Why it matters now
CEOs are increasingly held to account for whether AI pays off, yet many still lead it from slides. I understand why. The field moves fast, and it is uncomfortable to be a beginner in front of your team. But credibility comes from use. A leader who has tried, failed and tried again asks better questions, spots hype sooner and makes better decisions.
- CEOs rate only 44% of their CIOs as “AI-savvy”, and rate their other executives lower still.Gartner, CEOs believe executive teams lack AI savviness, 2025 ↗
- Half of CEOs believe their job is on the line if AI does not pay off.BCG, AI Radar 2026 ↗
- Pragmatist CEOs spend about 7 hours a week learning about or working with AI.BCG, AI Radar 2026 ↗
Common mistakes
- Delegating understanding to others and leading from slides.
- Avoiding hands-on use for fear of looking like a beginner.
- An executive team that agrees in the room and says something different afterwards.
- Treating AI as an occasional update rather than a standing agenda item.
What to do instead
- Use it every week. Put AI to work on your own tasks: preparing a meeting, analysing a report, drafting a decision memo.
- Learn as a team. Run AI sessions for the executive team together, using your own business cases rather than generic demos.
- Make it a standing item. Give AI a regular slot on the executive agenda, covering value, risk and people.
- Say what you do not know. Be open about what you are still learning. It makes it safe for others to experiment.
- Check for alignment. Ask each executive privately what they think of the AI agenda. If the answers differ from what is said in the room, deal with it.
Your first step this week
Block two hours this week to use an AI assistant on a real piece of your own work, such as next week’s board pack or an open strategy question. Note what surprised you.
Related guides
- Who should own AI in our company?
- How do I work with the board on AI?
- How do we build AI skills across the organisation?
All AI leadership principles and guides · 100 AI use cases by function