The boy next door analogy is a perfect one for the AI conversation. We’ve all experienced in our lives that boy next door - a strange one we are told to stay away from. An interesting and fun one we want to play with every day. And even the one that is a mystery that can at times help make us better or even hurt us. Thank you for sharing a different story on AI, and reminding us that as humans our ability to bring mindfulness to the conversation and use of this technology is what is our differentiation vs the technology. I have started my AI journey and use it more and more every day. As my good friend and early AI adopter, Brian Ferguson, has challenged me to do, every day I attempt to get 1% better at using AI. That’s easy and not intimidating.
Thank you for this, and for extending the analogy. You named something I didn't — that the boy next door isn't one boy. He's the strange one, the fun one, the mystery. All of it at once. That is exactly what AI is for most of us right now.
And I love Brian's challenge. 1% better every day. That's the whole thing, isn't it? Not mastery. Not fear. Just a small, steady willingness to stay in the conversation. Mindfulness is not something separate from that — it is what makes the 1% possible, because you have to actually notice what you're doing to get better at it.
Grateful you're on this journey. Keep me posted on what you're learning.
AI amplifies capability, but management determines direction.
The real competitive advantage won’t come from better tools alone, it will come from better operating systems that help people make better decisions together.
This is what I keep seeing with leaders. They buy the tool and expect the direction to come with it. It doesn't. Direction is still a human job — and a harder one now, because the tool moves so fast that a wrong direction gets amplified just as quickly as a right one.
Anu, I enjoyed your distinction between reacting to AI and responding to it. Organizations often assume AI implementation is primarily a technology challenge when it's actually a leadership challenge. The question isn't simply, "What can AI do?" but "What problem are we trying to solve?" Technology amplifies strategy, it doesn't replace it. Leaders who anchor AI adoption to a clear purpose, communicate the "why," and help their teams understand where humans add unique value will see far better outcomes than those chasing adoption metrics alone. Thought-provoking piece.
I appreciate how you connect the corporate scramble for AI to our own tendency to react out of fear. It’s a good reminder to slow down, ask why we’re using a tool before diving in, and remember that our human judgment matters more than the tech itself.
This piece really resonated with me. It is so easy for companies to get caught up in the hype of AI spending, thinking the tech will just magically fix everything on day one. But they often completely ignore the human element of adoption. When teams feel overwhelmed or aren't shown how the tools actually make their jobs easier, they just go back to their old habits. As you mentioned, if leaders aren't mindful about how these systems integrate into their team's real, daily workflows, the technology just becomes another expensive distraction rather than an actual solution. Great read!
The boy next door analogy is a perfect one for the AI conversation. We’ve all experienced in our lives that boy next door - a strange one we are told to stay away from. An interesting and fun one we want to play with every day. And even the one that is a mystery that can at times help make us better or even hurt us. Thank you for sharing a different story on AI, and reminding us that as humans our ability to bring mindfulness to the conversation and use of this technology is what is our differentiation vs the technology. I have started my AI journey and use it more and more every day. As my good friend and early AI adopter, Brian Ferguson, has challenged me to do, every day I attempt to get 1% better at using AI. That’s easy and not intimidating.
Thank you for this, and for extending the analogy. You named something I didn't — that the boy next door isn't one boy. He's the strange one, the fun one, the mystery. All of it at once. That is exactly what AI is for most of us right now.
And I love Brian's challenge. 1% better every day. That's the whole thing, isn't it? Not mastery. Not fear. Just a small, steady willingness to stay in the conversation. Mindfulness is not something separate from that — it is what makes the 1% possible, because you have to actually notice what you're doing to get better at it.
Grateful you're on this journey. Keep me posted on what you're learning.
AI amplifies capability, but management determines direction.
The real competitive advantage won’t come from better tools alone, it will come from better operating systems that help people make better decisions together.
Technology scales execution. Management scales judgment.
Yes, that's the whole essay in two lines.
This is what I keep seeing with leaders. They buy the tool and expect the direction to come with it. It doesn't. Direction is still a human job — and a harder one now, because the tool moves so fast that a wrong direction gets amplified just as quickly as a right one.
I agree with you, it’s not tools, but leadership
Anu, I enjoyed your distinction between reacting to AI and responding to it. Organizations often assume AI implementation is primarily a technology challenge when it's actually a leadership challenge. The question isn't simply, "What can AI do?" but "What problem are we trying to solve?" Technology amplifies strategy, it doesn't replace it. Leaders who anchor AI adoption to a clear purpose, communicate the "why," and help their teams understand where humans add unique value will see far better outcomes than those chasing adoption metrics alone. Thought-provoking piece.
Thank you. "What problem are we trying to solve?" When we start with the tool and go looking for a problem to fit it. That's when it disappoints.
I appreciate how you connect the corporate scramble for AI to our own tendency to react out of fear. It’s a good reminder to slow down, ask why we’re using a tool before diving in, and remember that our human judgment matters more than the tech itself.
This piece really resonated with me. It is so easy for companies to get caught up in the hype of AI spending, thinking the tech will just magically fix everything on day one. But they often completely ignore the human element of adoption. When teams feel overwhelmed or aren't shown how the tools actually make their jobs easier, they just go back to their old habits. As you mentioned, if leaders aren't mindful about how these systems integrate into their team's real, daily workflows, the technology just becomes another expensive distraction rather than an actual solution. Great read!