AI’s Real Power: Reinvention, Not Replication

Last week, I reminded you that every wave of technology innovation is followed by a wave of companies using the new technology to simply automate their old ways of doing business.

Today, I’m offering a practical process to help you avoid this trap—especially as you put AI to work.

STEP ONE: Apply AI’s new capabilities to a much simpler business than yours. Before you ask your team to think about how to apply AI in your own business, start by practicing on a much simpler business (for example, a dog grooming or lawn service business).

As a group, list the ways today’s AI tools could enhance that business: from automating scheduling, to personalizing customer communications, to using computer vision for quality checks or using AI to help customers visualize what you can create for them.

Don’t skip this step. When employees focus on your own business too soon, they're often constrained by existing beliefs, assumptions, and organizational anxieties. Exploring AI in a low-stakes, neutral setting unlocks creativity and broadens perspective—so when they shift focus back to your real business, they’ll be thinking more boldly

STEP TWO: Reimagine your business. Take what you learned in the previous step and identify potential AI innovations that could transform your business. Consider BIG goals, and don’t be constrained by what you do now. Ask:

• What do customers truly need? (even if they haven't voiced those needs)

• What value could we provide if we started from scratch?

• How can AI help us revolutionize what we do?

This step is about expansive thinking. Let go of “how we’ve always done it” and instead imagine radically different approaches.

STEP THREE: Reality-check your ideas. With a list of bold ideas in hand, it’s time to get real. Identify the capabilities you will need to implement any of your big ideas. What will it take to pull off such a big leap forward?

Understand the potential positive impact of each initiative as well as ways in which it may make things worse (Example: many proposed AI initiatives automate tasks now done by junior employees, which raises the question of how firms will recruit and develop mid-level employees).

STEP FOUR: Decide which ideas to pursue, and map the next steps. Once you've grounded your bold ideas in reality, it's time to decide which ones are worth pursuing. Focus on those that deliver the greatest value to your customers—and set you apart from the competition. Then, lay out a clear path to test, learn, and scale the ideas with the most promise.

Bottom Line: Don’t use AI to automate what you do now. Instead, look for ways to improve the value your company brings to the world.

If you liked this post, please share it. 

I help successful leaders and their teams agree on what needs to change and how to make it happen. I am the author of Fearless Growth and The Agility Advantage. 

For more strategies, videos and free materials, please visit www.setili.com. If you are curious, here are a few quick examples of the work we do. You might also enjoy my Fearless Growth Podcast.

Contact me anytime to discuss your situation and how I can support you.