The Anxious Achiever Leading For Human Agency With SAP's V.R. Ferose
Nov 6, 2025
V.R. Ferose, a two-decade SAP leader and founder of the Autism at Work program, emphasizes the importance of leading with love in today's workplace. He argues that heart intelligence is our greatest asset against AI, highlighting how empathy shapes effective leadership. Ferose shares insights on how genuine in-person connections foster real learning and opposes the erosion of creativity by AI. He also discusses the impact of social comparison on anxiety and the significant transformation brought about by the Autism at Work initiative in enhancing workplace dignity.
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Heart Intelligence As The Final Frontier
- Technology automates hands and heads, leaving the heart as our remaining human advantage.
- V.R. Ferose says the future will favor 'heart intelligence' — empathy, compassion, and connection.
Choose Eye-Contact Jobs
- Prioritize roles requiring human-to-human eye contact such as caregiving, plumbing, and skilled manual trades.
- Design careers and learning around in-person, emotionally connected work that AI cannot replicate.
Turing Test On Personal Columns
- V.R. Ferose ran a Turing test comparing his columns to ChatGPT and friends couldn't reliably tell them apart.
- He realized AI can disrupt arts and creativity faster than expected, threatening human craft.
