Let's talk about AI leadership for real. And by real, I mean looking-in-the-mirror real.
Last week, I challenged you (and myself) to spend two hours building an AI agent. How many of you actually did it? I'll go first - I didn't. Sure, I've been deep in the weeds with EPHOR, our upcoming AI product that's consuming most of my waking hours. But that's not the point.
The uncomfortable truth is backed by McKinsey's latest research: Your people are WAY ahead of you on AI adoption. Leaders think only 4% of employees use AI for significant daily work. The reality? It's THREE TIMES that. Your teams are figuring it out while you're still saying, "Yes, but..."
FIO TIME: The Mirror Moment
94% of employees are familiar with AI tools
71% trust their employers to implement AI safely
Yet 47% of C-suite leaders admit their organizations are moving too slowly
Do you know what this means? It's not your people who aren't ready. It's YOU.
This Week's Challenge (No "Yes, but..." Allowed):
Take TWO HOURS to do something uncomfortably difficult with AI
I'm committing to building an agent from start to finish
What's your commitment?
Don't want to read the full McKinsey report? Here's a productivity hack: Feed it through your favorite LLM and ask for a summary relevant to your role. (Here's the link: McKinsey Article)
But here's the real question: If your people are already embracing AI while you're still "getting around to it," who's really leading whom?
Remember my K-Slow's Hierarchy of AI Needs:
Tasks You Don't Like to Do (like admitting you're behind?)
Tasks You Aren't Good At (like leading AI transformation?)
Tasks That Are High Priority (like catching up to your team?)
The magic isn't in the technology - it's in the leadership. And right now, many of us are failing that test.
So, what's it going to be? Another week of "Yes, but..." or are you ready to lead?
Time to FIO,
Kathy
P.S. I'll share my agent-building experience, struggles, and everything next week. No "Yes, but..." - just real learning in the open. Who's with me?