Unlock AI's Potential: The AI Summit in Sydney

We had unusually high winds that day. Some boats were so overwhelmed they were just trying to make it around the course, not figuring out which side was actually favored. It reminded me of business right now. When 80% of market gains ride on one theme, are you hanging on — or strategically moving forward? AI’s surge has become the story of 2025. Seven mega-cap firms now drive more than a third of the S&P 500’s growth. That’s impressive — and dangerous. Because when every conversation turns tactical (“What’s our AI play?”), strategic focus quietly erodes. Teams chase the momentum of the moment. Leaders start optimizing the now instead of shaping what’s next. That’s what we call the strategic–tactical divide — the gap that opens when near-term action outpaces long-term clarity. We work with executives on this every week. The shift begins when they pause the chase and run a concentration-risk pre-mortem: Where are we overexposed to one storyline? What non-AI bets will define our 2026 relevance? Strategic leadership means creating options before the wave breaks. What’s your non-obvious 2026 bet? #Leadership #Strategy #FutureReady #AI #DecisionVelocity #LeadershipDevelopment

The People leaders who thrive in the future won’t wait for proof, they’ll act on foresight. In a world full of noise, it’s easy to get reactive, chasing trends, piloting tools, and playing catch-up. However, one of the most underrated trust-building moves with senior leadership is to proactively inform and influence, bringing foresight, not just feedback. I’ve found it invaluable to slow down and think forward, especially across your people, measurement, and technology strategies. I frame that work through three lenses:  🔭 Futurist: anticipate what’s next for work, not just react to it. 📊 Researcher: pair foresight with credible evidence, not assumptions. 🧭 Advisor: align insight with what matters most to leadership, to shape what comes next. I’ve been digging into 2025 AI-for-HR research from McKinsey & Company, Microsoft, Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and the World Economic Forum. Here are five trends every CEO and CPO should be tracking right now 👇 1️⃣ AI Value Gap: AI adoption is widespread, but maturity is scarce. Most organizations are experimenting, not transforming. 2️⃣ Leadership Constraint: The biggest blocker in AI transformation isn’t technology, it’s leadership alignment. 3️⃣ Human–Agent Redesign: Work is shifting from humans using AI to humans partnering with AI. 4️⃣ Enablement Crisis: Employees are ready for AI but lack the training and tools to use it responsibly. 5️⃣ Capability Pivot: Agility now depends on continuous learning and adaptability. 🎥I’ve distilled these shifts into an 8-minute AI at Work video briefing for leaders. Comment “Video” if you’d like the link, and I’ll share it directly.  #GroundStateAI #FutureOfWork #PeopleStrategy #CHRO

McKinsey’s latest article, The Big Rethink: An Agenda for Thriving in the Agentic Age, explores what happens when AI stops being a tool and starts acting as a participant. Agentic AI systems challenge us to rethink what leadership, distinctiveness, and even work might mean. McKinsey outlines six shifts leaders must make: - redefining the knowledge worker - e-evaluating competitive advantage - reimagining value creation - rewiring workflows - redesigning organisations - and relearning how to learn. But the real question, I think, is more personal: How will we lead when humans and AI begin to co-author outcomes? This feels it’s about evolving our models of trust, governance, and purpose. Those who can balance ambition with adaptability, and build cultures that learn faster than the change around them, will shape the next decade. https://lnkd.in/epzNEKaq #AgenticAI #DigitalTransformation #Leadership #AIAdoption #Strategy #McKinsey #Innovation #FutureOfWork #DigitalExperience #AIMaturity

𝗔𝗜-𝗗𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 Some of the most valuable uses of artificial intelligence in associations focus on anticipation. With AI-driven forecasting, leaders can spot patterns that are easy to overlook and prepare for member needs before they fully surface. This can include identifying who is most likely to renew, recognizing when engagement might taper off, or predicting which professional development opportunities will draw the greatest interest. Instead of responding after shifts occur, associations can act with foresight. That level of clarity matters. 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗲𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗹𝘆, 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗲. When organizations align their planning with what lies ahead, they create both resilience and relevance. AI forecasting gives leaders an additional tool to strengthen decision-making and deliver meaningful value. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝘀: how could this help your organization make stronger choices today to prepare for tomorrow? #Leadership #ArtificialIntelligence #MembershipValue #OrganizationalExcellence #AssociationLeadership #FutureOfWork

The AI Motion: When Speed Outruns Structure All large organizations are becoming AI-first. Strong intent, bold ambition but somewhere between vision and execution, things get super blurry. Let me elaborate what I'm observing. There’s this urgency and rush to act - but not enough time spent thinking through how to act. New initiatives every other day and new priorities every week. Everyone’s being told to run faster, experiment more, deliver quicker - but with limited enablement, or control. Supposed to be a transformation, but often it's just chaos. And when speed outruns structure, it’s not the technology that fails - it’s leadership that gets tested. The real transformation in the AI era is definitely about who adopts faster yet importantly, it's also about the ability to lead through noise, make sense of ambiguity, and bring focus where there’s confusion. The kind of leadership this era needs: - Clarity This isn’t the time for slogans and hype. People don’t need motivation; they need meaning. Clarity on what matters, what doesn’t, and why it’s worth doing. - Composure AI disruption feels messy because it is messy and we got to deal with it. Strategies will change at an unprecedented pace, roles will evolve and nothing will feel certain. The best leaders stay calm when everything else feels unstable. - Conviction You need conviction to stay the course, but you also need the maturity to accept mistakes quickly and change your mind. The best leaders pivot with purpose and cause less panic. - Curiosity Nobody has this all figured out. Absolutely no one! The ones asking better questions - not giving louder answers - will stay ahead. - Compassion This is the part we underestimate. People are anxious. Work is shifting. AI is exciting and unsettling at the same time. The leaders who show empathy - who make space for learning and imperfection - will build teams that last. Moral of the story - Indeed all of this is easier said than done. By all means, chase AI maturity with aggression but channelize it right and build leadership maturity. You just can’t muscle your way into becoming AI-first. You have to lead your way with the above 5 Cs(and more), especially in large enterprises where the outcomes can go either extreme. Enough gyaan now....back to work :) #Leadership #AI #Transformation #Culture #Change #EnterpriseAI

When marketing and strategy move together, companies achieve 70% higher performance and 1.9x better financial outcomes. The secret? C-suite leaders who speak the same growth language. Robert Tas from 𝗠𝗰𝗞𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗲𝘆, Ed See from 𝗭𝗲𝘁𝗮 𝗚𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹, Danilo Tauro, PhD from 𝗔𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗺, and Nagarajan Chakravarthy from 𝗶𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗫 are coming together to reveal how AI transforms strategic alignment from aspiration to operational reality. Join us on October 16 as we examine the operational realities behind boardroom misalignment and explore how AI transforms marketing from a budget line to a growth multiplier - https://lnkd.in/eaANbueG. #Leadership #DigitalTransformation #AI #BusinessGrowth #ExecutiveInsights #Innovation #BusinessStrategy #ThoughtLeadership

The Rise of Human-Centered Leadership in the AI Era. One emerging trend that deeply excites me is the growing emphasis on human-centered leadership in the age of AI and automation. For years, many businesses have focused heavily on adopting new tools, systems, and processes to drive growth. But now, something powerful is shifting: leaders are realizing that technology alone doesn’t build sustainable success — people do. As AI begins to handle more routine and analytical tasks, the real advantage will come from what humans bring to the table — empathy, creativity, adaptability, and emotional intelligence. These qualities turn technology into a strategic enabler rather than a replacement. For early-stage business owners, this matters more than ever. In the early years, your people are your greatest differentiator. How you lead, communicate, and create belonging will determine how quickly your team learns, innovates, and scales. The future of work isn’t just automated — it’s humanly intelligent. While technology will continue to change how we work, people will always drive why we work — and that’s where the heart of leadership and people management truly lies. What do you think — are today’s leaders investing enough in their people as they invest in technology? #AscentClub #PeopleStrategy #LeadershipInsights #FutureOfWork #EarlyStageBusinesses #HumanCenteredLeadership #AIandLeadership

It was a privilege to join my colleague Sacha Ghai at Harvard Business School last week for a dinner with Private Equity Portfolio Company CEOs to discuss how leaders can unlock real business value from AI. While nearly every company recognizes that AI matters - and has access to the latest capabilities - most are still struggling to translate potential into meaningful impact. Our discussion centered on three key lessons: 1. This must be a CEO-led journey. CEOs need to set the vision and align people, processes, and technology. 2. Roughly two-thirds of the value unlocked from AI comes from leadership and execution. Deep domain expertise, change management, capability building, and driving results matter just as much as technology. 3. Start with your toughest business problems, not the so-called “quick wins.” That’s where real transformation happens. Grateful to my McKinsey colleagues, Warren Teichner, Andrew Mullin, Meagan Hill, Kurt Strovink, Kevin Carmody, Ishaan Seth, and Chris Llewellyn, and to HBS for building a world-class, distinctive collaboration and hosting such a rich discussion. Thanks to the many CEOs who shared how they’re leading this next chapter of innovation. #AI #Leadership #CEOExcellence #McKinsey

The Race You Are Already Losing: 92% vs. 1% Let's look at the numbers defining the current competitive landscape for CEOs and Founders: 1. 92% of companies are planning to significantly increase their AI investments over the next three years. 2. Only 1% of companies have fully integrated AI into their operations. This gap presents the biggest opportunity and the biggest threat in decades. We are still in the early, easy stages of AI adoption, but the window for achieving a decisive competitive advantage is closing quickly. Every day you hesitate, the 92% are building capabilities that compound. They are establishing expertise that you simply cannot buy overnight. We are seeing AI-certified specialists command rates like $15,000 an hour because the demand for this talent is surging. The market is screaming that this is the moment to act. If you are not actively building your AI strategy and integrating it into your workflow right now, you are choosing to be left behind at the station. Which side of the 1% divide are you choosing to lead your company from? #AIStrategy #BusinessGrowth #CEO #Founder #DigitalTransformation #CompetitiveAdvantage #AIAdoption #Leadership #FutureOfWork

A recent KPMG report https://lnkd.in/dSCR6RrE highlights that Canadian CEOs are increasingly prioritizing artificial intelligence (AI) to drive productivity and growth. According to the survey, 78% of CEOs have identified AI as a top investment priority, with nearly three-quarters planning to allocate 10–20% of their budgets toward AI initiatives over the next year. Despite this strong focus, only 17% of executives believe their organizations are fully equipped to help employees harness AI effectively. The findings underscore a growing need for workforce training and strategic planning to ensure AI delivers measurable business value. For Muslim business leaders and professionals in North America, these insights serve as a reminder that adopting AI is not just about investment, but also about preparing teams to leverage technology for sustainable growth. #ArtificialIntelligence #Leadership #BusinessInnovation #MuslimEntrepreneurs #AMCOB #TechStrategy #WorkforceDevelopment