As a leader in the media space, I felt the power of AI in leadership the first time I used ChatGPT back in March 2023. I could immediately see the impact and efficiencies for magazines, media, marketing and coaching. The streamlining of ideas, the reduction of research time and the opportunities to provide more access to more people interested in professional development and personal coaching all had me pumped! I was driven by the limitless possibilities and couldn’t wait to brainstorm more ways to utilize this app with other leaders, team members, family members and friends.
However, looking back, I understand that my eagerness to bring this new technology into the workplace and my social circles may have overwhelmed others at the time. I can also see how my excitement may have even clouded my empathy around its capabilities. So, I decided to take a step back for a moment and reflect as this is all new.
As AI has become a more prominent player in the business sphere, I find myself facing both exciting opportunities and new challenges in leadership. After all, AI is not just a new trinket, tool or gadget. It is a new way of approaching life and business and should be treated thoughtfully, intentionally and strategically.
Some questions about AI and leadership come to mind
The opportunities for innovation and growth are certainly exciting to explore. However, change of this magnitude and pace can create uncertainty, evoke fear of the unknown and can trigger organizational confidence issues: “Am I going to be replaced by AI?”
While this concern response is not anything new in the technology age, the exponential evolution of AI paves the way for increased anxiety.
How do you successfully integrate AI into your team culture, mission, vision and values? How do you consistently innovate and lean into technology while reinforcing the value of the human skill set? I believe the answer is in maintaining a collaborative spirit by following these steps.
5 Steps to Integrate AI in Leadership
- Emphasize the role of AI as a collective partner that enhances the team’s efforts.
- Encourage teams to leverage the strengths of AI to foster efficiencies and increased productivity.
- Invite teams to explore AI and other technologies weekly and share open feedback about their experiences.
- Create guidelines for AI that support your team’s culture, mission, vision and values.
- Facilitate brainstorming sessions about potential AI innovation.
In my opinion, the only way to stay ahead in the technological race is to grow and evolve with the times—and provide confidence to your team by reminding them how valuable their critical thinking and problem-solving skills are to the growth and innovation of the organization. And lastly, paint the picture of a future consumed with collaborative efforts between team members and AI.
This positive mindset and forward-thinking approach will eventually lead to exponential success.
This article originally appeared in the January/February issue of SUCCESS magazine. Photo courtesy of ©Mike D’Avello.
