Do You Own AI?
Imagine you're sitting in a meeting, and someone boldly declares, “We need to move on AI!” . Everyone nods vigorously. Yet no one moves, because no one knows where to start … or who owns it.
From my conversations with leaders, owning AI seems a bit like a hot potato – it is thrown back and forth as no one wants to hold it for too long … and admit they are not sure what to do with it.
But to be clear – leaders own AI.
The data point (you know me – you were waiting for it) – only 17% of executive leaders feel confident in their knowledge of AI. It is even lower for board members.
And that is likely why 73% of Canadian business owners and executive leaders are waiting on AI – deferring the decision to see what will happen. And we continue to fall behind and miss the opportunity of a lifetime – or business-time.
The true benefit of AI is that it removes the constraints from people and businesses.
I read an article recently that described the different types of leader involvement in sales (and let’s admit it, we all think we know how sales should be done).
I have also interviewed more than one hundred leaders on their approach to AI (and received many more polite notes telling me to bug off, they are not talking about AI).
Thinking my conversations, I thought the article’s description of styles I thought it directly relevant to AI, so here is my taxonomy of how leaders ‘own’ AI.
1. The Hands-Off ("I Have People For That") Leader These leaders delegate AI because it's complex and feels out of their comfort zone. This works perfectly until they suddenly realize AI might actually matter, and now they’re scrambling like it’s April 14th and they've just remembered taxes exist.
2. The Loose Cannon ("The Seagull") Leader Always the first to jump on any new AI trend (“I saw this new app – we must use it!”), these leaders swoop in loudly, cause chaos, leave behind a mess, and fly away just as quickly. Lots of disruption, very little substance.
3. The Social Visitor ("Can I Instagram This?") Leader They love AI… at least as a hashtag. Always at conferences, taking selfies in front of booths labeled "AI-Powered," but ask them how their organization's AI strategy impacts operations, and suddenly they're silent or evasive.
4. The Dealmaker ("Let's Close This") Leader These leaders view AI as the perfect closing argument to secure resources, budgets, or impress shareholders. They're brilliant when the stakes are high but vanish faster than free pizza at a college seminar when the real integration work begins.
5. The Growth Champion ("Let's Build Something Meaningful") Leader Finally, a leader who treats AI like it's truly important. They think long-term, build real collaborations, and align AI strategically with business goals. They're rare—but finding one is like discovering that your airplane seat has unexpected extra legroom: surprisingly satisfying and worth bragging about.
So, here's the awkward truth: AI needs leaders to take ownership and be a champion.
The kind who cares less about shiny new toys and more about solving meaningful problems. Which leads us to an important question: Who’s really championing your organization's AI strategy, and are they building something to last—or just making noise?
Find out how to ask the question by touching base with me at michael@workinsights.io and check out our SME AI Adoption Fund for grants on getting a grip on AI.