I had the privilege of joining GoTo CMO Peter Mahoney on the Practically Tomorrow podcast. We talked about one of the most urgent, and misunderstood, topics of our time: how AI is reshaping the world of work. But this wasn’t just another conversation about automation and productivity. It was a much deeper exploration of how we need to rethink leadership, empathy, and innovation in the age of intelligent machines.

“The most dangerous thing for any organization of any size is when we do not think big enough with what we can do with AI.”

Why AI Requires More Than Automation

It’s tempting for companies to treat AI as a faster horse, another tool to speed up existing processes or reduce costs. But that’s not transformation. That’s stagnation, accelerated.

True transformation begins when we ask: What can we do now that was never possible before?

That’s why I draw a distinction between practical AI and innovative AI as inspired by GoTo’s research, “The Pulse of Work in 2025.”

• Practical AI improves efficiency, reduces routine, and scales productivity.

• Innovative AI creates new products, services, experiences, and even entirely new business models.

Most companies start with the practical. The most courageous and visionary leaders learn to balance both.

“AI isn’t here just to optimize yesterday’s work. It’s here to open up new frontiers of value creation.”

Curiosity Is the New Superpower

AI is a blank canvas. But many leaders are painting with old brushes. In the podcast, we explored how many employees, and even executives, aren’t getting the most out of AI because they’re using it like search engines. They’re prompting from yesterday’s mindset.

“You can’t imagine a better future if you’re looking at it through the same lens that created the past.”

If there’s one practical takeaway I’d offer any business leader, it’s this:

“Be curious. Lean into what you don’t know you don’t know. Ask what you can now do with AI that you couldn’t before.”

This curiosity unlocks a new mindset—one that helps you build not just a more efficient organization, but a more adaptive, inspired one.

Empathy Is Your Competitive Advantage

One of the most surprising and overlooked side effects of our accelerated digital lives is what I call digital narcissism. It’s not just a buzzword. It’s a behavioral shift where people have become the center of their own digital ecosystems, with heightened expectations and lower patience.

That makes empathy the most powerful (and underutilized) tool in your leadership toolbox.

“Empathy is experience. And experience is a feeling. There are only two kinds of experiences people remember…those that are amazing and those that suck.”

In the episode, I shared stories from working with retail leaders who had to walk through their own customer experiences to truly feel what their customers go through. When we embrace empathy, by observing, experiencing, and listening, we design better services, more engaging experiences, and ultimately, more resilient businesses.

AI Is a Mirror, ButWhat Will It Reflect?

One of the most important insights I’ve taken from years of studying technological shifts is this:

“AI will not just change how we work, it will reveal who we are.”

Some companies are already operating like 24/7 organizations where AI continues to deliver value after hours. In time, AI will level the playing field between SMBs and large enterprises. Those who move first, who rethink work, who redesign experiences, who reimagine leadership, will set the pace for everyone else.

Want to Hear the Full Conversation?

This article only scratches the surface. In the full episode of Practically Tomorrow, Peter and I discuss:

• How AI impacts leadership and boardroom dynamics

• Why storytelling is the key to inspiring change

• How to balance linear growth with exponential innovation

• The future of experience design in an AI-powered world

If you’re leading, or aspiring to lead, through this next chapter of technological disruption, I hope this conversation and these reflections give you a new lens to look through.

Let me know what you think, and share the episode with someone who’s ready to move from automation to transformation.

 

Listen now on Spotify

Learn more about my book Mindshift