“Forget artificial intelligence – in the brave new world of big data, it’s artificial idiocy we should be looking out for.” – Tom Chatfield.
In our conversations with business owners, the topic of AI comes up regularly. Some still have understandable ethical and privacy concerns, believing (or hoping?) that they still have a choice in adopting AI. With such business owners, our first task as an advisor is to change the AI conversation from “if” (you don’t have a choice) and “when”(you are already using it) to “how.”
However, with most of our conversations, it’s not the technology or its operational applications being questioned, but rather how to understand and position AI within their mind, thinking processes and business. One common theme is becoming increasingly apparent - a growing curiosity and willingness to adopt AI where it can enhance their business operations (learning and development) whilst drawing the line when it comes to AI “thinking for them or their business” (cause, purpose, and values).
Your first task
As a business owner, your first task as a leader is to set clear strategic objectives of how you want your business (and team) to adopt and leverage AI. Be prepared to answer more profound questions and concerns around ethics, privacy, workplace changes/job security, and their sense of purpose - but don’t get lost in semantics or “AI white noise.” Specifically, make sure that they understand that this is not a technology or “what is possible” conversation. It’s about how AI can and should be employed to make running the business more manageable for everyone (operational, data-driven machine learning). And, in so doing, free up time, energy, and thinking to increasingly focus on the “human” aspects of the business, i.e. customer engagement and relationships, customer value-creation, brand building, business culture and future-making strategies (strategic, creative, human-driven learning).
Start by piloting
More than likely, you and some of your team members, have experimented and are using AI in some way or the other. Although such curiosity and learning are essential, the process of adopting AI should be structured and targeted. We suggest that you and your team identify those tasks and processes that you think can potentially best benefit from using AI, and then pilot solutions, measure outcomes, discuss critically with your team and expand strategically.
Reinforce human thinking
While it might sound counter-intuitive, your second task is to reinforce the increased importance and value of human thinking actively. You can do this by:
- Make sure that you and your team actively question AI outputs, that you discuss and validate insights, and make informed and sound decisions. Remember, AI is to augment your thinking, reasoning and decision-making - not replace it.
- Continue with and encourage problem-solving discussions where human experience and intuition guide decisions.
- Walk the talk when it comes to interpersonal and soft skills like empathy, communication, and leadership within your team. With customer-facing staff, reinforce the importance and value of personalized and authentic engagements.
- AI is great with patterns, data, and repetitive tasks. However, it lacks the ability to think creatively and has a lack of imagination. Cultivate an environment where employees are encouraged to brainstorm new ideas.
- Ensure that decisions involving AI include ethical considerations and your dedicated oversight.
- Reinforce that while AI supports efficiency, human thinking, relationships and trust are central to customer service, leadership, and team collaboration.
Your role as a leader
Ongoing research and a growing body of knowledge show that the adoption of AI can enhance leadership effectiveness, decision-making, and strategy. However, as AI increasingly automates processes, the human aspects of leadership become even more important. Leadership EQ - the ability to understand and manage emotions - will be the differentiator in driving engagement, creative thinking and innovation, and maintaining trust in the modern AI workplace.As a business owner and leader, adopting AI isn’t a choice anymore. Our advice is to embrace the benefits of AI whilst staying true to your personal and business cause, purpose, and values. Use the technology for you and your team to get better at what you do, not replace what you do.
