Check through these 9 signs to see if you are clogging up the works or smoothing the way. After all, leaders, your business is supposed to be led by you – right? Too many owners, leaders, and entrepreneurs are dragging their feet in deploying AI tools to simplify their business processes. That has to stop – don’t you think?
Maybe it’s time to get real: You could be the worst bottleneck in your own company. Ouch!
1. You’ve Dropped the AI Plan on Your IT Team’s Lap: Is your entire AI strategy in your IT staff’s heads, and you’re just rolling with it because “they’re the ones who know about tech stuff”—you are not driving? It’s ok, boss; it’s not too late, but it is time right now. AI isn’t just another gadget or fad. It is a collection of powerful tools that are completely changing business operations—and if you don’t deploy them, companies that are using these tools will outshine you. And that would be a shame.
Translation: Don’t punt on critical things—get involved!
2. Oh, AI? Yeah, it’s pretty nifty. ‘But you’ve got bigger fish to fry, right?Just like that side project you’ve been chugging away on but hasn’t gotten much momentum. If AI isn’t helping you blaze through your to-do list yet, you could be holding to familiar processes with white knuckles. Here’s the straight scoop: The leaders who get big (and stay big) are the ones who pursue vision no matter how uncomfortable with strategy.
That is: Quit clinging to the way you’ve always done things—start working with modern tools! (View our webinar to learn how to move out of your comfort zone).
3. Your “Perfect Moment” is Just Ahead Of You. If you keep telling yourself that you’ll become an AI Convert when the time is right, I have bad news: Your rivals are already on the efficiency train. Waiting for the perfect storm is a bad excuse, not a boss move. The time to get into AI was yesterday. The next best time? Right freakin’ now.
The hard truth is: If you’re waiting for the right time, you’re just waiting for your edge to dull. Yikes.
4. Your Mantra is “I’m Just Not a Tech Person.” News Flash: You don’t have to be a machine-learning whiz to lead. However, you do need to understand the impact systems have on culture, vision, operations, and resource allocation. Never fear, however, there is a map!
Fact: Your company and your people don’t need you to be a Silicon Valley genius to modernize; they just need a brave leader with vision.
5. You’re in Analysis Paralysis Mode. If you’re stuck in analysis paralysis mode, worried that if you give in to AI-ifying your processes, everything you’ve built will get away from you. The problem is, if you do nothing, you’re cementing your fate. The leaders that crush it in the age of AI aren’t those who play it safe; they dive in, get help, test and measure, and then churn like beasts. The longer we wait, the more we fall behind.
Proof: Doing it imperfectly outdoes waiting for perfection every time. Period.
6. You’re Too Busy Micromanaging to Actually Be The Leader. If your workday is about looking over your team’s shoulders, putting out fires, or correcting their work, instead of focusing on your genius, congratulations: you are now the bottleneck. And it’s sneaky! AI Tools can help you and your team avoid the need for micromanaging and free you and your team from the mistakes and manual tasks that set fire to your best projects.
Rear-view mirror: If you’re not in the lead boat, your company is likely swimming with the sharks.
7. You Wait for the “Next Big Thing” in AI. Do you tell yourself that you will tuck in to AI when it’s a little more advanced, more ‘proven’? Fact-check: Fortune and fate reward those who take action. And our capacity to shift our focus to what’s really creative and brilliant is accelerating at lightning speed. AI tools simply supercharge your brilliance. Let’s please get you out creating your dream instead of running after it.
In short, there is no “better version” of AI tools coming to the rescue. You snooze, you lose. Act now!
8. You Can’t Trust AI to make “Human” Choices. You see, that is true, but here’s the clincher: AI tools aren’t supposed to make ‘human’ choices. And they won’t! They are accelerated processors of information—to support more effective, creative, and intuitive human decisions. If you’re slamming the brakes because you fear that AI tools might “do it better than us,” lay that aside. AI tools are not taking the place of humans, but rather the tools support humans.
Big takeaway: AI isn’t coming for your people’s jobs. It’s coming for the work you and your team drag your feet doing.
9. You’re Waiting for the 22,000+ AI tools to pare down so you can know what to use. Alas, waiting will literally take too long. You could try to figure it out on your own. OR, you can find a guide. Look for someone with a team who has, out of passion, curiosity, and a wide range of skills, already sifted through the tools to find the enduring ones—the tools that will serve your particular needs best—and who knows how to make them play nicely together.
That is: Waiting to follow the market will have you …. well, following the market instead of leading it.
So there you have it folks. If any of these symptoms resonate, then let’s talk. I get it. We’ve been there. And there is a way forward with clear, easy-to-track guidance and a clear roadmap. Let’s get the AI Tools question off your plate and resolved.
Join us in the Seizing the AI Advantage webinar to work smarter, wow your clients, and simplify your business processes!
