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Embracing a leadership role in the era of AI transformation

Generative AI is revolutionizing the modern workplace, driving innovation and efficiency in unexpected ways. While the journey into AI may seem overwhelming, the potential benefits are impressive. Many businesses are already enhancing their outcomes and gaining a competitive advantage with AI solutions. On average, organizations that embrace generative AI solutions realize a return of $3.70 for every $1 invested.

Strong senior leadership is as crucial as the right technology for successful AI adoption. This blog shares insights from early AI adopters on how leaders using generative AI tools like Microsoft 365 Copilot are enhancing operational efficiency and fostering a culture of AI innovation.

For a guide to how you can lead your organization’s AI transformation, explore our Leadership Strategies for AI Transformation: A business executive’s playbook.

Building a future-ready organization

In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, a successful AI initiative starts with a clear strategy and roadmap. Business leaders should evaluate existing processes to identify where AI can have the most significant impact, considering both short-term wins and long-term gains. By aligning AI strategies with organizational priorities, leaders can unlock new opportunities and position their organizations to remain competitive in the digital age.

AI is not just a tool but a strategic asset that can drive business outcomes, including increased revenue, reduced operational costs, and improved employee experience. AI can reinvent business processes, and enhance productivity while protecting data with secure, enterprise-ready solutions. By incorporating AI into daily workflows, organizations can streamline operations and foster a culture of continuous improvement. The era of AI is here, and business leaders must embrace this technology to drive innovation, agility, and success.

Creating new operational efficiencies with AI

Effectively incorporating AI often involves re-engineering business processes or adopting entirely new ones. Leaders who encourage curiosity and experimentation empower employees to develop innovative, AI-driven use cases. “We see AI as a really big thing that can transform our organization…in terms of operational efficiency,” says Eric Levin, Vice President, Data, AI, and Architecture at Xcel Energy. “We’re really leaning into Copilot specifically to help uncover some of those hidden gems organizationally.”

Identifying pain points in existing processes can help employees evaluate how AI can simplify business operations. Even small steps such as AI-generated meeting and email summaries can introduce meaningful time savings across functions and roles. One of the biggest business values of AI is “in creating more options for users to automate their tasks and workflows…so they can focus on more critical aspects of their work,” says Carl Virtanen, Chief Technology Officer at University Health Network.

Advancing responsible AI practices and continuous learning

Transforming into an AI-powered organization begins with senior leaders who establish responsible AI guidelines that encourage innovation while safeguarding data. A solid foundation of data management practices helps build trust with customers and employees. Leaders play a pivotal role in communicating these guidelines and expectations for AI. “Put [in] the right guardrails so…people can be productive [and] use AI in a safe, trustworthy, and responsible way,” says Dux Raymond Sy, the Chief Brand Officer at AvePoint.

Building on this foundation, leaders can cultivate a workplace environment where employees of all skill levels can flourish. While some employees will embrace AI solutions, having ongoing training and collaboration opportunities will help all employees harness the power of AI. For example, legal firm DLA Piper created a Microsoft Teams repository where employees could share best practices and prompts, and Insight Canada offered weekly office hours for collaboration.

Executives who prioritize continuous learning set powerful examples, allowing employees to refine and develop important AI skills. Facilitating peer-to-peer learning opportunities empowers employees to improve prompt engineering and adopt new AI-powered processes. “Oftentimes when we think about technology, we think adoption is training and that’s it, it’s a one-time event,” says Sy. “But frankly, with an amazing technology [like] AI, it’s not a one-time event—the goal is to facilitate sustainable adoption.”

Celebrating accomplishments on the AI journey

Introducing any new technology in the workplace is a process, and leaders who embrace the unanticipated hurdles are best positioned to work through and overcome them. AI presents a unique learning curve, and focusing on progress instead of perfection can help leaders foster a sense of community and success within an organization.

Recognizing AI “champions” and their accomplishments can inspire and encourage other employees who may feel uncertain about AI. “You have to celebrate people who are adopting AI and showcase their efforts,” says Hossein Nowbar, Chief Legal Officer at Microsoft. “We had early adopters of AI join me onstage during our department-wide summit to talk about how they are leveraging AI and the efficiencies they gained. This recognition inspires others to join the AI journey.”

Thriving in the era of AI

Unlocking the full potential of AI is helping organizations across industries thrive in an increasingly competitive landscape. Leaders who embrace the transformative power of AI can lead their organizations to achieve greater business outcomes, inspire employees to uncover new operational efficiencies, and foster a spirit of innovation in the workplace.

“If you’re just beginning the journey, my advice would be simply step into it,” says Pentti Tofte, Senior Vice President, Innovation, Analytics and AI at FM. “There’s no better time than right now.”

To learn more about leadership and AI transformation, please consider the following resources:

Nicole
Anne Nicole
Modern Work Lead, Microsoft Americas

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