How to Make AI a Real Team Member, Not Just a Side Project

Michael asked me a juicy question: Where’s the line between AI efficiency and the human touch? On The Digital Transformist Podcast with Michael LaVista, we explored something many leaders are wrestling with right now. I’m building AI-powered workflows and experimenting with agents through Lindy, Relay, and Replit, but I’m still very big on the human connection. My advice for leaders: nail down as many AI-powered workflows as possible for yourself individually first. That opens up your mind to see where the real automation gold is in your business. But don’t rush to remove human connection just yet. Michael’s question was spot on: how do you find that line between what AI does really well and where humans add irreplaceable value? My approach: think about the customer journey. Where do we need to add value from a human perspective at the beginning, during the process, or at the end? And where do we just need to guide them and provide information? AI handles information delivery brilliantly. Humans excel at relationship building, complex problem-solving, and emotional intelligence. Thank you Michael for the conversation that’s helping leaders navigate this balance thoughtfully. 🎧 Listen to the full episode here: https://lnkd.in/g8YH4RUC 📅 Book a call with me: https://lnkd.in/gF4uGnMQ 🛠 Explore my tools and resources: https://lnkd.in/g4YmEMds Where in your customer journey do you think the human touch matters most? Connect with Me: Marnie Wills #AI #TheDigitalTransformistPodcast #MichaelLaVista #HumanTouch #CustomerJourney #AIWorkflows #BusinessLeadership #Automation

𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞’𝐬 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐀𝐈 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 — 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐭? That’s the question I explored with Michelle Caryn Paul, Ph.D. in the latest episode of TIDES. Michelle believes the most future-ready organizations aren’t the ones with the best tech — they’re the ones where teams know how to reinvent themselves. And the skill that will define that reinvention? 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. In this episode, we talk about: 🔹 𝑊ℎ𝑦 𝑒𝑥𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑖𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑙 𝑠𝑘𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑢𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒 🔹 𝐻𝑜𝑤 𝑡𝑜 𝑚𝑎𝑘𝑒 𝐴𝐼 𝑎 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑙 𝑡𝑒𝑎𝑚 𝑚𝑒𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟, 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑎 𝑠𝑖𝑑𝑒 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑗𝑒𝑐𝑡 🔹 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑑𝑖𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑏𝑒𝑡𝑤𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑚𝑜𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑛𝑖𝑧𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑠𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 🔹 𝐴 3-𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑝 𝑓𝑟𝑎𝑚𝑒𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑘 𝑎𝑛𝑦 𝑡𝑒𝑎𝑚 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑢𝑠𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑟𝑡 𝑒𝑥𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑜𝑑𝑎𝑦 What I loved most about this conversation is how human it is. It’s not about big transformation plans. It’s about giving teams permission to learn, adapt, and find new value—one experiment at a time. 🎧 Watch or listen here: link in comments 🔗 Connect with Michelle at https://lnkd.in/gcw9Q5y9 👉 What’s one small experiment your team could start this week to work better with AI? #AI #FutureOfWork #TeamTransformation #Experimentation #Leadership #TIDESPodcast

The future belongs to those who learn, adapt, and lead with clarity. I was recently invited to speak on the More Than One Path podcast to share how companies and professionals can thrive in the age of artificial intelligence. The conversation was real and practical. We discussed how organizations can move beyond fear and focus on building systems where humans and AI work together to create value. Many still ask if AI will replace or enable us. My answer is simple. AI does not erase human relevance. It exposes it. It shows how we think, decide, and respond. The challenge is not technology. It is culture. Teams need to learn, experiment, and apply new thinking faster. Adopting AI thinking means seeing change as normal. It means focusing less on tools and more on mindset. Curiosity, adaptability, and awareness matter more than any single skill. When we use AI to enhance human judgment, we amplify our potential. For companies, thriving in the AI era starts with leadership clarity. Technology does not transform a business. People do. The best leaders build cultures of learning and experimentation. They combine creativity with data-driven thinking. AI can process information, but only humans can provide vision and integrity. If you have ever wondered where you fit in this fast-changing world, this episode will help you reflect. It explores how to lead change without losing authenticity. Listen to the full conversation here: LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/eeQj6MXK YouTube: https://lnkd.in/eqPR_QPr Spotify: https://shorturl.at/zDwDm Special thanks to Hattie Minglin REN , founder of More Than One Path, for creating a platform that celebrates honest stories and bold ideas. I look forward to more collaborations, partnerships, and future podcast conversations on how we can all grow with AI. #AI #Leadership #FutureOfWork #AIandHumanity #Podcast #Learning #Innovation #AIThinking

📈 Is the AI boom a massive bubble waiting to burst? It's one of the most intense conversations happening in global strategy at the moment. With extraordinary valuations and a frantic infrastructure buildout, leaders everywhere are asking if a massive market correction is coming and what it means for their organization's strategy. But what if there's a better question to ask? Our new podcast episode offers a clear, evidence-based path forward, arguing that we aren't facing one single AI bubble, but three distinct bubbles operating simultaneously. Understanding the difference is the key to strategic success. In this episode, we unpack: 1️⃣ The Asset Bubble: A purely speculative financial event, where stock prices have soared far beyond their fundamental value. 2️⃣ The Infrastructure Bubble: The massive, tangible investment in physical assets like GPUs and data centers, often without certainty of future demand. 3️⃣ The Hype Bubble: The disconnect between promised capabilities and current reality, which helps explain the shocking MIT finding that 95% of corporate AI pilots fail to generate any financial returns. This analysis provides a pragmatic playbook for leaders. You’ll learn which bubbles are largely irrelevant distractions for your operational strategy and which one demands a systematic, problem-first response to avoid wasting capital. Ready to move past the noise of financial speculation and build an AI strategy with confidence? 🎧 Listen to the full episode to learn how to turn market volatility into your strategic advantage. https://lnkd.in/eiD5-HAS #AI #BusinessStrategy #Leadership #TechBubble #Innovation #AIStrategy #DigitalTransformation #AIROI

AI should amplify human potential, not replace it—and the future of leadership depends on our ability to balance innovation with empathy. I recently joined Brian Thomas, MBA, FACHT on Coruzant Technologies's podcast #TheDigitalExecutive for a conversation about why the most successful leaders in the age of AI aren’t necessarily the most technical—but rather those who master emotional intelligence, empathy, and critical thinking. Drawing from my latest book ("Between You and AI" by Wiley - available now for pre-sale across all platforms), I explained how to strengthen the human edge through cognitive, behavioral, and emotional skills—and why asking better questions is more valuable than having all the answers. I also revealed lessons I learned from both digital-native and legacy companies, highlighting the rising power of customer centricity in a world where technology gives consumers more leverage than ever. Finally, I outlined three pillars for true AI readiness—skillset, mindset, and governance—and the ethical guardrails every organization must adopt: transparency, accountability, and privacy. Here's the full episode: https://lnkd.in/eGZrHAhy

Enterprise AI adoption is uneven — close your gap New data shows big differences by region and industry in how fast companies adopt AI. Don’t wait for “perfect”—pick one workflow and standardize how you use AI this quarter. Question: Which workflow will you formalize first? #AILeadership #DigitalTransformation #OpsExcellence #ChangeManagement Source: Anthropic Economic Index report (Sept 15, 2025) Hi! I’m Avil Beckford, the Book Queen 👑 And I’m also the Founder of The Invisible Mentor, Art of Learning Leadership Academy and The One Problem Podcast! Helping Leaders to Know More, Do More, Be More through Strategic Reading & Bookish Notes! Like my content? Just click my name and Follow! Ring my bell 🔔 for updates! Find Value? Save for yourself Repost for others 🔁

How is #AI different than previous waves of automation and digital transformation? And as it disrupts knowledge work, creative output—and the labor market generally—how can organizations weather the upheaval? This week on the Harvard Business School Project on Managing the Future of Work podcast, Joseph Fuller welcomes serial entrepreneur, author, and HBS executive fellow John Winsor. Highlights: 🎯 Dealing with the overlapping management challenges of AI and the growth of #gig work 🎯 Rearchitecting jobs, workflows, and business models 🎯 Diagnosing the AI implementation lag 🎯 Mapping new job pathways 🎯 Sizing up the post-AI organization 🎯 AI-boosted entrepreneurship 🎯 Ethical AI    Find the conversation at https://hbs.me/yckzzxew #DigitalTransformation #Workforce #Talent #Upskilling #Reskilling

From a workforce perspective, does going all-in on #AI mean trying to square the circle between efficiency and performance on the one hand, and ethical implementation on the other? Listen to the latest episode of the #ManagingTheFutureOfWork podcast. My MFW co-chair and podcast co-host, Joseph Fuller, hosts Harvard Business School executive fellow John Winsor. https://hbs.me/yckzzxew #DigitalTransformation #Upskilling #Reskilling #OnDemandTalent #EthicalAI

🎙 New Podcast Episode Out Today! What does it really take to lead with confidence in the age of AI — and how can we embrace innovation without burning out ourselves or our teams? I had a wonderful conversation with Wendy on The Culture Coach Podcast about the intersection of AI, leadership, and workplace culture — and why true transformation starts long before the technology. For me, AI adoption isn’t just a technical challenge. It’s a leadership competency. It’s about cultivating agility, emotional intelligence, and a culture of experimentation — the qualities that help organizations thrive in times of disruption. We also explored a topic close to my heart: how leaders can prevent burnout while driving innovation. I shared my Micro Joy Method, a practical approach to bringing more energy, resilience, and balance into daily leadership. 💡 In this episode, we discuss: • Why AI transformation is more about people and culture than technology • How to create a culture of experimentation without fear of failure • The leadership traits that will matter most in the next five years • Why gratitude, boundaries, and micro-joys are essential for sustainable success • How self-leadership sets the tone for burnout-proof organizations If you’re leading through AI-driven change — or simply looking to lead with more clarity and calm — I hope this conversation offers some inspiration. 🎧 Listen here → https://lnkd.in/gXhhu_My #Leadership #AILeadership #FutureOfWork #ExecutiveDevelopment #BurnoutPrevention #CultureCoachPodcast #EmotionalIntelligence #SiliconValley

“Most companies aren’t asking if they should use AI, they’re stuck on where to start.” - Jason Green , Prompt This Episode 5 That line hit hard. Because it’s true. AI isn’t some distant strategy, it’s already reshaping how teams handle paperwork, quoting, training, and more. But the real challenge isn’t adoption, it’s activation. In Episode 5, Jason breaks down how to move from theory to action. He shares practical, low-lift ways to experiment with AI this week, not next quarter. From automating forms to practicing sales objections with AI avatars, this episode is packed with entry points that actually make sense. If you’re leading a team, building a business, or just trying to demystify AI for your org… this one’s worth your time. 🎧 Listen to Episode 5 of PROMPT This Podcast What’s one area in your work where AI could save time or sharpen your edge? Listen here: https://zply.io/zTaqHQ #PromptThis #JasonGreen #AIChallenge #FutureOfWork #Leadership #AIinBusiness #SalesEnablement