369: Why Trust Is the Currency of Work in the Age of AI with Cisco CPO Kelly Jones

Send us Fan Mail

Kelly Jones is Chief People Officer at Cisco, where she leads the people strategy for more than 84,000 employees worldwide. Over nearly two decades, she has helped make Cisco a global benchmark for workplace culture. In this episode, Kelly explains why trust is the foundation of every AI strategy, how Cisco is equipping managers for an era of augmented work, and what it takes to lead responsibly when the pace of change is this fast.

In this conversation, we discuss:

• Why trust is Cisco’s most valuable workplace currency and how it shapes decisions about AI, culture, and leadership.
• How AI becomes a co-pilot when employees are given the safety, training, and time to explore new tools at their own pace.
• What “super leadership” looks like and the four traits Cisco’s CPO believes will define successful managers in an AI-augmented workplace.
• How Cisco evaluates AI use cases based on disruption, scale, and their potential to enhance the employee experience.
• Why the real opportunity of AI lies in automating administrative work to give humans more time for purpose, creativity, and connection.
• The systems Cisco is building to ensure responsible AI use through governance, upskilling, and clear ethical boundaries.

Resources:

• Subscribe to the AI & The Future of Work Newsletter
• Connect with Kelly Jones on LinkedIn
• AI fun fact article
• On How to Use Generative AI to Get Ahead In Your Career
• Other episode mentioned in the show: AI as a Liberating Technology: Josh Bersin on Turning Routine Tasks into Superworkers Driving Trust, Creativity, and Growth