Take Generative AI for an Executive Spin

Is Generative AI already knocking on your door?

Unless you’ve been on another planet in the past few months, Generative AI must have been brought to your executive table.

Have you taken time to consider your role as a leader in this emerging space? Have you set the journey of Generative AI in motion?

Maybe you are already doing something about it. Or maybe you have been avoiding it so far. Either way, in this post I share why and how you should take Generative AI for an executive spin.

Why you need to take Generative AI for an Executive spin

Generative AI is poised to revolutionize every sector, industry, and work function. Its impact is already evident in some areas, with others bound to experience its transformative potential sooner or later.

As an executive, you have a key role to play in unlocking the potential power of Generative AI. Here are three compelling reasons you should not just talk about it, but actually take it for a personal spin and explore its capabilities firsthand.

Gain Strategic Advantage: To have a significant influence in strategic discussions and decisions down the road, it’s essential to understand Generative AI from the inside out. By immersing yourself in its possibilities, you’ll be better equipped to discern its potential applications, as well as its risks for your organization, and to determine when and how to steer it in the right direction. Having firsthand experience with Generative AI gives you the edge and the credibility in shaping your organization’s future with it.
Elevate Your Leadership: Generative AI can be a game-changer in enhancing your own leadership capabilities. It can help you to swiftly grasp new concepts and domains, to extract valuable insights from vast troves of data and information, and to communicate more effectively with stakeholders. You can use it as a personal sounding board to refine your ideas, reflect on critical decisions, and even practice role-playing scenarios to enhance your leadership acumen.
Lead by Example and Inspire: By embracing Generative AI and openly sharing your reflections and experiences with your teams, you become a trailblazer within your organization. Your willingness to explore these technologies sets a powerful example for others to follow. It fosters a culture of innovation, curiosity, and continuous learning, inspiring your team members to embrace change and seek creative solutions.

Remember, Generative AI is not just a topic of discussion; it’s an opportunity for you to lead by example, shape the future of your organization, and drive innovation in your industry. So, take the plunge, experiment, and experience the potential of Generative AI firsthand.

But there may be some things that are holding you back. Let’s talk about them.

Overcoming the blockers that might be holding you back

If you find yourself hesitating to try out Generative AI, you’re not alone. There are a few common blockers that might come to mind. Let’s address them so you can confidently take the leap into this transformative new field.

You don’t understand it: Generative AI is a cutting-edge and intricate technology, and it’s natural to feel a bit apprehensive about diving into this unfamiliar territory. The fear of making mistakes or not fully grasping the technology might be playing on your mind. Concerns about risks, such as data privacy, AI hallucinations, and AI-generated bias, could be contributing to your hesitation.
You don’t have time for it: As an executive, your schedule is packed with crucial responsibilities. The thought of dedicating time to learn and experiment with Generative AI may seem overwhelming. You worry it could divert your focus from pressing business matters.
You don’t have a trusted adviser: In most cases, you will not yet have in-house expertise in Generative AI. You teams might be lacking the necessary skills and knowledge help you explore and implement this technology. Hiring specialized talent or seeking external support could be a challenge or not viable at this moment.

These obstacles are valid, but not insurmountable. And you need to address them. Here’s the truth: Generative AI is already present in various aspects of your daily work, and it’s poised to become even more so in the near future. For instance, you might be using Generative AI when you see suggestions for the next line in an email or when you look at reports and dashboards that summarize and draw insights from data.

So, don’t let these blockers hold you back any longer. Take the bull by its horns, or at least take Generative AI for a quick spin.

How to Get Started: Executive Experiments with Generative AI

If you’re ready to dive into the world of Generative AI but unsure where to begin, here are some practical recommendations to help you get started on your Generative AI journey:

Select the Relevant Generative AI Tool: Generative AI encompasses a diverse range of applications, from text generation to image creation, and more. To avoid feeling overwhelmed, focus on one tool that aligns closely with your organization’s needs and objectives. For example, if improving customer communication efficiency is a priority, explore a tool that aids you in email composition and suggestions. Likewise, if your organization uses visual content for marketing, consider an AI image generator as a suitable test bed. Alternatively, if your teams write and optimize software regularly, try out an automated code writing and enhancement tool.
Experiment with Low-Risk Content and Domains: To take a responsible approach, begin your Generative AI experiment with content and domains that do not pose significant risks in terms of privacy, bias, hallucinated content, or legal exposure. Avoid sensitive or confidential data during the initial exploration. Select content and information that will allow you to gain valuable insights without compromising on security and ethical considerations.
Define a Limited Scope: To make the experiment more manageable and measurable, set a specific time frame and scope for your Generative AI exploration. For instance, dedicate a week to using Generative AI to suggest email content, or allocate a month to generate AI-driven images for internal communications. By defining clear boundaries, you can gauge the technology’s impact more effectively.
Take Detailed Notes: As you are spinning around in your Generative AI experiments, keep a record of your experiences and observations. Take notes on potential value and applications that come to mind; Highlight risks or problems you encounter, questions that arise, what works well, and what doesn’t; Jot down your feelings and insights as you play around with the tools. These notes will serve as a valuable reference and facilitate discussions with others later.
Share and Discuss with Others: When you feel comfortable and have gathered insights from your Generative AI experimentation, it’s time to share and discuss your findings with colleagues and other executives or employees. Engage in conversations to process and expand your experience collectively. By sharing your insights, you’ll build up the curiosity and innovation within your organization, and inspire others to explore the potential of Generative AI, in a responsible approach.

Ideas for Experiments and Tools you can try out

If you need some more ideas for such experiments, here are a few, alongside relevant tools that can help you carry them out.

Social Media Posts with ChatGPT: Experiment with ChatGPT to draft engaging social media posts for LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. You don’t actually have to post them if you don’t want to, but save them alongside the prompts for future reference.
Selected Internal Communication with Image Generators: Generate captivating images using MidJourney or Stable Diffusion to complement internal email or printed communication on specific topics.
Code Generation with GitHub CoPilot or Amazon CodeWhisperer: Create personal or demo software projects using AI code generation tools like GitHub CoPilot or Amazon CodeWhisperer. Ensure not to use real work code in the experiments.
Summarize your News and Reports: Here again ChatGPT does a good job at summarizing texts (there are other dedicated tools such as TLDR or Wordtune). Use it to catch up on key updates or analyze external reports efficiently.
Help or delight a family member or a friend with a content-related project: for example, generating creative images for instagram reels or blog posts; refining and adjusting their CV to specific job postings and descriptions, and writing a cover letter; producing a children’s storybook with ChatGPT and MidJourney combined.

Take it for a spin!

Hopefully this post motivates you to build your confidence and skill as an executive with Generative AI. There are certainly low-risk and reasonable time investment experiments you can take on to build that confidence further. It’s time to dance with that bull!

If you have any questions, or need our advice and help, don’t hesitate to reach out and connect.

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