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According to McKinsey, while more than 75% of organizations now use AI in at least one business function, only 1% describe themselves as fully mature in their deploymentand most executives still dont feel confident leading it. Fluency, not just familiarity with AI, is the next big leadership gap. Ive spent three decades guiding leadership teams, government departments, and boards through the endless waves of emerging tech. If theres one thing I know for sure, its this: Capability doesnt come from dashboards or demos. It comes from shared language, strategic alignment, and the confidence to make informed decisions. Many of the executive teams I have AI discussions with remain fluent in all the right buzzwords, but lack the depth of understanding to turn shiny new tech into scalable, sustainable outcomes. With AI moving from nice to necessity, its time to steer the conversation in a new direction. Heres how leaders can do it. 1. More Talking Before Testing AI fluency begins with conversation, not capability statements. Too often, leadership teams rush into pilots or platform demos before having the foundational discussions that guide responsible, effective use. If you want your team to lead with clarity, start by asking these questions: Governance: How are we managing AI risk and accountability? Customer impact: Where could AI enhance or erode trust? Workforce: What skills do we need to build, shift, or unlearn? IP and data: Who owns what we create? How are we protecting it? Ethics: Are our use cases aligned with company values? These arent nice-to-haves. Theyre essential questions, core to any organizations resilience and relevance strategy. Skip them, and you risk building tools your team doesnt understand and your clients dont trust. 2. Run Fire Drills, Not Just Workshops AI is moving faster than most leadership teams can process. That pace creates blind spots, and blind spots turn into problems. To stay relevant in an AI-driven world, you need a way to surface risks early. Easiest way to do that? Start with a fire drill. Pick a scenario. Maybe your customer data is used without permission to train a public large language model. Or your chatbot starts making promises your business cant afford to keep. Then, as you would for any contingency or risk mitigation plan, ask: How would we respond? This kind of simulation forces teams to make decisions under pressure. It reveals knowledge gaps and helps connect abstract AI risks to real world consequences. You dont need to overengineer it. A whiteboard, some honest questions, and the willingness to sit with discomfort is enough. You wont have all the answers, but you need to start probing. 3. Fluency Over FOMO Theres mounting pressure on businesses to do something with AI. But when action is driven by FOMO, it usually results in shallow pilots, disconnected tools, or AI bolted on as an afterthought. Thats not strategy. And its certainly not sustainable. Fluency reframes the conversation. The question isnt What can we automate? Its What problem are we solving, and is AI the best tool for the job? Teams focused on fluency build slower, but smarter. They make better investment decisions, ask sharper vendor questions, and develop solutions that flex, scale, and last. 4. Make It Cultural, Not Just Strategic AI capability isnt something you tack onto operations. It must be baked into the way your organization thinks and acts. That means: Making AI literacy part of team member onboarding Reviewing how AI influences customer experience, products, and services Treating AI risk with the same weight as cyber risk, including shared accountability at the leadership table Creating space in board and executive agendas for regular AI discussions One-off strategy days wont cut it. Organizations that take AI seriously embed fluency in their culture, not just their calendar. 5. Ditch the Jargon, Lead With Questions You dont need a PhD in machine learning to lead confidently in this space. But you do need curiosity, courage, and a commitment to ongoing learning. Start by ditching the jargon. That creates space for honest, useful conversations. Encourage reverse mentoring. Trial tools together. Normalize not having all the answers. AI isnt the next department or the next fad. Its the new business as usual. Leadership teams willing to sit in the unknown, learn the new language of business, and ask better questions will unlock opportunities others never see. The rest risk becoming irrelevant.
Category:
E-Commerce
Ding-dong-ditching has resurfaced as the door kick challenge. But this time it could lead to criminal charges and potentially deadly consequences. In Florida this week, five minors were caught on camera participating in the challenge. Instead of simply knocking or ringing a doorbell and running, footage shows one individual approaching a front door, kicking it repeatedly, then firing an airsoft gun before fleeing the scene, according to Fox News. Earlier this month in DeBary, near Orlando, two teenagers faced felony burglary charges after taking part in the challenge. Doorbell footage captured them sneaking up to a house, forcefully kicking the door until the wood splintered, then running away. When questioned by police, one teen reportedly said they were just being dumb, per the Daily Mail. Similar incidents have been reported in Georgia, Louisiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Texas. Police departments across these states are warning both teens and their parents about the risks involved in the challenge. Not only is it illegal, but it also raises the risk of violent confrontations between residents and those taking part. Last month, the Fleetwood Police Department in Pennsylvania issued a warning that “While ding dong ditch has been a hallmark for decades of kids who were looking to have a little mischievous fun, todays youth have taken things to a more serious level by kicking at doors and ultimately causing damage.” The Fort Worth Police Department in Texas released a similar statement in May. “It is imperative that individuals partaking in this trend understand that even if no burglary or theft occurs, this behavior is illegal and considered vandalism and can lead to criminal charges. More critically, it can be mistaken as an attempted break-in, potentially prompting dangerous or defensive responses from homeowners,” the department wrote. Hot off the heels of the recent #ChromebookChallenge, police are urging parents “to speak with their children about the risks and consequences of participating in trends like this,” emphasizing that “what may seem like a prank can result in very real trouble and/or danger.”
Category:
E-Commerce
Tesla says it has started production of a more affordable model and expects volume production in the second half of the year. The company reported the steepest decline in quarterly revenue in more than a decade, with a 12% fall, as it battles strong competition from cheaper electric vehicles and a backlash against CEO Elon Musk’s political views. Revenue fell to $22.5 billion for the April-June quarter from $25.50 billion a year earlier. Analysts on average were expecting revenue of $22.74 billion, according to data compiled by LSEG. The company reported a second straight quarterly revenue drop despite rolling out a much-awaited refreshed version of its best-selling Model Y SUV that investors had hoped would rekindle demand. Much of the company’s trillion dollar valuation hangs on its bet on its robotaxi servicea small trial of which was started in Austin, Texas, last monthand developing humanoid robots. However, investors are worried about whether Musk will be able to give enough time and attention to Tesla after he locked horns with President Donald Trump by forming a new political party this month. He had promised weeks earlier that he would cut back on government work and focus on his companies. A series of high-profile executive exits, including a longtime Elon Musk confidant who oversaw sales and manufacturing in North America and Europe and left Tesla last month, is also adding to the concerns. Akash Sriram and Abhirup Roy, Reuters
Category:
E-Commerce
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