Leadership in the age of AI
I hate to be the one to tell you, but AI isn’t coming.
It’s here.
As of today, almost one billion people around the world use ChatGPT every week, not to mention the millions picking up Claude, Perplexity, Grok, DeepSeek, Gemini and other tools. And that’s just the LLMs.
Back in 2023 (which seems like decades ago), IBM published their Global AI Adoption Index. In it, they reported that 42% of enterprises were using AI, and another 40% were experimenting with it. It’s estimated that by now, 78% of companies around the world actively deploy AI in at least one business function, with over 90% either using the technology or exploring its use.
Adoption is skewed to big companies, however, with 87% of global organisations believing that AI gives them a competitive edge. Small business adoption of AI is reported to be at less than 20%. Given that the tools available can close the gap between large and small businesses more quickly than anything we’ve seen before, most small companies are missing the fastest boat that’s ever come their way.
We’re experiencing a bigger shift than those caused by either the internet or social media, and the impact of holding back isn’t a missed opportunity, but extinction. In fact, if you’re not already transforming your organisation or team, you’re behind the curve. But it’s not too late.
The way your business works today is dead. It might be that no-one’s told you yet, but it’s true. Five years from now, companies that don’t adapt won’t exist.
Successful companies in the future will be smaller than they are today. We’re not talking no people, but certainly less people. What needed a team of 20 will be done by a crack squad of 3. Where 100 pairs of hands were required, 15 will suffice. And those global companies with 10,000 staff? Down to 1,000, at most.
The positive news is that there will be many more companies. It’s already easier than it’s ever been to start a business, and that bar will keep being lowered. It will make for more competition, absolutely, but the thing about lowering bars is it lowers quality. Standing out will be possible, but it’ll take more considered focus to rise above the noise than it does today.
My belief is that those organisations who succeed in the future will do three things. They’ll bring the right people together, aligning them around a core set of values that connect them to each other, despite their varied backgrounds and perspectives. They’ll direct those people to achieve a compelling mission, enabling them to part of something much bigger than they could achieve themselves. And they will be hubs of learning and development, helping their team members embrace change, develop new skills and constantly evolve.
As leaders, we face a challenging period. Our people are scared, confused and uncertain. Their way of life is being upended, and they don’t know what the future holds. It’s up to us to guide them through this change.
You must let go of your own hesitations. Yes, of course, you need to think about privacy, security and confidentiality. Naturally, you’ll have to go through some pain as you retrain and adjust your way of working, and thinking. But the change is here, and it won’t slow down, so diving in is your only option.
Think of the possibilities. Imagine if you could triple the capacity of your company, at a tiny cost. What would you do differently than today? What if you could 10x your abilities? Or 100x? What experiences would you create for customers? How would you find and attract them? What would you offer that sets you apart?
It’s not about productivity. Yes, you will become more effective with your time. But you should look beyond that and consider how you can provide something fundamentally different and more valuable to those we serve. Those who do, will win. Those who don’t…well, we’ve already covered that…
But where to begin?
Start learning. Don’t just attempt to drink from the fire hose, though. Identify the specific use cases in your company or team that would most impact your performance. If more leads is the most important thing, start there. If it’s better customer service, that’s your entry point. Wherever the greatest leverage is in your business model, that’s where to focus first. Once you have a task in hand, fire up your favourite AI platform and ask it to show you what to do. These tools teach you how to use them.
Then, help your team to learn. Set them an objective to perform one of their tasks using technology by the end of next month. Give them tools, time and resources. You can even make it fun and offer an incentive - the best use of AI gets an all-expenses paid trip to Ibiza. You’ll save a fortune, and they’ll be motivated to compete.
Lean into the pace of change. Yes, it’s overwhelming, and none of us know exactly where the world is heading. But we’re going somewhere new, fast. Get used to rapid forward progress and start to embrace it. Physiologically speaking, excitement and fear are the same thing. In both, your heart beats faster. Your vision narrows. You sweat, shake and breathe more heavily. The only difference is how you perceive the stimulus causing the response. So choose to be excited, instead.
Most importantly, take action. There’s still time to transform your business or your team before the world around you forces your hand. If you’re quick, you may even get onto the leading edge of whatever it is you do. But start today. The window is closing.
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