“I don’t know.” Three simple words that too many leaders are terrified to say out loud. From an early age, we’re taught that intelligence is measured by how fast we can produce an answer. Raised in classrooms that reward the highest marks and corporate cultures that promote the “smartest person in the room,” we adopt a quiet, dangerous belief: leadership means having all the answers.
Category Archives: Innovation
The AI Leverage Fallacy
The AI hype is real. But, you know what? AI is not a silver bullet. It’s one tool among many. Too many businesses are using it to automate low-priority work, then wonder why they aren’t seeing meaningful results.
The Biggest Constraint Is the One You Never Questioned
Are you really questioning the status quo? A 10x improvement isn’t a 1% improvement repeated ten times. It’s a step change. The biggest innovations in history didn’t come from doing more of what already existed, just a little better. They came from questioning assumptions that everyone else accepted as true.
Stop Measuring Outputs. Start Managing Inputs.
Yesterday, I participated in a series of round tables on topics related to, surprise, AI. One of those discussions was about Executive Alignment on AI Priorities. One comment stuck with me.
Your Customer Experience Should Be Worth Talking About
Businesses shouldn’t just solve problems; they should create experiences that transform how customers feel and behave. Having a unique and memorable customer experience is one of the most powerful ways to build a brand. Your brand is the promise you make. Your customer experience is how you deliver on that promise.
The Standards You Choose to Reinforce Become Your Culture
Many years ago, I was invited to advise a large educational publishing company in Mexico. I met with the Director of Publishing. We had met the year before, after he attended one of my innovation workshops. We exchanged pleasantries, talked about his goals, and eventually he told me what he was looking for.
If You’re Just Applying AI To An Inefficient Process, You’re Automating Inefficiency
If you’re just applying AI to an inefficient process, you’re automating inefficiency. A while back, I shared a process mapping framework to help identify where AI can create the most value.