Artificial Intelligence (AI) | Arete Coach 9/21

What Kotter and ADKAR Teach Leaders About the Real Barrier to AI Adoption

A RAND Corporation study published in 2024, based on interviews with sixty-five data scientists and engineers with at least five years of experience building AI and machine learning systems, set out to understand why so many AI projects fail. The researchers noted that by some estimates, more than 80% of AI projects fail to deliver the business value they were built for, roughly twice the failure rate of ordinary IT projects. The most important detail is what the interviewees

6 days ago5 min read

Unlearning and Adaptability: The Core Competencies of the Future-Proof Organization

The greatest threat to a modern enterprise is a management team clinging to an obsolete playbook. Today, leaders and employees need to focus on discarding outdated mindsets, assumptions, and processes that limit the ability to leverage AI's full potential. The strategic capacity for unlearning is inextricably linked to organizational adaptability: the ability to change and thrive in environments defined by constant technological and market flux. Research shows that successful

Nov 14, 20257 min read

The Stories Leaders Can Tell to Calm AI Anxiety

As AI becomes woven into the fabric of everyday work, employees are asking: “Where do I fit in now?” Fear of AI rarely comes from the technology itself. It comes from the belief that someone, or something, will take away a person’s agency, relevance, or dignity. If leaders don’t address that psychological gap directly, no amount of training or tools will ease the anxiety. This is why the stories leaders tell right now matter more than the tools they deploy. Stories shape mean

Nov 12, 20253 min read

Meet the Forward Deployed Engineer

Many organizations still struggle to translate the promise of artificial intelligence into measurable business results. The technology’s potential has been made clear, but its impact often remains trapped in pilot programs, unintegrated tools, or isolated innovation labs. One emerging solution is the Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE): a hybrid professional who bridges the critical gap between data science and business execution. Rather than working in isolated technical teams,

Nov 6, 20256 min read

The Innovator's AI Dilemma

For decades, executives have wrestled with Christensen's theory of Disruptive Innovation: the idea that successful companies often fail to adapt to new technologies because they are too good at what they do. Now, a disruption of speed and scale we haven't seen since the internet's debut is here, and the stakes have never been higher. The choice before every business leader now is: Will you be the disruptor, or will you be the disrupted? AI is Following the Disruptive Playboo

Oct 30, 20254 min read

Red Teaming in the AI Era: Why Your Strongest Defense Is the Offense

Two forces above all are rewriting the rules of risk and opportunity: the explosive proliferation of Artificial Intelligence and the pervasive, systemic nature of cybersecurity risk. We invest millions in "Blue Teams"—our dedicated defenders—and in next-generation AI platforms, believing these digital moats will protect our castles. We run compliance audits, pass penetration tests, and present reassuring dashboards to the board. This creates a dangerous, often fatal, illusion

Oct 29, 20257 min read

The Assumption Bias Mitigation Protocol: A Leader's Framework for Verifying AI

Companion article to: "The AI Confidence Trap: When 85% Certainty Is Dangerously Wrong" Your AI will deliver a sophisticated analysis with 85% confidence. You will act on it. And the recommendation may be catastrophically wrong. This happens because AI confidence measures pattern matching , not information completeness . High confidence paired with low context is a recipe for systemic, high-stakes errors. The solution is not to discard these powerful tools, but to impose disc

Oct 22, 20256 min read

7 810 11

YOUR PATH TO ARETE

Insights Library