A leader from a multibillion-dollar tech company called me with a problem:
“We’ve built powerful AI tools, but my managers barely use the insights. They skim the surface, make poor decisions, and it’s frustrating!”
“What’s your approach?” I asked.
“We send detailed AI reports to everyone,” she replied. “But they’re overwhelmed and disengaged.”
I invited her to a chaotic intersection near her office. She frowned.
“Why are we here? This is chaos!”
“Exactly,” I said. “What do you see?”
"Cars, bikes, people… all over the place.”
“Now count the accidents.”
After a pause, she said, “None.”
“Why does it work?” I asked.
She thought for a moment. “The traffic lights.”
“Exactly. AI is like traffic — constant, overwhelming, fast-moving. Without clear signals, it’s just noise. Where’s your traffic light?”
The next day, she built a simple traffic light system — green, yellow, red — to focus only on critical AI insights. Suddenly, her team made smarter decisions, faster.
The lesson? Leaders often overcomplicate things. AI doesn’t solve problems on its own. Clear signals cut through the noise and empower teams to act.
So, ask yourself: Are you the traffic light or the traffic jam?