Get AI under your skin.

It’s a bit embarrassing to throw leadership quotes around, but this is too important to ignore. Myron Tribus said: “You cannot lead what you do not understand, and you do not understand what you haven't done.”

I think that explains a large part of the partly true perception that so many AI pilots fail (not my favourite word, admittedly). We’re trying to lead the change without having got AI under our own skin. Too little digging, too little dirt under our fingernails.

So my first guiding principle is simple: invite AI into everything you do. Think together, try things, question, build and discover. We need to learn to coexist with AI. Understanding grows as we do things, and what we understand changes what we do next.

Then new questions can emerge too. For example: do we really need that presentation, that Excel file or that hefty weekly report? Perhaps the best AI pilot is the one that never happens, because we discover that the entire workflow needs rethinking.

On 29 September, I’ll be at K3 Nordic’s breakfast event in Örebro. I’m aiming for a morning free of buzzwords, with practical tips for getting started properly and staying out of the ditch. Patrik and Gustaf will share their experiences of building and using AI in their operations, and together we’ll take your questions.

Handelskammarens Lounge in Örebro, 09:00–10:45. Free, with breakfast. Sign up now, before it’s full. Link in the first comment.