Narrator: In March 2016, the world watched as Lee Se-dol, one of the greatest Go players in history, sat down for a five-game match in Seoul. His opponent was not human. It was AlphaGo, an artificial intelligence program developed by Google's DeepMind. For decades, experts believed Go, a game of immense complexity and intuition, was a frontier AI wouldn't conquer for at least another decade. Yet, in a stunning 4-1 victory, AlphaGo didn't just win; it displayed moves that were described as creative, even beautiful. The event was a watershed moment, a clear signal that the world was entering a new era—the Smart Machine Age. If a machine could master one of humanity's most complex cognitive games, what does that mean for the rest of us? How can humans thrive when machines are not just getting stronger, but smarter?

In their book, Humility Is the New Smart, authors Edward D. Hess and Katherine Ludwig argue that this new age demands a radical rethinking of human excellence. They provide a roadmap for navigating this disruption, not by trying to out-compute the machines, but by cultivating the one thing they can't replicate: our humanity.

Narrator: The Smart Machine Age (SMA) is not just another technological leap; it represents a fundamental disruption on par with the Agricultural and Industrial Revolutions. The authors warn that the old definition of "smart," a legacy of the industrial era, is rapidly becoming obsolete. This "Old Smart" is based on the quantity of knowledge one possesses—being the person with the most facts, the quickest recall, and the fewest errors. But in an age where a device in our pocket can access nearly all of humanity's knowledge, and AI like AlphaGo can out-strategize a grandmaster, competing on facts is a losing game. As Hess and Ludwig bluntly state, in the SMA, "Old Smart will become the new 'stupid.'"

The evidence for this shift is stark. Research from institutions like Oxford University suggests that up to 47% of U.S. jobs are at high risk of being replaced by technology in the next one to two decades. This isn't just about manual labor; knowledge workers in fields like accounting, law, and even medicine are seeing their routine cognitive tasks automated. The victory of AlphaGo was a powerful symbol of this transition. It didn't just win through brute-force calculation; it learned, adapted, and innovated. This new reality challenges the core of our educational and professional systems, which have long been built to reward Old Smart. To survive and thrive, humans must pivot to cultivate skills that technology cannot yet master.

Narrator: If Old Smart is obsolete, what replaces it? Hess and Ludwig introduce the concept of "NewSmart," a new definition of intelligence based not on the quantity of what you know, but on the quality of your thinking, learning, relating, and collaborating. NewSmart is about knowing what you don't know and being comfortable with that ignorance. It's about treating your beliefs not as facts to be defended, but as hypotheses to be tested.

A simple personal story from the author, Ed, perfectly illustrates the core problem NewSmart solves. While at a museum in London, his wife ordered fries, which arrived with a small plate containing what Ed saw as a stingy portion of ketchup. He became annoyed, his mind locked on the assumption that the plate should be full. It was only when his wife asked if he wanted ketchup or mayonnaise that he looked again and realized the plate was neatly divided, half with ketchup and half with mayonnaise. His mental model—that fries are only eaten with ketchup—had literally blinded him to the reality right in front of him.

This is the trap of Old Smart. It makes us defend our mental models instead of updating them. NewSmart is the practice of overcoming this cognitive blindness. It involves five key principles: defining yourself by the quality of your thinking, not your knowledge; recognizing your mental models aren't reality; decoupling your ego from your beliefs; treating beliefs as testable hypotheses; and viewing mistakes as essential learning opportunities.

Narrator: The gateway to adopting the NewSmart mindset is a quality often misunderstood in Western culture: humility. The book redefines humility not as meekness or submissiveness, but as a powerful professional asset. This new definition of humility is a mindset that is open-minded, self-accurate, and not self-centered. It's the ability to see the world as it is, rather than how your ego wants it to be.

This kind of humility is the antidote to the defensiveness that plagues Old Smart. When our ego is tied to being right, we "defend, deny, and deflect" any information that challenges our beliefs. Humility quiets the ego, allowing us to listen, learn, and collaborate. The authors point to several high-performance organizations that have made humility a cornerstone of their culture. At Google, former SVP of People Operations Laszlo Bock identified humility as a top hiring requirement, seeking people who can "step back and embrace the better ideas of others." At the investment firm Bridgewater Associates, founder Ray Dalio built a culture of "Radical Transparency" where all meetings are filmed and everyone is subject to constant, humbling feedback, based on the belief that everyone needs to overcome their ego to learn. These companies understand that in the SMA, the greatest value comes not from individual genius, but from collective intelligence, which can only flourish in a culture of humility.

Narrator: Adopting a mindset of NewSmart and humility requires deliberate practice. The book outlines four interconnected behaviors that form the foundation of this practice: Quieting Ego, Managing Self, Reflective Listening, and Otherness.

Quieting Ego is the practice of reducing the internal noise of fear and defensiveness that prevents us from thinking clearly. One of the most effective tools for this is mindfulness meditation. Author Ed Hess shares his own journey from skepticism to daily practice. Initially, he struggled, his mind racing with thoughts and self-criticism. But by following a structured plan, he learned to observe his thoughts without judgment, like watching clouds pass in the sky. He found that this stillness not only quieted his ego but also unlocked new levels of creativity, allowing solutions to problems to surface after his meditation sessions.

This inner quietness enables the other behaviors. Managing Self involves regulating one's thoughts and emotions to move from automatic, biased thinking (System 1) to more deliberate, logical thinking (System 2). Reflective Listening means listening not to respond or win, but to truly understand another's perspective. Finally, Otherness is the practice of emotionally connecting with others, building trust, and fostering genuine collaboration. These behaviors are not separate steps but a reinforcing loop that, when practiced, allows individuals to operate at their highest cognitive and emotional levels.

Narrator: Individual change is powerful, but to truly thrive in the SMA, organizations must transform their entire operating system. A NewSmart Organization is an environment designed to enable human excellence by systematically reducing fear and ego. The authors identify three crucial pillars for building such an environment: Positivity, Self-Determination Theory, and Psychological Safety.

Pixar Animation Studios serves as a prime example. To foster the highest levels of creativity, co-founder Ed Catmull knew he had to mitigate the two biggest inhibitors: ego and fear. One of Pixar's most famous processes is the "Braintrust," a meeting where a group of trusted, experienced leaders gives candid feedback on a film in progress. The Braintrust has no authority; the director is free to accept or reject the notes. This process works because it is built on psychological safety—the feedback is about the film, not the person, and candor is expected and safe. It also supports self-determination by giving the creative team autonomy. This culture, which Catmull describes as one where "it is safe to fail," allows creators to take the necessary risks to produce groundbreaking work. By creating an environment that is positive, empowering, and safe, organizations like Pixar unlock the very NewSmart skills—creativity, collaboration, and high-level problem-solving—that are essential for success in the Smart Machine Age.

Narrator: The central, resounding message of Humility Is the New Smart is that our most human qualities are now our greatest professional assets. In a world of increasingly intelligent machines, the path forward is not to become more machine-like, but to become more deeply human. The book argues that excellence is no longer about what we know, but about how we learn, adapt, connect, and create. Humility is the key that unlocks this potential, allowing us to quiet our egos, manage our biases, and truly engage with the minds of others.

The challenge this book leaves us with is both simple and profound: Can we let go of the need to be the smartest person in the room? Can we embrace the discomfort of "not knowing" and see mistakes not as failures to be hidden, but as data to be learned from? The future of work may just depend on our ability to answer "yes."