Ai is already changing your business. Are you letting it?

You can’t manage this change. You have to lead it. 

Generative AI has landed in the hands of your employees - and they’re already using it. Not because of a grand rollout. Not because they’ve been trained. Because it’s powerful, accessible, and often better than what your company provides. 

So, what now? 

This isn’t a tool you deploy once. It’s not a phase on a project plan. It’s not even a transformation with a clear end state. It’s a shift in how we work, learn, and lead. And most organisations are completely unprepared for it. 

You can’t define the future state when it keeps moving 

Renee put it plainly: "If you're a traditional change manager, you go, 'Cool, what's the vision? What's the future state?' But that doesn't work anymore. By the time you define it, it's already outdated." 

AI evolves daily. So instead of defining the destination, teams need to build the muscle for continuous learning. Small experiments. Fast feedback. Embedded wins. 

"We're not rolling out a new process," said Cale. "We're building the ability to adapt over and over again." 

Shadow AI is already in your business 

Let’s be real: your people are already using generative AI, with or without your blessing. Studies suggest 60–80% of enterprise AI use is happening in the shadows, meaning unapproved tools, unmanaged data, unchecked risk.

"Employees are copying and pasting company info into their personal ChatGPT because the tools you've approved don't cut it," said Renee. "That's the reality." 

And if your policies are all about fear and lockdown? You’ll just drive that behaviour further underground. 

So, what works? 

Don’t wait for the perfect use case. Start where you are, with what you have. Build momentum. 

Renee put it like this: "It's not about getting everything right up front. It's about creating the space for safe, structured experiments - then learning fast." 

Cale added: "You need leaders who are actually in the tools, not just approving them. You need teams with time carved out to try new things. And you need someone to catch the wins and help scale them." 

This isn’t about top-down mandates or bottom-up chaos. It’s both. It’s creating permission, space, and structure at every level. 

You can’t scale experiments without structure 

Cale called it out: "If every team runs their own AI pilots without sharing, you get brilliance in pockets - but you're collectively deficient." 

You need connectors. People who spot patterns across teams. Who turn learnings into repeatable playbooks. It’s not about more change managers. It’s about rethinking the role of change entirely. 

"Change isn't a checklist anymore," said Renee. "It's a coaching capability. Embedded in how you lead." 

BAU is where value lives - and dies 

Projects end. Business-as-usual picks up. And that’s where most of your AI investments will either stick or stall. 

"BAU teams are slammed," Renee said. "They’re not set up for continuous improvement. They’re trying to keep the lights on." 

So you’ve got to free up time. Give them tools. Train them. Coach them. Not once - ongoing. 

This is not a side hustle 

You can't fund AI adoption like a pet project. "You can’t innovate in your spare time," said Cale. "It’s got to be part of your actual job." 

Create space. Reward curiosity. Don’t just tell people to play with AI - make it safe to do so. 

What’s the model that works? 

1. Start small. Create safe spaces for experimentation. 

1. Lead visibly. Executives should use the tools themselves. 

1. Coach the middle. Equip leaders to guide their teams. 

1. Feed the bottom. Give teams time and permission to explore. 

1. Connect the dots. Build structure around what works. 

AI isn’t your strategy. But it powers all of it. 

Cale said it best: "This is about profit. Cost. Value. Risk. If you’re not talking about AI in commercial terms, you’re just playing with toys." 

Renee added, "But you can’t separate that from people. You don’t get value without hearts and minds. And not just once - ongoing." 

Final thought: this isn’t a change to be managed. It’s a movement to guide. 

"The only unsafe thing right now is going slow," said Cale. 

You can’t treat this like a one-time rollout. It’s a cultural shift. And it’s already happening—with or without you. 

The question is: are you leading it, or lagging behind?