As the speed of change exponentially increases, it is critical to adapt in real-time.  If you wait too long, you’ll be playing from behind; even worse, you’ll lose the game.

“What got you here won’t take you there!”

Adapting to change requires Leading at the Speed of Growth and a corresponding shift in mindset and actions.  I encourage you to pause here and read this earlier article before proceeding, as it offers important context for the supplemental thoughts that follow:

Fortunately, we now possess agile new tools which empower us to analyze and adapt.  Artificial Intelligence (aka simply “AI”), in its many emerging forms, is an advancement designed to assist us, not to replace us;  AI applications are popping up all around us like mushrooms after a rain.  When I wrote a year and a half ago about “Adapting and Learning” as one of the three key things a leader can do differently, I was thinking generally but not specifically about AI at the time.  That has changed now!

When it comes to new tools, especially powerful ones, careful handling is advisable.  That seems like an obvious statement with physical tools but is less evident with intellectual ones.  Just as a highly skilled carpenter can craft a woodworking masterpiece with the right tools in hand and a clear vision for the end result, a novice might make a crude mess with a saw and generate lots of sawdust in the process.  The same is true for a leader when wielding tools in data intelligence, strategic planning and now – AI.

To achieve thoughtful business outcomes requires more than data; it requires a fundamental understanding of the processes that generate the data.  And it necessitates beginning with a frame of reference and a vision for the end state in mind.  When those come first, advanced intelligence tools can Innovate the thinking to Elevate the Outcomes.  But just because AI output generates fast doesn’t make it complete or correct.

If one is crafting an individual piece of furniture, the risks are fairly low.  When a leader is building a business, however, the risks are much greater and affect many other people.  AI gives new meaning to the old adage “Look before your leap.”  Here’s a new twist to consider:

“Think carefully before you prompt, then think again before you act.”

We can now accomplish more faster and with deeper understanding, when we use AI wisely.  As we Innovate to Elevate the work we do, we are positioning our organization for scalable growth, sustained by a culture of adaptive change and continuous improvement.

Tempus Maximize!