Guild

Over the past few months, I have been in a number of conversations with CEOs and CHROs about AI. There is real momentum with organizations investing and trying to move quickly, but there is also a pattern that is hard for me to ignore. Many leaders are being asked to make significant decisions about AI without ever really using the technology themselves. Not in a hands-on way that shows where it works, where it breaks, and what it actually changes about how work gets done. That is part of what led me to bring Guild ’s leadership team together for a hands-on AI session. We built, tested, and learned in real time. The shift afterward was immediate. The questions got better, and the possibilities and limitations became much clearer. It reinforced something I have been thinking about more broadly. We are moving quickly to adopt AI, but much more slowly when it comes to building the capability to use it well. In many cases, we are investing in tools while underinvesting in the behaviors and learning required to actually change how work happens. There is a growing belief that AI will make many things easier and more effective, including how we learn. And while it might improve access to content, it doesn’t change what it takes to build real capability. That still requires time, repetition, and application. Which raises a bigger question. As we navigate this shift, are we being honest about what it will take? Especially in how we invest in people. For leaders, that starts with going first. Building firsthand understanding and creating the space for others to do the same. I share more in the full piece linked in the comments.