Empowering teams to adopt AI: 3 essential leadership traits

Описание: AI isn't a technical challenge, it's a leadership and a values decision. Most leaders, and teams, today are working to become AI literate (it's a car). Far fewer are truly AI fluent, and that gap? That's where adoption breaks, teams get anxious, and budgets get burned (AKA: no ROI).
--------------------
Definitions:
AI literacy is knowing what AI is and generally what it can do (recognizing a car).
AI fluency is knowing where to use it, where not to, and who's accountable when it does something unexpected (you can drive it in traffic, in the rain, with people in the backseat).

Decision making framework - Jennifer's AI Checklist for Leaders:
1. Identify (and name) an AI Sponsor - Progress begins with accountability
2. Map the Shadow AI → Ask: What tools are already in use (official or not)?
3. Define the First Win - Identify a business process you can improve in 90 days (start small). What's the business problem that would deliver ROI the quickest? (Ensure you're all in agreement as to how you've ALL defined 'ROI' - agreement with the use case and what ROI looks like is key.)
4. Set Guardrails, Not Roadblocks → Draft 3 simple 'rules of the road.'
5. Ask the Leadership Question → Does this align with our values and mission?
6. Track Cost of Inaction → Example: 1 hr/day saved = 240 hrs/year per employee.
7. Pressure-Test Vendors → How will this cut cost, risk, or cycle time in 6 months?
8. Engage Your Skeptics → Bring your most resistant leader into the pilot room.
9. Invest in Fluency, Not Just Tools → Educate leaders and team members to ensure AI fluency; one of the results? They'll participate more actively, more confidently - and ask (even more) strategic questions.
10. Set a 30-Day Review → Schedule now: What did we try? What are we learning?
11. Define Your AI Boundaries → Clarity builds trust. Document what AI can and cannot touch today (data, processes, decisions) so teams can move forward with confidence.
12. Why 11? Because in the AI era, stopping at 10 isn’t enough. Progress means pushing past the obvious.

Why are curiosity and courage the new leadership superpowers?
The most successful leaders employing AI with true ROI aren't the most certain, they're the most curious.
Think about it this way: The best leaders aren't asking which model?, they're asking questions like:
Where's the friction point, and could AI support this action or decision, not replace it?
Who might this data overlook or misrepresent?
How will we know this is working, or not?

Most companies invest 80% in AI/tech capability and 20% in human capability. The winners (driving real ROI) flip that ratio because without knowledge, there's usually no uplift, and rarely any adoption. (AKA: little to no ROI).
All companies have a moat -- and in the day and age of AI, a company's moat is how fast your talent is evolving alongside the (AI) tools - and leaders make this happen (or not).

A sampling of free resources:
AI for Everyone (Coursera)
Code.org - Artificial Intelligence Foundations
Databricks - GenAI fundamentals
DeepLearning.ai - courses
Google Skills
Hubspot Academy

AI-related thought leaders to follow: (not a full list by any means)
AI Marketing Institute
Allie K. Miller
Cassie Kozyrkov
Ethan Mollick - What Leaders Need to Know About AI
Heather Murray
Liza Adams
Sabrina Ramonov

Coursera
AI For Everyone
Offered by DeepLearning.AI. AI is not only for engineers. If you want your organization to become better at using AI, this is the course to ... Enroll for free.

code.org
Artificial Intelligence Foundations | Code.org
Explore foundational computer science and artificial intelligence concepts with a high school curriculum that’s hands-on, ethical, and future-focused.

deeplearning.ai
Courses
Discover the best courses to build a career in AI | Whether you're a beginner or an experienced practitioner, our world-class curriculum and unique teaching methodology will guide you through every stage of your Al journey.

skills.google
Google Skills
Learn and earn with Google Skills, a platform that provides free training and certifications for Google Cloud partners and beginners. Explore now.