I got scared that AI would take my job.

Which is mildly ironic...given I've spent 20 years helping leaders navigate exactly this kind of moment.

Even more ironic? The tool that scared me, has no emotions whatsoever.
There's something worth sitting with in that juxtaposition.

Then I got sent (by actual humans) two pieces of research that completely reframed what I thought I knew about the AI transition.

The headline finding: we've swapped the motor. We have not redesigned the factory. AI is wholly dependent on organisational change.

There's an essential leadership concept behind why so many hyped AI projects are underperforming.

Your people don’t trust each other enough to share their data...or to do the work to create meaningful, high-quality data.
No trust = no data.
No data = no AI impact.

Let's get back to the bottom of the pyramid; here's Patrick Lencioni's perennial Five Dysfunctions of Team through an AI implementation lens

Years ago in a bout of career boredom, I played the cursed game of picking individual ASX stocks because I thought I could "see the trends coming" and "beat the market"...

Much to the amusement of my Sydney based finance / wealth industry mates, I'm down 74% 😵

But I'm up infinitely in lessons about change, leadership and innovation 📈

Some of the best money I've ever spent!

The shared lie of the 'Magic Number' is destroying innovation in your organisation!

Embrace uncertainty, to the point where it is reflected in the business cases for genuinely innovative ideas.

Thanks to Tristan Kromer and Elijah Eilert from Innovation Metrics Podcast for the insights and inspiration!

I’ll admit it: I lost a couple of good hours each day this week to distraction.

Like many, I've been caught up in the “culture of personality festival” that is the US election cycle.

And yet for someone who thinks deeply and often about change and leadership...this spectacle is the opposite of how anything actually gets done. Real change is driven by consistent, low-fuss, purpose driven effort—usually from people who aren’t looking for the limelight.

Look beyond formal titles or outgoing personalities. Instead, notice who people trust with questions, who others go to for guidance, and who brings a steadying presence to the team.

An article on how Quiet Influencers are a vital part of change strategy, which also doubles as my own sublte ode to those types I've met along the way. Thanks as always...I won't tag you here, even though you deserve it!

“Every organisation I work with seems to be in a constant state of flux. They can't all be at Level 1 maturity! Does anyone know what they are doing yet?!"

This tongue in cheek musing by a topflight change manager, captures a common frustration across industries. It raises a critical question: does anyone get their transformation right...?

Somewhat recent research from Harvard Business School "Top 20 Business Transformations of the Last Decade" provides some compelling answers.

Organisations don’t just thrive because they adopt new technologies or pivot strategically. Instead, they do so by anchoring their transformation efforts in a powerful “Why”—a purpose that transcends profit. The numbers tell the story: purpose-driven transformations aren’t just aspirational; they deliver tangible results.