The Fastest Way to Stand Out in an AI World? Actually See People.

In conversation with Drew Brees, retired NFL Quarterback

When I was a cub TV reporter early in my career, I decided to look at my work differently. Instead of “just a news story,” I chose to see it as creating a portrait of someone and handing it back to them. Saying, I see how hard you work. I see what you are carrying. I see the details of your life.

There is a quiet power in that. A kind of beauty most people move too fast to notice. And it taught me something I have carried into every room since, but never more so than today as AI takes over more areas of life.

AI can generate words, spreadsheets, even strategy. It cannot replace presence and connection.

I spent years as a broadcast reporter and anchor, interviewing people from every walk of life. And over time, I realized something.

The strongest communicators are not the ones who speak the best. They are the ones who see people the best.

We spend so much time focusing on how we sound. How to stand. How to project. What words to use or avoid. And yes, those things matter. I teach them here. But that is only one side of communication.

Communication is not just about how you speak. It is about how you connect. It is a two-way street. A give and take. A back and forth. And that leads to one of the biggest lessons I have learned, not just about communication, but about life.

Do people feel seen by you?

After someone interacts with you, do they feel seen, heard, understood, considered, appreciated? Whether it is one person or a room full of people, do you actually see them?

Because most people do not. They are waiting to talk, thinking about their next point, half listening. And that is your opportunity.

So how do you actually do this?

1. Ask better questions.

   
   

   It starts with asking questions. But not just one question.

2. Stay for the second, third, and fourth question.

   
   

   This is where the connection actually happens.

3. Follow up on what was said.

   
   

   Are you building on their answer, or already moving on to your next thought?

4. Pay attention to emotional cues.

   
   

   If someone lights up, ask why. If they pause, lean in. If something feels important, stay there a little longer.

5. Find and call out common ground.

   
   

   Connection deepens when people feel aligned.

6. Repeat back what you heard.

   
   

   It shows you were actually listening.

7. Use their name and speak to their strengths.

   
   

   A person’s name matters. Being seen matters more.

This is not a tactic. It is not a trick. People can feel the difference immediately. This only works when you mean it, when you are actually present, when you decide that the person in front of you matters.

And when you start truly seeing people, everything changes. You connect faster. You build trust quicker. You stand out without trying.

And something else happens. Life feels better. Because you are no longer rushing through conversations. You are in them. You are learning from everyone you encounter. Your fellow human becomes your teacher.

And here is the interesting part.

AI knows this matters.

Have you noticed it? In your ChatGPT or Claude conversations. It mirrors you. It reassures you. It highlights things about you. It is trying to connect.

Because connection is what works.

But it is still trying.

It cannot actually see you. It cannot feel you. It cannot sit in a moment with you and mean it.

You can.

And that is the advantage.

In a world where AI can say almost anything, the advantage is not in saying more.

It is in seeing more.

See people. And watch what happens.