What does Socrates have to do with a CEO leading an organization through an AI-led digital transformation? According to Adolfo Hernandez, CEO at Capita, ancient philosophers can teach us that real change starts with curiosity, conversation, and the everyday interactions that shape how people think and act.
Adolfo stepped into the opportunity to lead tens of thousands of people through an AI‑led transformation. Alongside technology and strategy, his thinking is influenced by a long‑standing interest in philosophy, particularly the ideas of Socrates.
“Socrates was all about stopping people and talking, asking questions and inviting them to reason, and when a leader shows that kind of Socratic interest in individuals it makes a real difference,” he explains. “Every day is a special occasion for a CEO, because every day we get to interact with our teams, engage people, and invite them to think differently about what’s possible. When people think that you drive change through flashy PowerPoints and big leadership conferences, they miss this. Your opportunity to drive change is in every single interaction. That’s when you can really exert your influence as a CEO.”
This isn’t the only insights from ancient philosophy that Adolfo has adopted; he also believes that Socrates, Aristotle, and Epictetus can show leaders the way when it comes to building resilience. According to Adolfo, leaders must act as a source of energy. It’s not enough to accept that change is inevitable - leaders need to love change, embrace it, and communicate that enthusiasm to others.
He compares sailing to business, and reading the wind to predicting change. He believes that those who don’t love change, get overwhelmed by it and lose the ability to anticipate it. He consistently brings the conversation back to people: AI is being embedded across every aspect of the business at Capita, but for Adolfo, the real challenge lies in helping people understand what’s possible:
“AI is no longer just about vision,” he says. “You have got to show people the art of the possible. It’s something that Capita is really well placed to do, because we have such a deep understanding of our customers’ business processes. We can identify the use-cases for AI that will deliver a real benefit that our customers feel.”
The key action is showing customers, not telling them.
At the heart of this approach there are humans, AI-empowered people who use empathy and strive to understand what truly matter to customers.
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You can read the full article on the LinkedIn Sales Blog.
