AI ROI, Employee Well-Being, and What Really Drives Growth | DisrupTV Ep. 412

In DisrupTV Episode 412, hosts R “Ray” Wang and Vala Afshar are joined by three experts:

  • Steve Lucas — CEO of Boomi
  • Mark C. Crowley — Co-author of The Power of Employee Well-Being
  • Wendy Lipton-Dibner — Author of What Matters Matters Most®

They explore how leaders can capture AI’s return on investment (ROI), foster genuine employee well-being, and drive sustainable, authentic growth. The episode asks: when automation and AI scale, how do you keep humans empowered, motivated, and productive—not just efficient? It also examines why employee engagement isn’t enough, and what leadership behaviors really shift performance.

Key Takeaways

From the discussion, here are the top actionable insights:

Steve Lucas: AI Needs Context, Connection, and Control

The AI hype cycle is in full swing, but as Steve Lucas explained, the reality is more complex. Enterprises today run an average of 900 software applications, yet only 20% are connected. Without integration, AI cannot deliver on its promise.

Lucas stressed three keys to AI success:

  • Context – AI must understand the business environment.
  • Connection – Data silos need to be broken down.
  • Control – Organizations need governance and oversight for trustworthy AI.

He pointed to a finance AI agent built with Boomi that saved one company 2,500 hours annually, proving that when connected and automated correctly, AI creates real ROI.

But the challenge remains steep: an MIT study found that 95% of AI projects fail. For Lucas, the solution is clear: enterprises must invest in data integration and automation to connect everything and empower AI to work anywhere.

Mark C. Crowley: Beyond Engagement to Employee Well-Being

While many leaders track employee engagement scores, Mark Crowley argued that these metrics miss the mark. Decades of Gallup research show little improvement in engagement because the underlying measure is flawed.

Instead, Crowley called for a focus on employee well-being—specifically whether people feel they have a caring and supportive manager. That single factor, he explained, is one of the strongest drivers of retention, loyalty, and performance.

Crowley also highlighted the emotional dimension of work. With 95% of human behavior driven by emotions, leaders who dismiss the emotional side of leadership risk alienating their teams.

The pandemic, he added, worsened the problem by erasing daily micro-connections. Rebuilding authentic human relationships at work is now critical to restoring morale and mental health.

Wendy Lipton-Dibner: Measuring Real-World Impact

For Wendy Lipton-Dibner, business success isn’t just about revenue—it’s about real-world impact. She introduced a framework for leaders to measure how their products and services tangibly improve lives.

Her five components of impact are:

  • Life Areas – Which areas of life are affected?
  • Initial Impact – What immediate change occurs?
  • Impact Ripples – What secondary effects follow?
  • Impact Importance – How meaningful is the change?
  • Impact Causality – How directly is it tied to your product/service?

By proving impact, companies not only boost customer trust but also ignite employee engagement. Lipton-Dibner shared evidence from healthcare organizations that saw dramatic improvements in both loyalty and well-being once they shifted focus to measurable outcomes in people’s lives.

Final Thoughts

HThis episode left leaders with three urgent action items:

  • Integrate your systems for AI success. Connection and context drive ROI.
  • Rethink engagement. A caring manager matters more than metrics.
  • Measure real-world impact. Proving your difference deepens loyalty.

As R "Ray" Wang and Vala Afshar summarized, the future belongs to organizations that align technology, people, and impact. AI may be the engine, but people and purpose are the drivers.

Related Episodes

If you found Episode 412 valuable, here are a few others that align in theme or extend similar conversations:

 

Business Research Themes

Data to Decisions, Future of Work, Innovation and Product-led Growth, New C-Suite, Tech Optimization

Roles

Chief Analytics Officer, Chief Data Officer, Chief Digital Officer, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Information Officer, Chief Information Security Officer, Chief Technology Officer