Leadership and AI: rethinking business models and strategies

How can companies shift their focus from operational efficiency to transformative value creation through AI? 

Before talking about the 'how', we need to better understand the 'why'.

Performance optimised by automation and results enhanced and augmented by AI are two different approaches: one is based on iteration, the other on innovation. Iteration gradually improves work and makes what was done yesterday more efficient, cheaper and more scalable today. Innovation, on the other hand, generates entirely new value, with results, processes and products that were previously unthinkable or impossible to achieve without artificial intelligence. In a nutshell, it can be said that automation scales the past while augmentation builds the future. It is a change of mindset, a profound change of perspective that breaks the mould and opens up new possibilities and anticipates the future with AI. The differences are crucial because they reflect not only performance, but also trajectory: incremental growth measures savings, margins and productivity gains, and all these benefits are reinvested in the organisation.

Are there any models or virtuous cases that point in the right direction?

Exponential leaders know that the key question is: 'what can we do with the resources and time freed up by AI'? From here on, the direction depends on the mindset. If the time and resources saved lead to scrutinising roles for redundancies, jobs are likely to disappear. If, on the other hand, the measure of value includes productivity and the creation of new value, jobs become catalysts of increased potential.

Instead of asking what roles to cut, in other words, one must ask how artificial intelligence can enhance human potential. This is how we define the jobs of the future in the AI economy.

Many managers struggle to find their way in a rapidly changing environment. What kind of leadership is needed to guide people in a hybrid future, where technology and humanity must coexist harmoniously?

This is the inspirational thinking behind my book 'Mindshift: Transform Leadership, Drive Innovation, and Reshape the Future'. If you wait for someone to tell you what to do in this AI era, you put yourself on the wrong side of innovation, but there is still no manual to follow. We definitely need a new breed of leaders and these new leaders can spring up anywhere. We need to feel empowered to explore the unknown, question conventions and ask more questions that start with "why?", "what if?", "how could we...?". Historically, the role of the manager has been to ensure standards and results based on established models, but such an approach relegates something as revolutionary as artificial intelligence to the level of mere iteration. It has always been their job, and no one has ever told managers to do anything different. Roles have not been rethought, but I can guarantee that managers are asking questions that challenge their 'comfort zone': what should I do? What should I learn? And many of them feel anxiety, uncertainty and fear because of the lack of vision.

While exponential leaders do not suffer from these problems...

Exponential leaders define a new vision, new goals and new standards. They inspire a culture that can generate the work that changes the trajectory of the organisation and they are called upon to challenge other leaders to amplify this vision to create a culture of innovation and transformation in synergy with the spread of artificial intelligence. Failing this, it is the managers who will have to ignite the spark of transformation. Any vision or insight can inspire any level of leadership.

Last question: if you had to send a message to Italian companies, what would be the first concrete step to take in order not to remain on the sidelines of this revolution?

I love this question, thank you for asking it. A cautious and thoughtful approach to AI adoption is understandable because we are human and uncertainty is part of the game. However, if 'caution' becomes fear, ignorance or arrogance, the pace of innovation can quickly drive us out of business.

The truth is that dealing with and managing change is difficult. And when you are faced with concepts like generative artificial intelligence, AI agents, AGI (Artificial General Intelligence, ed) or quantum, it is natural to feel overwhelmed. But to stand by and watch is to do nothing, and I am convinced that the first concrete step is to stop looking for excuses. After several years working with startups, I can tell you one thing I have never heard from a founder: 'it can't be done because...'. Bold leaders always find a way to act.

Any practical advice for leaders who want to take action?

Form a dedicated consulting team, assess the context and timeframe for technology adoption, compare these projections with available skills, investments and capabilities, and finally identify one or more concrete pilot projects where AI can generate measurable value in a matter of weeks, not months or years. The goal is not perfection, but learning and progress, so it is crucial to understand where your organisation stands with respect to the current and future impacts of AI: this will be the basis for a strategy based on a willingness to experiment. AI will not replace leaders, but it will make leaders who refuse to lead obsolete.