Leading on the Edge: Navigating the AI Adoption Divide

Move Fast, But Don’t Trip: Leading Through the Paradoxes of the AI Race

Is it possible for leaders to embrace the potential of AI while also protecting what matters most? This AI paradox isn’t just a tech conversation — more importantly it’s a leadership one. Balancing the ‘Explore’ and ‘Preserve’ mindsets is the key to the difference between chasing hype and creating lasting value.

Leadership teams are wrestling with the push–pull of rapid AI adoption in boardrooms worldwide. Yet far from the tech world, in the game parks of South Africa, we discovered an interesting illustration of how we can approach this paradox. We realised our very different reactions to being charged by a bull elephant reflected how differently we perceive this dilemma. It made us consider:

– Do you charge ahead?  |  Do you hold your ground?   |   Or do you find a way to do both?

How leadership teams wrestle with the paradox of embracing AI’s potential while preserving human judgment, culture, and control.

The story: Just a few months ago, we found ourselves deep in the savannahs of Africa. It was exhilarating—surrounded by the raw beauty and unpredictability of the wild. That is, until we were chased by a bull elephant. Not a distant sighting, but a full-force, ears-flared, angry charge.

In that moment, instinct took over. Some urged the driver to hit the gas. And some were secretly thrilled by the adrenaline of facing something so powerful and untamedsecretly, whilst others were scrambling to get a selfie.

Later, back at camp, we laughed—and reflected. That moment captured something profound: the way people respond to digital disruption. Some engage directly, navigating risks and rewards in real time. Others prefer the safety of a zoo, where the wild is behind glass. And some are content watching from the couch, remote in hand—analyzing from a safe distance.

But the wild is coming. Whether we’re ready or not. Even Sam Altman says “no-one knows what will happen next.” So if this is the case, then the most important skill leaders will need going forward is how to manage the technology, and the transformation it will bring.

Beyond the media’s glittering predictions lies the urgent need for a grounded, practical approach—giving leaders the tools to lead decisively through turbulence and complexity.

Flight: urged the driver to hit the gas ….

Secretly thrilled by the adrenaline of facing something so powerful ….

… scrambling to get a selfie …

AI Isn’t a Magic Bullet—It’s a Muscle-Building Regimen

Why Sustainable Innovation Requires Both Explorers and Preservers.

In the race to boost productivity, artificial intelligence (AI) is being hailed as a miracle cure. Politicians and CEOs alike are prescribing it like penicillin—an all-purpose remedy for economic stagnation. But as The Conversation has pointed out, AI is no panacea. It’s more like physiotherapy after major surgery: it only works if you commit to the process, follow the program, and engage the right people.

This metaphor is especially apt when viewed through the lens of Dr Gaia Grant’s research on innovation leadership. In The Innovation Race, Grant introduces the concept of Explorers and Preservers—two distinct innovation mindsets that must be balanced for sustainable transformation.

Explorers are the bold pioneers who push boundaries and embrace risk. Preservers, on the other hand, are the stabilizers who ensure continuity, governance, and trust.

Move Fast, But Don’t Trip: Leading Through the Paradoxes of the AI Race

As AI reshapes industries and redefines the future of work, leaders face a new paradox: how to harness the power of intelligent technology without losing the uniquely human capabilities that drive innovation. Leaders will need to learn how to lead in an era where creativity, complexity, and AI must coexist.

When it comes to AI adoption, most organisations are driven in this area by ‘Explorers’. They move fast, break things, and often implement AI without fully engaging the workforce.

But this approach is proving costly. According to current research, 80% of AI projects fail—not because the technology is flawed, but because of poor staff engagement, lack of trust in something ‘new’, inadequate training and weak governance. Only one in four executives reported meaningful returns on their AI investments.

This is where the diagnostic tools, such as the Innovator’s Profile (iCLi), become essential. They help leaders identify their own bias—whether they lean toward exploration or preservation—and build ambidextrous teams that can navigate both disruption and stability.

Without this balance, organisations risk falling into what economists call “so-so automation”: replacing workers with AI without achieving real productivity gains. In fact, 55% of UK executives who replaced staff with AI later regretted it.

Why Most CEOs and Companies Tend Toward Preservation

In the book The Explorer’s Gene” by Alex Hutchinson, he explores why some individuals—and by extension, some leaders—are wired to seek novelty, challenge, and uncertainty, while others lean toward stability and exploitation /preservation. He believes that most organizations—and their leaders—default to exploitation /preservation for several reasons:

• Predictability and ROI: Exploiting known products or markets offers measurable returns and lower risk, which shareholders and boards typically favor.
• Cognitive Bias: The brain’s predictive processing system prefers familiarity and dislikes surprises. This makes leaders more likely to reinforce existing strategies than venture into the unknown.
• Organizational Inertia: Large companies often develop rigid structures that resist change. Exploration requires agility, which is harder to maintain at scale.
• Short-Term Pressures: Quarterly earnings reports and investor expectations push CEOs to deliver consistent results, discouraging long-term bets.
• Risk Aversion: Exploration involves failure. Many corporate cultures penalize mistakes, making leaders hesitant to pursue bold ideas.

A Case Study in Exploratory Leadership:

Jensen Huang, co-founder and CEO of NVIDIA, is a rare example of a leader who embodies the explorer’s gene:

• Big Bold Bets: Huang famously reinvested profits into speculative research—like GPUs for AI—long before the market validated them.
• Flat Structure: He runs NVIDIA with 40+ direct reports and no formal planning cycles, fostering agility and transparency.
• Stochastic Sampling: Instead of status reports, he reads daily emails from employees listing their “top five things,” keeping him close to the company’s pulse.
• Radical Transparency: Meetings are open to all, and strategic decisions are discussed publicly, encouraging idea flow across ranks.
• Long-Term Vision: Huang’s focus on foundational technologies like generative and physical AI has positioned NVIDIA as a trillion-dollar company.