Part 4: Tech Won’t Lead Your People: You Will

 We thought it would be a game-changer.

The pickers in our soda distribution center were fast, driving, riding pallet jacks through a serpentine pick path, and building store orders from heavy to light. But they were using paper tickets, one hand on the jack, one hand on the clipboard. The wrong items got picked. Pallets weren’t always stable. And it wasn’t safe.

So, we rolled out voice picking.

It was the right call, on paper. The system lets workers keep both hands free. It was accurate, efficient, and safer.

And almost nobody wanted it.

We were a union shop, and the mentality was “us vs. them.” We didn’t always include them in discussions, and that built up resentment. A few bad apples in the union spoiled the culture for everyone. We needed to do better.

The pushback wasn’t really about technology; it was about trust. We couldn’t get traction until we slowed down, explained the “why,” and let early adopters lead the way. But the resistance started to melt once we invited people into the process.

The system worked. But the real change didn’t come from tech. It came from people feeling seen, heard, and respected.

Tech is a Tool. You Are the Leader

AI can sort data. WMS platforms can route efficiently. Robots can lift more than any human. But none of it means a thing if your team doesn’t trust the direction or the person giving it.

You can have the best tools money can buy, but they still need someone to lead the way.

That’s where you come in.

AI Can Sort Data. It Can’t Build Trust

I saw it again when cobots showed up at another warehouse I worked with. Designed to make picking faster, they carried orders from the pick area to shipping, freeing up workers for more productive tasks. The problem? The pickers didn’t see cobots; they saw pink slips.

The fear was real. Even though no jobs were on the line, the rollout stirred anxiety. People felt replaceable.

But we didn’t ignore the tension. We talked about it, answered questions, and showed how the bots would support the team, not replace it.

Fast-forward a few weeks, and the results speak for themselves: higher throughput, less physical strain, and no more overloaded pack stations. The cobots were a win but only worked because the people were still at the center.

You can implement automation. But if you lose your people’s trust along the way, you’ve already lost.

Systems Can Optimize Routes. They Can’t Inspire Commitment

I’ve seen warehouse teams run circles around their own systems.

Legacy software that lags behind inputs, outdated UIs, and click-heavy processes. I’ve watched pickers and leads figure out ways to keep freight moving while waiting for the system to catch up because they cared about getting the job done.

That’s what people do. They adapt. They work around. They grind it out.

Give them better tools, and they’ll produce more while working less. But even with weak tools, they’ll still find a way, if they believe in the mission and the leadership behind it.

No system can create that kind of commitment. That comes from the culture you build.

Tools Get Better. People Still Need to Be Led

Back to voice picking—once we earned buy-in, everything changed. Early adopters started sharing their success stories: “My wrist doesn’t hurt anymore,” “I don’t have to stop and check my ticket,” “I’m hitting more lines per hour.” Others followed. Productivity and accuracy climbed. Safety improved. Tech didn’t change; our approach to people did.

Here’s the truth: systems don’t build loyalty. You do. Tools might change the workflow, but it’s leadership that makes change stick.

The Human Heart of a Tech-Driven World

These moments take me back to coaching my son’s baseball team. I’d tell the kids, “Respect the game, respect each other, and the rest falls into place.” It wasn’t about the best bats or gloves—it was about showing up for one another. Same in the warehouse. You don’t build a team with shiny tools; you build it by showing people they matter.

My faith shapes this. It’s not about preaching, it’s about serving. It’s listening to a picker worried about their job. It’s coaching a supervisor through a new system when they’re in over their head. It’s holding everyone accountable, not to control, but to help them grow. I learned this as a young Marine, leading a supply shop of “rejects” who became some of the finest Marines I ever served with. They didn’t need better gear; they needed someone to believe in them.

Technology can’t do that. You can.

What Leading Through Tech Looks Like

Here’s how to make technology work for your people:

• Lead with purpose. Show how the tech helps them, not just the company. Make the “why” clear.
• Involve early, involve often. Let your team test, question, and shape the rollout. Inclusion builds ownership.
• Celebrate the human wins. When a picker crushes their quota or a supervisor solves a glitch, make it known. It fuels momentum.
• Coach through resistance. Pushback isn’t defined; it’s a call for clarity. Listen first, then guide.

The Takeaway: Embrace Tech—But Double Down on Humanity

I’m not anti-tech. I’m pro-human.

AI, cobots, WMS, LMS, OMS, WES, YMS: whatever acronym we invent next, they’re all tools, just like a forklift. They help you do more with less strain. But they’ll never replace the need for leadership.

And if your people don’t feel like part of the process? It won’t matter how fancy the system is. You’ll be solving the same problems, only with shinier tools.

So, use tech. Embrace the innovation. Just don’t forget the heart of the warehouse.

Because tech won’t lead your people.

You will

In part 1 we covered: The Warehouse Is My Classroom: Why Teaching Is a Logistics Superpower

In part 2 we covered: Consult Like a Coach: The Human Side of Operational Excellence

In part 3 we covered: Faith, Forklifts, and Fulfillment: How Service Shapes My Leadership

Next in the series: “From the Dugout to the Dock: What Baseball Taught Me About Building Great Teams.”

Follow the full 5-part series on purpose-driven leadership in logistics. Share this with a colleague who leads by listening and coaches with purpose.