I find it fascinating that AI has become a frequent topic of conversation in our daily lives. It’s an exciting and uncertain time for businesses. It’s hard to believe that it has only been just over a year since Artificial Intelligence entered the mainstream with the release of ChatGPT in November 2022.
Personally, I’ve enjoyed engaging in discussions, exploring AI tools, and learning from diverse perspectives. As someone in the technology field, I view these discussions through the lens of my career, and two things come to mind:
"The pace of change has never been this fast, yet it will never be this slow again"
You might ask, haven’t we already been resilient enough to overcome the challenges of the past few years? Yes, we have shown resilience, and it is precisely this type of resilience that we must continue to cultivate.
Resilience, defined as the capacity to withstand or recover quickly from difficulties, is akin to qualities like nimbleness, agility, and adaptability that leaders often associate with strategy and transformation.
By 2025, “labor volatility” will cause 40% of organizations to report a material business loss, forcing a shift in talent strategy from acquisition to resilience.”
Leaders must build new communities, relationships, pathways, and doorways to foster adaptability and resilience. Now, you might be wondering, where does AI fit into all of this? AI is just the latest topic that highlights the urgency of building resilient organizations. It follows in the footsteps of previous transformative technologies like cloud computing and extends all the way back to the industrial revolution.
Many organizations have struggled with common ailments such as:
We have many practices and methodologies that provide us cues into how we navigate change in organizations:
However, I believe that the kind of change required today cannot be found solely in these methods. It lies within leadership and how leaders shape, foster, demonstrate, and adapt the culture of their organizations. Ultimately leaders must equip and model what it means to operate in an uncertain future where answers are not always obvious.
What is an operating model and how does that tie to resiliency and AI?
“An operating model is the blueprint and execution plan for generating value from an organization’s business models. A digital operating model is the defined approach for aligning execution strategy to deliver customer value by leveraging digital capabilities and technologies for business success. It requires a holistic enterprise approach that aligns the data and AI strategies.” – CIO.com
And why is this important in building resiliency?
Through my experience working with various organizations, I’ve witnessed successes, failures, and adaptations. The successful ones understand that practices and processes like Agile and Product Management, which may seem like technology responsibilities, are actually critical components of a holistic enterprise approach that drives business outcomes. When viewed from this perspective, we see that these practices enable flexibility, adaptation, and continuous feedback, much like resilience.
One way is to leverage wisdom and experience to gain diverse perspectives. In the book “From Strength to Strength,” author Arthur Brooks explores how humans transform over the course of their lives. By prioritizing deep wisdom, detachment from empty rewards, and connection and service to others, we can find true success and increased happiness.
Still not sure how to do this? Be humble enough to acknowledge that you don’t have all the answers. Be hungry to learn, ask questions, seek diverse perspectives and experiences, and form new viewpoints. Embrace discomfort and show others how to do the same.
If you subscribe to the notion that the pace of change will only get faster, then taking a wait and see approach to AI is likely a losing strategy.
The bottom line is recognizing that the type of change necessary to operate in a fast-changing world will be uncomfortable. And once you have, then show others how to do this!