We’re all becoming CEOs of hybrid teams: part human, part machine
But we’re dramatically still underestimating how long real transformation takes.
I read an interview this week with Erik Brynjolfsson, director of the Stanford Digital Economy Lab. He’s been studying the impact of digital tools on workplaces for decades.
He points out that we are a long way from closing the gap between capabilities and actual implementation with AI.
We’ve seen this happen before.
In the early 2000s, everyone was excited about the internet.
Billions were invested. Consultants flooded boardrooms.
But two decades later, most retail still happens in physical stores.
Not because the internet failed —
but because transformation takes time.
It’s not about adopting new tools. It’s about redesigning the systems around them.
Brynjolfsson believes AI will play out the same way. Faster than electricity or the internet, yes… but still over years, not quarters.
That insight matters for every leader right now.
We’re surrounded by hype about AI’s potential: “10x productivity,” “zero headcount,” “instant ROI.”
But what separates hype from progress isn’t capability.
It’s a complementary investment:
in systems that can absorb change,
in processes that measure value,
and in people who can lead both humans and non-humans effectively.
AI doesn’t replace leadership and management; it redefines it.
The skill that matters now isn’t coding.
It’s clarity.
Setting the goal, designing the workflow, and judging the output.
That’s leadership in the age of AI.
The companies that win won’t necessarily be the fastest adopters.
They’ll be the ones that build the discipline, patience, and structure to close the gap between what’s possible and what’s practiced.
