CEOs Are Training Workers on AI. This Fortune 500 Company Says That’s Only Half the Job
CEOs across the corporate landscape are racing to equip their staff with the technical know‑how needed for an AI‑driven future. Principal Financial Group, a Fortune 500 firm, is asking a parallel question: are employees also being prepared with the human capabilities that AI cannot replace?
AI Fluency Training
Forbes reports that Principal has brought more than 90 percent of its roughly 19,000 workers up to speed on AI fluency and data literacy. The company’s chief human resources officer, Lisa Coulson, highlighted that this level of technical training represents a major milestone for the organization.
Emotional Intelligence Emphasis
Coulson also stresses that AI expertise forms only half of the talent equation. Principal is channeling resources into building emotional‑intelligence competencies such as empathy, communication, collaboration, self‑awareness, adaptability, curiosity, critical thinking and trust‑building. The firm believes that strengthening these distinctly human skills will complement the AI knowledge already being disseminated.
Business Case for Upskilling
The rationale for the technical component is clear. Employees who can leverage AI tools are able to accelerate work processes, surface insights more quickly, automate routine tasks and, ultimately, generate greater value for the business. By pairing those capabilities with stronger interpersonal and cognitive skills, Principal aims to create a workforce that can both operate sophisticated technology and navigate complex, people‑focused challenges.
Founder Latoshia Norwood
Inc. 5000 honoree LaToshia Norwood adds a perspective on client selection that aligns with Principal’s broader talent philosophy. She notes that successful founders learn to identify opportunities that are built to endure, rather than chasing every deal. While her comments focus on evaluating clients, the underlying principle mirrors Principal’s approach: investing in the right mix of technical and human talent to sustain long‑term performance.
Principal’s dual‑track strategy reflects a growing awareness among senior leaders that AI readiness alone does not guarantee competitive advantage. By simultaneously advancing AI fluency and nurturing emotional‑intelligence attributes, the company hopes to position its 19,000‑strong workforce for sustained success in an era where technology and humanity intersect. Other CEOs may find the model worth watching as the balance between machine capability and human judgment becomes an increasingly critical factor in corporate strategy.
Source: inc.com · 2026-09-02