need to change anyone today. No need to act on it immediately. Just observe. Learn. Reflect. Let the insight sit, like a nudge or whisper, waiting for the right moment to influence your choices.
And sometimes, just recognising the messiness of humanity, your own and others, is enough to create clarity.
A gentle question to carry forward
Next time you are in a meeting, debate, or team discussion, watch for the patterns we laughed about on Friday night (if you were in the room).
Ask yourself:
- Where am I defending myself rather than listening?
- Where do others defend identity over ideas?
- What might happen if we noticed this, together, before acting?
Because noticing, reflecting, and understanding human behaviour — without judgment, without immediate action — is the beginning of the journey toward better leadership, better collaboration, and yes, better self-awareness.
And sometimes, it is just really, really funny too.
Congrats to the winning team: the arguments were sound, the laughter was real and the humans voted in their self-interest. And that is the human lesson, served with a side of laughter.
As always, if you invest in yourself, the rewards will be unfathomable.
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