The #1 Thing Leaders Are Missing About AI—And Why It Matters
An encouragement to play the long game.
Some leaders are all-in on AI.
Others? Terrified.
Two extremes…
Same problem: they’re not seeing the big picture.
Here’s what everyone’s missing…
This revolution hasn’t even started yet.
The Calm Before the Storm
AI adoption is skyrocketing, to be sure.
McKinsey reports that 50% of companies now use AI in at least one function.
OpenAI’s ChatGPT reached 100 million users in two months—faster than any app in history.
The AI market? Expected to go from $538 billion to $3 trillion in the next 10 years.
Impressive…
But here’s the kicker: we’re still in the first inning.
Where are the AI agents seamlessly working in Slack?
Where’s the deep integration with tools like Gmail?
Not here. Coming soon—but still being tested.
We don’t have true collaboration between AI systems yet.
Right now, an AI chatbot is like a very energetic intern (who has read everything written on the internet)...
But their capability is quite limited.
In other words, AI today is like the internet in 1995.
Exciting, yes…
But also basic.
What Now?
The game is just beginning…
And as leaders, our strategy needs to reflect this.
We need to get on the field now—while keeping the long-term in view.
Here are four practical ways to do so:
1. Stop predicting AI’s limits based on today’s tech.
AI’s current constraints won’t last.
Just look at how image generation tools went from clunky to near-photorealistic in under a year…
Or how language models leaped from basic Q&A bots to writing decent sales emails.
The lesson?
Keep your projections flexible—today’s ceiling is tomorrow’s baseline.
2. Don’t force AI into every corner of your business.
Not everything is ready for AI—yet.
Take customer service, for example.
While AI chatbots can handle FAQs, they’re not great for nuanced human interactions like resolving complex billing issues.
Focus on areas where AI delivers clear value, like automating repetitive tasks or analyzing large datasets…
And wait for more sophisticated tools to emerge.
3. Invest in your team’s AI fluency.
Even in roles where AI isn’t fully useful yet, like creative strategy or leadership, understanding its potential is critical.
So offer workshops on AI tools or partner with tech companies for hands-on demos.
At a minimum, make sure to reimburse a $20 subscription to one of the LLMs for each of your team members…
And encourage them to spend time each week just “playing around” with how it can help with their work flows.
Building this fluency now ensures your team can pivot quickly as AI capabilities expand.
4. Take data security seriously.
AI thrives on data.
But data shared with big tech or used without proper safeguards can backfire.
Imagine a marketing team feeding proprietary information into a public AI tool…
Without realizing it’s being stored and analyzed by third parties.
Or a legal department asking an LLM for advice on a case…
And thereby unintentionally violating an NDA.
To avoid this, implement strict data governance policies, use secure APIs, and vet vendors carefully.
Play Ball
We’re in the first inning of the AI game.
There is a lot that will become clearer as this situation evolves.
So: right now is the time to set strategy, understand the playing field, and make sure our team is in tip-top shape.
And if you’d like to chat more about any of the points in this article, please feel free to reach out to me at any time.