AI Readiness for C-Suite Leaders

Recently, a CIO from insurance company reached out to me, trying to solve the problem of raining questions about AI like “AI is here to take our jobs”, “We won’t use it”, “You’re just training it so you can replace us” Sound familiar? It’s funny because 71% of BFSI CIOs are ramping up generative AI use to improve employee productivity but over 56% of them fail because of low adoption. Employee concerns about job security, skill gaps, and ethical implications can significantly impede AI adoption and effectiveness. Here’s a Strategic Approach to harness AI's full potential & put focus on your teams: ⭐ Transparent Communication: Address AI's role openly, emphasizing augmentation over replacement. ⭐Comprehensive Education: Implement training programs covering AI basics, specific applications, and ethical considerations. ⭐Skill Development: Identify and bridge gaps in AI tool proficiency. Alternatively, find tools that have low or zero learning curve and no-code to encourage employees to try it out. ⭐Ethical Framework: Develop and promote AI ethics guidelines to ensure responsible implementation. Make it available to all teams to review and comment on. ⭐Trust Building: Create feedback mechanisms for employees to contribute to AI development and deployment. ⭐Leadership by Example: Actively engage with AI initiatives, aligning them with organizational goals. With this people-centric approach, I was able to work with CIOs drive almost 100% AI adoption for our use case with Alltius in BFSI companies. This not only addresses immediate concerns but also positions our organizations for long-term success in the AI-driven future of finance. What strategies are you employing to prepare your team for AI integration?

With the constant stream of AI updates, announcements, analyses, and 'cheat sheets,' it's easy to feel overwhelmed and confused. The fear of missing out on AI adoption is real. Here's the thing, though - AI adoption does not require you to be an AI expert. It does, however, require you to have a deep understanding of your processes and your domain. Here is a framework that I've been following to adopt AI in my role: a) Understand your work success metrics thoroughly. What are the key goals and KPIs you need to hit to keep moving forward? For example, in sales, closing deals is probably the most important KPI. b) Identify some of the biggest challenges you face that prevent you from achieving those goals. Write these down for clarity. E.g., preparing well for a 30-minute prospect meeting. c) Get granular, break down those challenges further, and identify the core issues. d) Once you break down the challenges, create hypotheses about where AI can help, e.g., prospect and persona research and their role in the company's growth. e) Once you've reached this point, experiment with tools (like GPT, Gemini, Claude, etc.) to get the best possible output for the challenges you identified. This will require some prompting and tweaking. f) Repeat this step across multiple instances to see the correlation. Observe and, if possible, quantify the impact. g) Finally, collate the results and create a map of areas where AI can have the most impact in your role. Very highly likely that you don't need every new tool/feature out there to get there. Focus on the outcome, and the tool will follow.

Your Leadership Blueprint for the Future 🔛 If you're an executive grappling with the fast-paced evolution of Tech, AKA #ai, you're far from alone. But while some see a challenge, I see an unprecedented opportunity. #GenerativeAi isn't just the future—it's your next competitive advantage. As someone who has spearheaded major technological integrations at AT&T, embracing AI today is not an option but an imperative. >>Key Leadership Strategies in the AI Era 1. "Active Listening: Your Secret Weapon in AI Adoption" Begin by conducting internal audits or surveys to understand the current perception of AI within your organization. Address concerns openly in town-hall meetings. 2. "AI: Augmenting Human Excellence, Not Replacing It" Implement pilot projects that clearly show how AI can improve but not replace human tasks. 3. "A Vision Well Communicated is a Vision Half Realized" Develop a transparent roadmap for AI adoption and share it across all organizational levels. 4. "Collective Learning: The Cornerstone of AI Success" Organize regular training sessions and encourage cross-functional teams to collaborate on AI projects. 5. "Human Potential: The X Factor in Your AI Strategy" • Celebrate and reward creativity, problem-solving, and other uniquely human skills that AI can't replace. >> Reshaping Corporate Roles for an AI-Driven World • "From Rote to Remarkable: Entry-Level Roles Reimagined" Invest in training programs that allow entry-level employees to upskill and take on more creative or strategic roles. • "Middle Management: Your New Role as the Talent Nurturer" Pivot from task managers to talent developers, focusing on guiding teams to maximize the use of AI tools effectively. • "Senior Leaders: Data-Driven Culture Architects" Lead by example. Utilize AI to make informed decisions and set a precedent for a data-driven culture. >> Organizational Structure: The New Shape of Success • "Flat is the New Up: Why Project-Based Teams are Tomorrow's Winners" Move toward a more agile structure that encourages rapid decision-making and adaptation. • Strategic Partnerships: Your Path to AI Superiority "Don't Just Compete, Dominate: Partner to Innovate" Seek partnerships with AI solution providers or academic institutions to stay ahead of the curve. This tech shift and paradigm change will redefine leadership, organization, and strategy. The AI revolution is already here—how you respond today will determine where you stand tomorrow. Are you leveraging AI to solve real-world problems, or are you still in the exploratory phase? •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Mariana Saddakni, ★ Digital Product Innovation, Operational Mastery, and Customer Experience Excellence ★ Former Global Head of Product and Customer Experience, AT&T– Fractional Executive, Service Industry Growth and Retention Expert 🌐 Let's connect! ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

If you're a leader looking to leverage AI, this read is for you. I recently discussed AI with a CEO, and this was their dilemma: "We don’t know what we don’t know. Where do we start?" Here was my response: Start soon, and follow this plan: 1 — Educate and Empower Your Team 2 — Identify Use Cases 3 — Prototype Your Best Ideas 4 — Deploy and Integrate I have found this approach to be the most effective starting point. It doesn't guarantee success, but it makes it more likely. A little more about Step 1 — Educate and Empower Your Team I like to break this down into three levels: A. Executives must be able to articulate a vision for how AI will enable the company to succeed. B. Mid-level managers must be able to identify, approve, and manage AI initiatives. C. Front-line players must be proficient in using AI tools. To maximize value and impact, it’s helpful to provide industry context. I like to do this with industry case studies, company projects, news, and insights into competitor products and initiatives. When I’ve tried to bypass "education," I’ve encountered poor results downstream, and the actual value generation from AI solutions was compromised. I believe "education" helps teams a) make informed decisions and b) foster the right long-term investing mindset to make AI work. But that’s just my hypothesis.

The biggest barrier to AI success isn’t technical. It’s cultural. And here is why . . . . . 👉 You can have the flashiest tools. The most advanced features. The best tech stack money can buy. But, if your company culture isn’t ready to absorb change... If collaboration is blocked by silos… If adoption isn’t supported… If fear outweighs experimentation… You’ll get no outcome. The soap is in the dispenser. But no one’s getting clean. You bought the tool. You launched the change. But your team still isn’t using it. Before blaming “resistance,” run this checklist 👇 ✅ Change Readiness Checklist for Leaders 1. Have you explained the “why” in their language? 🔲 Did you tie the change to their day-to-day pain? 🔲 Is it solving real problems or just chasing KPIs? 2. Did you communicate early and often? 🔲 Did you announce the change before it launched? 🔲 Have you created a consistent cadence of updates? 3. Are you (and other leaders) modeling the behavior? 🔲 Are leaders actively using the new tool/process? 🔲 Are they sharing wins, lessons, and being visible champions? 4. Have you removed something to make space? 🔲 What are you stopping to make room for the new? 🔲 Are priorities clear or is this just “one more thing”? 5. Have you built psychological safety into the rollout? 🔲 Are people rewarded for trying not just succeeding? 🔲 Have you normalized the messiness of change? 6. Is the training actually helpful (and timely)? 🔲 Did you enable people before asking for adoption? 🔲 Is help easy to access or hidden in a PDF? 7. Are you listening and adjusting in real time? 🔲 Is there a feedback loop employees trust? 🔲 Have you acted on their input? Flashy tools don’t drive change. Leaders do. The soap is in the dispenser. Are you making it usable? ♻️ Repost if you’re investing in people, not just tech. Follow Janet Perez for Real Talk on AI + Future of Work

Despite AI’s rapid rise since the launch of ChatGPT, only 1 in 4 companies report real business value from Generative AI. Even fewer are ready for what comes next: AI agents that work toward goals instead of following explicit instructions. In my latest article, published in the American Management Association's quarterly journal, I outline a systematic approach to AI implementation that highlights three critical leadership dimensions: 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆: Leaders need to align AI efforts with business goals and KPIs. Start by identifying measurable value drivers, like customer conversion or cost reduction, and assess how AI can support them. 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗲𝘁: AI adoption isn’t a traditional IT rollout. Success requires experimentation, iteration, and tight collaboration between business and tech teams. A clear idea funnel and review checkpoints help avoid sunk costs. 𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲: AI adoption depends on trust and transparency. Employees often hesitate to admit they use AI tools, fearing judgment. Leaders must set guardrails, encourage experimentation, and design workflows that balance human oversight with AI autonomy. Agentic AI introduces teams of autonomous agents capable of collaborating across departments and even across companies. But realizing this vision takes more than technology. It requires true leadership. How are you preparing yourself to lead as you bring AI into your workplace? Read the full article: https://lnkd.in/dcwsd98h #ArtificialIntelligence #Leadership #IntelligenceBriefing

Are you ready to navigate the AI landscape with confidence? 1. The push towards AI is unstoppable ↳ Is your organization prepared? 2. As a leader, your role isn't just to follow ↳ Are you ready to steer the ship safely through digital transformation. 💡 Ask the right questions, build robust frameworks, and embrace ethical AI practices. Every Board Director must consider: - How will AI reshape your organization's core goals? - What policies ensure AI enhances rather than disrupts your workflow? - And, crucially, how does AI fit within your risk management strategy? The answers will define the future of your business. So let's break it down: - Begin with the 'why' of AI. Understand its role in your vision. - Move to the 'how' — from policy to practice, every step matters. - End with the 'what if' — risks, regulations, and the ethical framework. Your move can be a masterstroke or a misstep. ✅ - Ignoring AI isn't an option; mastering it is a necessity. - A clear understanding of AI's impact is your competitive edge. - Your commitment to ethical AI will be your legacy. Ready to lead the change rather than just witness it? - Dive into these essential questions. - Equip yourself with knowledge to make informed AI decisions. - Foster a culture of innovation that's controlled, compliant, and conscious. 👉 Join the conversation below and share how AI is reshaping your role as a leader! #AI #Leadership #DigitalTransformation #BoardDirectors #Innovation

Let’s face it, whilst generative AI's user-friendly nature has seen rapid adoption among C-suite executives, implementation is much harder than ideation. In a rush to bring gen AI into the fold, many efforts seem to lack significant value. The question is: how can we better connect gen AI to business outcomes? In this interview with Fortune (link in the comments below) my colleague and McKinsey senior partner Rodney W. Zemmel suggests four ways that CEOs can help to connect the dots. These include: 1. Focusing on impactful areas. 2. Developing a business-led tech roadmap. 3. Building and retaining a skilled talent bench. 4. Prioritizing context engineering, security, and governance. To close the gaps between AI leaders and laggards, strategic AI deployment is essential. If you’re looking to avoid "pilot purgatory," and ensure scalable, meaningful applications I’d recommend giving this article a read. As always, drop your thoughts in the comments below! #McKinseyDigital #AI