The biggest risk in 2026 is leaders using 2016 mindsets to lead…but mistaking it as a 2026 mindset. I’ve been meaning to share my interview with University of Toronto – Rotman School of Management Magazine. This is a “Novel Economy,” where disruption is constant, compounding, and *always* novel (AI, climate, geopolitics, quantum, spatial intelligence… all evolving, emerging, and colliding). And when leaders talk about a “new normal,” it’s often a tell: they’re trying to steer back to business as usual…
7 ways AI will change the future of work by 2030: How Generative and agentic AI will rewire the enterprise and unleash human potential
Originally published in Workflow by ServiceNow How will AI change the future of work? Before we answer that, let’s talk about where we are. In just a few short years, technology leaders and workforces everywhere practically developed whiplash as a result of how fast generative AI apps have flooded the tech landscape since 2022. As of 2025, there are over 10,000 funded AI startups around the world. And since ChatGPT changed the trajectory of basically every company in November 2022, we’ve witnessed…
“We’re Not Building a Phone”: Steve Jobs’ Leadership Lesson for Reframing the Future
The beauty of this moment is that every one of us gets to be a leader of what’s next. Why now? Because the only playbook that exists is for yesterday. There is no playbook for tomorrow. No proven answers. No “best practice” to copy and paste. No “quick win” use cases that unlock new value. And that’s exactly the point. Right now, I define leadership in a simple (and slightly uncomfortable) way: a leader is someone willing to think differently…
AI is Eating the World, and Your Company is Just the Appetizer
What Benedict Evans’ latest “AI Eats the World” deck reveals about the gap between AI hype and real transformation, and what leaders must do next. Each deck is packed with sharp observations for anyone covering AI, building with it, or simply trying to survive the changes it unleashes. This edition is especially revealing. The charts quietly expose how far reality lags behind the hype, and why so many organizations are still stuck in pilot purgatory. In this piece, I unpack…
Rethinking Leadership and Innovation in an AI-First World
Brian Solis recently spent time with David Kirkpatrick, CoreX, exploring the new world with AI and how leaders, at every level, can rethink their way forward. Artificial intelligence represents a new era of thinking. Few people capture this shift as sharply as Brian Solis, Head of Global Innovation at ServiceNow, bestselling author, and renowned digital anthropologist. With his latest book, Mindshift: Transform Leadership, Drive Innovation, and Reshape the Future, Solis challenges leaders to move beyond fear and efficiency toward curiosity, creativity, and reinvention….
AI or Die: How 6% of AI High Performers are Rewiring Business Beyond the AI Status Quo
QuantumBlack AI by McKinsey released its new report, “The State of AI in 2025: Agents, Innovation, and Transformation.” The data serves as a mirror, reflecting a world where AI is now everywhere, and yet, in most organizations, not nearly deep enough to transform them. Nearly all companies are “using AI,” many are flirting with agents, a tiny minority are breaking beyond the status quo, and an even smaller group is quietly exploring new horizons. Below are the numbers that stood…
The Global Drucker Forum: Brian Solis on Mindshift, AI-Era Leadership, Value Creation, and the Power of Optimistic Innovation
Standing on the red carpet at the Global Peter Drucker Forum in Vienna with Franziska Graf, I was reminded why Peter Drucker’s ideas still matter… In this short conversation at the historic Hofburg Palace, we explore: 1) The importance of a “Mindshift” right now, and how rethinking our mindset is the starting point for meaningful change. 2) How AI demands a next-generation model of leadership (hint: AI doesn’t decide who loses their job, leaders do). 3) Why the true role of…
AI Adoption is an Act of Self-Disruption: An Interview with Invisible Machines
Brian Solis, is a digital anthropologist and futurist who serves as the Head of Global Innovation at ServiceNow and is the former Head of Global Innovation at Salesforce. Brian is a bestselling author of Mindshift, which helps leaders learn how to see emerging trends, harness disruptive forces, and use them to fuel growth. Brian joins Robb and Josh, the authors of Invisible Machines, to talk with us about the importance of self-disruption in AI adoption. With so many genAI projects…
Innolead Interviews Brian Solis: Using AI to Support Innovation (and Iteration) at ServiceNow
Every company says they “do AI.” Few can show meaningful outcomes. We’ve been intentional about iteration and innovation. Iteration makes yesterday’s work more efficient. Innovation creates new value.💡 When you separate the two, you can measure cost takeout and progress…and prioritize what matters. If you’re leading transformation, ask: are your AI investments making yesterday cheaper…or creating tomorrow’s value? Please read this awesome piece by Dawn Kawamoto for InnoLead and let’s talk about where your org sits on the AI iteration–innovation curve. Using AI to Support…
What Would AI Do? Rethinking Transformation from Procurement to the Enterprise at DPW
Live from the floor of DPW in New York, I had the privilege of joining my long-time friend Mark Perera on the DPW podcast. We explored the future of technology, business, and leadership, while also looking back to our roots in Silicon Valley during the rise of Web 1.0, Web 2.0, Social Media, and smartphones. What made it truly special wasn’t just the set, it was the conversations I had with procurement leaders, innovators, and partners before stepping up to…
