How Leaders Can Prepare for AI and Other Business-Altering Changes

In 1985, I walked into a Radio Shack and bought my first computer. The monitor had a black screen with green text. Only a few pieces of software existed for it at the time, and they came on floppy discs. And there was no internet or Wi-Fi. These sentences alone tell you how much things have changed in 40 years. Some of you have never even heard of Radio Shack or floppy discs.

Computers were still in their infancy for the average person at this time. Yet, by 1995, most jobs and industries were transformed by this new technological wonder. However, plenty of people felt it was a fad that would not affect them or their jobs, and they resisted it every step. That didn’t turn out well for most of them. Not only did this technology impact every part of our lives, but it also created a whole new area of jobs and opportunities.

And here we are once again at the base of the mountain called Artificial Intelligence (AI), straining to see what the top of the AI mountain may hold. While we do not know its full impact yet, the impact is already developing, and people are starting to realize it will be big. How do you know when a new technology or concept will transform society? When McKinsey, Harvard Business Review, Korn Ferry, KPMG, and just about every other relevant tracker of substantial trends are writing about it.

According to GPT Zero, 82% of companies have either adopted or are exploring AI’s potential application in their organization. The impact is already being felt in medicine, financial services, technology, call centers, and law, to name only a few. Geoffrey Hinton, known as the Godfather of AI, said that common white-collar jobs will no longer exist and that one person and an AI assistant will do the work that used to be done by 10 people. His advice for career planning: “A good bet would be to be a plumber.”

Our consultants at The Center Consulting Group are by no means experts regarding AI! Like most of you, we are intrigued and fascinated by what we see emerging and are learning about the best utilization of it. But we are experts at helping leaders and their organizations anticipate and adapt to change. Here are seven things you can do to help yourself and your team adapt to the constant flow of cultural disruptors like AI.

1. Pay attention, but don’t panic.

Futurist Roy Amara said, “We overestimate the effect of a technology in the short run and underestimate the effect in the long run.” Bold predictions have been made often in history – many of them wrong or, at the very least, not worthy of such boldness. Examples include cell phones will never replace wired phones, the automobile was a fad, and technological advancement will dramatically increase our leisure time. Some predictions underestimate the long-term impact of a new technology, while others overestimate it. As leaders, we would be wise to pay attention and learn rather than being dismissive and panicking.  

2. Focus on the benefits more than the risks and losses.

Disruptive change often creates fear. For example, Pope Leo XIV, among others, warned that AI is a threat to humanity. Sometimes our response to fear is to freeze in a state of denial or whine about it. While changes can cause some pain, including learning new skills and moving outside of your comfort zone, they can also bring extraordinary benefits. If you want to successfully adapt to change and help your team to do so, focus on the benefits more than the losses. Your team is looking to you to set the tone. Don’t try to be trendy by adapting before you understand it. And don’t dismiss it because of a quick rush to judgment. Be open. Consider the benefits. And while you should not ignore the potential risks and losses, don’t place all of your focus there.

3. Provide examples to others of how change can result in amazing outcomes.

In the 1960s, the survival rate for pediatric cancer was about 10%. It is now around 80%. What led to this? Uncomfortable change and risks. Dr. Audrey Evans, an oncology doctor at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, was not satisfied with watching her patients die. So, she recommended that instead of using only one chemotherapy drug, they should try combining two drugs. Many of her peers were adamantly opposed to this. After all, it had never been done. It might not work. It was reckless. But she moved forward and transformed pediatric cancer treatment, saving thousands of lives, including my daughter’s life when she received the combined treatment 40 years later at that very hospital. Such examples can help people warm up to taking risks and considering the potential benefits of adapting.

4. Focus on further strengthening the relational glue of your team.

People are far more likely to successfully adapt to a major cultural disruption like AI by doing it together. When we have a good team around and are less socially isolated, we can help each other, encourage each other, and even laugh with each other. It is far easier to take risks and learn something new with others who are having the same experience compared to doing it alone. Teams can push each other to learn, help each other to adapt, encourage each other to try new ways of doing work, and, when a job change is needed, help each other network new opportunities.

5. Remind yourself that it is normal for people to struggle with change.

As leaders, we often get frustrated when people are not enthusiastic about the changes we are making, including when we do not have another option. But, how often do you like it when change is imposed on you? Reminding yourself that change can be hard will help you anticipate and acknowledge the uncertainty people may feel that is masked by the resistance they show. Recognize the reality of what people are facing while still ensuring that change is coming and that the team will adapt accordingly.

6. Learn, learn, learn.

I have a long-time friend who has super-smart adult children. How does one family have a pediatrician, an emergency medicine physician, and two lawyers! That’s what you call a learning family. But we can also create a learning organization, one where it is expected and encouraged that every member will continue to gain new skills and try new ways of doing things. Amazon’s CEO said they will cut jobs due to AI. Without continual learning, it is hard to stay sharp, agile, and employable. The more we pursue creating a learning culture, the more it will be viewed as normative to try new things, experiment, and take on learning new technologies such as AI. So, learn, learn, learn.

7. Embrace more than resist.

When I was a young kid, I feared swimming. And we had a pool in our backyard! One day, my dad did what any good parent would do in the 1960s – he picked me up and tossed me in. Today, that may result in a call to social services, but back then, it resulted in me not only learning to swim but loving it. Once I got past the resistance, I thrived. The same is true with changes that hit our workplace. In the 1990s, I remember sitting with a group of faculty and administrators at the university where I taught. A number of them were highly dismissive of online education. 25 years later, those who were late to that game missed out and had a very hard time catching up. When a change is showing traction, we are better to embrace it rather than resist it.

Our team would be glad to help you think through the best ways to introduce change in your organization. Contact us to learn more.

Jay Desko is the President & CEO of The Center Consulting Group and brings experience in the areas of organizational assessment, leadership coaching, decision-making, and strategic questioning. Jay’s degrees include an M.Ed. in Instructional Systems Design from Pennsylvania State University and a Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior and Leadership from The Union Institute.