AI is Changing Leadership Forever: How to Lead the Change with Dr. Barbara H. Smith | Obehi Podcast
In a world increasingly dominated by algorithms and automation, many high-level professionals feel a growing sense of narrative fragmentation. We ask ourselves: How do I remain relevant when the tools are moving faster than my ability to master them? For the African Diaspora, this question carries extra weight.
Learn How to Leverage Your Story through our Story To Asset Framework.
We are people of deep ancestral wisdom and “Institutional Wisdom,” yet we often find ourselves navigating corporate and entrepreneurial landscapes that feel sterile and disconnected from our humanity.
See the full podcast interview with Dr. Barbara H. Smith
In a recent, soul-stirring conversation on The Obehi Podcast, Dr. Barbara H. Smith, a corporate trainer, TEDx speaker, and AI Integration Strategist, offered a masterclass on bridging this gap. With over 20 years in cybersecurity and technology, including work for the U.S. Department of Defense, Dr. Barbara isn’t just a technician; she is an “Architect of Sovereignty.”
She joined host Obehi Ewanfoh to reveal how Leadership Transformation and AI Integration are not just about software, but about a fundamental shift in how we view our power and our potential.
The Architect of the Atmosphere
To understand the message, one must understand the messenger. Dr. Barbara H. Smith describes herself as a “relentlessly ascending oracle.” When she enters a room, the atmosphere changes because she is not waiting for time to catch up with her; she is activating her next level through her own agency.
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Despite her high-level titles, CEO of BHS & Associates and Amazon best-selling author, Dr. Barbara remains grounded in her identity as a child of the most high God, a mother, and a sister. This duality is the essence of Self-mastery.
She recognizes that we are not singular entities; we are a combination of information, connections, and ancestral roots.
Her story is a testament to the “Generational Accord,” moving from a childhood of being the eldest of five in a loving household to becoming a pioneer in a field, Information Technology, that was, and often still is, a white male-dominated space.
The Power of the “Signature Asset”
Dr. Barbara’s methodology for success isn’t hidden in complex code; it’s rooted in the simplicity of Sovereign Learning. She believes that success leaves clues and that wisdom is “lived experience”, the process of going through trial by fire and coming out to tell the story. This is the ultimate “Signature Asset.”
The Story to Asset Framework™: Healing the Narrative
One of the most profound moments of the conversation occurred when Dr. Barbara applied the Mission Clarification phase of our framework. She didn’t just share her accolades; she shared her trauma to show how she excavated her “Golden Thread.”
At 12 years old, Dr. Barbara survived a horrific trauma that left her with a stutter and shattered confidence. For decades, she carried this secret, feeling “dirty” and “unworthy.” However, through her faith and a commitment to Message Crafting, she realized that her pain was not a permanent mantle of shame, but a tool for service.
“The most horrific things that we endure are to make us better, not bitter. It’s to give God glory for this walk that we walk. And it’s never about us… it was about those people who I need to serve.”
By turning her private pain into a public methodology for healing, she moved from “Hope Marketing” to Message Activation. She began telling her story in women’s empowerment events, realizing that every time she spoke, she healed a little more, and she gave others the permission to do the same.
This is Ubuntu in action: “I am because we are.” Her healing became the collective healing of the women who heard her.
AI: The Distraction Disruptor, Not the Replacement
As we move into the technical heart of the “Master’s Workshop,” Dr. Barbara addresses the elephant in the room: the fear of Artificial Intelligence. Many entrepreneurs in the Diaspora worry that AI will take their jobs or erase the human touch. Dr. Barbara clarifies this with a simple, sharp insight.
Is AI “Real” Intelligence?
“It’s intelligent, but it’s fake,” she explains. “It’s artificial. It’s not a person’s brain. It’s been programmed to answer questions.”
She views AI as a tool, much like the lock on your front door. It is a “distraction disruptor” that allows you to automate repetitive tasks so you can focus on what truly matters: Legacy Building.
| Traditional Approach | AI-Integrated Leadership |
| Hope Marketing: Waiting for clients to find you. | Message Activation: Using AI to scale your reach. |
| Time-Trading: Spending weeks on a single curriculum. | Sovereign Learning: Completing weeks of work in 2 hours. |
| Information Stagnation: Fear of the unknown. | Architect Mindset: Using AI as “Google on steroids.” |
Why You Shouldn’t Be Afraid
Dr. Barbara reminds us that we are always afraid of the unknown. However, history shows that technology is simply an evolution of human capability.
- The Airplane Analogy: 80 years ago, the idea of a massive machine flying like a bird was “crazy.” Today, it’s mundane.
- The Communication Analogy: 25 years ago, a real-time video call between Italy and the United States was unheard of. Now, it is the bridge that connects our global community.
AI is not coming for your job; but the person who knows how to use AI better than you might be. The responsibility of the “Architect” is to learn how the tool works.
Practical Wisdom: The “S.T.O.R.Y.” Formula
To help readers move from being consumers of this article to architects of their own brand, Dr. Barbara shared a repeatable methodology she learned from Dr. Ruben West. You can use this formula to turn your own “Institutional Wisdom” into a marketing asset:
- S – Set the Stage: Provide the context. Where were you when your journey began?
- T – Take them on a Ride: Share the journey, the emotions, and the movement.
- O – Obstacles: What did you have to overcome? (This is where your “Golden Thread” is found).
- R – Rehearse: Own your story so well that the details become secondary to the passion.
- Y – Your Story: Realize that when you tell your truth, it becomes the reader’s story too.
Beyond the Digital Factory: Reclaiming Your Time
The ultimate goal of AClasses Academy and The Obehi Podcast is to move you away from the “Digital Factory” mindset, where you are just a cog in the machine, and toward Sovereign Learning.
See also The Institutional Void: Why Your Best Ideas Are Dying in the Moment
Dr. Barbara notes that time is the one commodity we cannot make more of. If AI can help you write a curriculum in two hours that used to take two months, what will you do with the remaining time?
- Will you collaborate more?
- Will you focus on your “Self-mastery”?
- Will you build a “Client Acquisition Machine” that runs while you sleep?
This is how we move from “Hope Marketing” to building a legacy. We use the tools to buy back our humanity.
Conclusion: Own Your Story, Build Your Legacy
Dr. Barbara H. Smith is a reminder that you don’t have to choose between your ancestral roots and modern relevance. You can be a “Geek with a personality,” a leader with a PhD, and a survivor with a story that heals nations.
As we have seen through over 1,000 interviews on The Obehi Podcast and 2,000 articles here at AClasses, your story is your only true differentiator. In a world of 5.5 billion internet users, don’t just replicate what you see. Use your story to create a “Signature Asset” that no machine can ever replace.
Are you ready to stop trading your time for money and start building your legacy? The AI revolution is here, but it needs a leader. It needs an Architect. It needs you.
To dive deeper into these strategies and begin your own journey of “Message Activation,” explore the wide range of resources available at AClasses Academy.
Whether it’s through Obehi Ewanfoh’s books or our specialized training, we are here to help you turn your expertise into a world-class asset.
