Getting Real About AI: What's Your Game Plan?
- Matt Symes
- Feb 1
- 2 min read
Updated: Jul 9
Last week, I asked a room of 50 executives, "Who uses AI daily?" Two hands went up. Just two. The disconnect was striking – here we are, swimming in AI tools, yet most leaders are still dipping their toes in the shallow end.
Let me be blunt:
If you're waiting for the "right time" to embrace AI, you're already behind. This isn't about jumping on a trend – it's about staying relevant.
Here's what I've learned about leading in the AI era:
1. Cut the Confusion
I see it all the time: Companies where some teams are secretly using ChatGPT while others avoid AI entirely. It's messy, inefficient, and frankly, risky.
As a leader, you need to answer these questions:
What AI tools do you want your people using?
Where are the guardrails?
How do you keep sensitive data safe?
No fancy frameworks needed – just clear direction.
****
2. Getting Past the "Cheating" Mindset
Here's a conversation I had recently with a senior manager: "Using AI feels like cheating. I worked hard to develop my skills – shouldn't everyone else?"
Sound familiar?
Look, I get it. But here's the reality: AI isn't cheating any more than calculators or spell-check. The game has changed.
Today's value isn't in cranking out work – it's in asking the right questions and pressure-testing the answers.
I've found it helpful to think about it this way: AI handles the heavy lifting (that middle 80% of work), freeing us up to focus on the critical 10% at the start (framing the problem) and end (validating the solution).
Want to learn more about the 80-10-10 method?
****
3. Privacy Matters
A quick story: A client recently shared confidential financial projections with ChatGPT without thinking twice. Yikes.
If you're using free AI tools, assume everything you input could become public. Want privacy? Pay for it. Enterprise-grade tools exist for a reason.
****
4. Better Tools ≠ Better Results
Here's something counterintuitive I've observed: Teams with fancy AI tools often perform worse than those using basic ones.
Why?
They stop thinking critically. The better the tool, the easier it is to rubber-stamp its output.
The Fix: Build in checkpoints. Question outputs. Trust but verify.
****
The Bottom Line
AI isn't going anywhere. But neither is good judgment.
The winners won't be those with the fanciest tools – they'll be the ones who blend AI capabilities with human wisdom.
Want to talk about making this real for your team? Let's chat.
