Data and AI Learning Group

Hi all,

Through my own career, developing leadership skills was always something that I've invested time in, along with helping others develop their skills as leaders. As an engineer, a lot of times soft and leadership skills have been a difference maker in navigating technical challenges within a team. Technical leadership -- advanced AI and ML skills, infrastructure and fertile space for innovation is one way to lead in AI, one that IBM and others lead in. There's also a second way to lead in AI, which is leading people and organizations to AI adoption and implementation.

When you consider the latter, what do you want or expect from leaders in your organization when it comes to adopting AI into the business?

What do you think are the most important non-technical skills for adopting AI?

If you have gone through an AI adoption or implementation project, what are great habits or actions that you saw or exhibited as leaders? What approach do you want more leaders to have when it comes to AI adoption?

I'd love to hear your thoughts!

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Lauren Thomas
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Hello Lauren.  

Very interesting and thought provoking.

Coming from a non-technical background, I find my challenge has always been the lack of technical knowledge.  To me the most important "skill" I expect from my leaders is communication.  I find that leading a team blindly will never work.  We must all be on the same page.

During this push to adopting AI, I find that not everyone is the same.  Some are technical, while some are not.  In order to make everyone seem involved in the ongoing AI projects, the leader must be able to communicate in such a way that the content is not over the head of the individuals on the team, but also not be condescending to those highly technical individuals.  We need to all understand but some more at a higher level. This might also, be a challenge for those leaders that are also not technical in that they will have a huge learning curve in order to get up to the same level of knowledge as those individuals they are leading.

Just my thoughts.

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Debbie HORSFALL
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Original Message:
Sent: Thu March 12, 2020 12:19 AM
From: Lauren Thomas
Subject: Leadership in the Age of AI

Hi all,

Through my own career, developing leadership skills was always something that I've invested time in, along with helping others develop their skills as leaders. As an engineer, a lot of times soft and leadership skills have been a difference maker in navigating technical challenges within a team. Technical leadership -- advanced AI and ML skills, infrastructure and fertile space for innovation is one way to lead in AI, one that IBM and others lead in. There's also a second way to lead in AI, which is leading people and organizations to AI adoption and implementation.

When you consider the latter, what do you want or expect from leaders in your organization when it comes to adopting AI into the business?

What do you think are the most important non-technical skills for adopting AI?

If you have gone through an AI adoption or implementation project, what are great habits or actions that you saw or exhibited as leaders? What approach do you want more leaders to have when it comes to AI adoption?

I'd love to hear your thoughts!

------------------------------
Lauren Thomas
------------------------------

This is a great point, Debbie. I like to see organizations that take an approach to bring everyone along when it comes to AI. This can look like engaging people in the process all along and providing education/communication that does not rely on advanced AI knowledge.

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Lauren Thomas
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: Thu March 12, 2020 10:47 AM
From: Debbie HORSFALL
Subject: Leadership in the Age of AI

Hello Lauren.  

Very interesting and thought provoking.

Coming from a non-technical background, I find my challenge has always been the lack of technical knowledge.  To me the most important "skill" I expect from my leaders is communication.  I find that leading a team blindly will never work.  We must all be on the same page.

During this push to adopting AI, I find that not everyone is the same.  Some are technical, while some are not.  In order to make everyone seem involved in the ongoing AI projects, the leader must be able to communicate in such a way that the content is not over the head of the individuals on the team, but also not be condescending to those highly technical individuals.  We need to all understand but some more at a higher level. This might also, be a challenge for those leaders that are also not technical in that they will have a huge learning curve in order to get up to the same level of knowledge as those individuals they are leading.

Just my thoughts.

------------------------------
Debbie HORSFALL

Original Message:
Sent: Thu March 12, 2020 12:19 AM
From: Lauren Thomas
Subject: Leadership in the Age of AI

Hi all,

Through my own career, developing leadership skills was always something that I've invested time in, along with helping others develop their skills as leaders. As an engineer, a lot of times soft and leadership skills have been a difference maker in navigating technical challenges within a team. Technical leadership -- advanced AI and ML skills, infrastructure and fertile space for innovation is one way to lead in AI, one that IBM and others lead in. There's also a second way to lead in AI, which is leading people and organizations to AI adoption and implementation.

When you consider the latter, what do you want or expect from leaders in your organization when it comes to adopting AI into the business?

What do you think are the most important non-technical skills for adopting AI?

If you have gone through an AI adoption or implementation project, what are great habits or actions that you saw or exhibited as leaders? What approach do you want more leaders to have when it comes to AI adoption?

I'd love to hear your thoughts!

------------------------------
Lauren Thomas
------------------------------

I love this discussion. As a leader, and someone very intrigued by AI, I'm finding it challenging to find a road map of learning that can kick start my journey in learning how to lead AI teams AND figure out which courses to take to start to learn the basics of new technologies. I feel its more important than ever to bridge the gap between leading and being technical. To summarize, I think leaders need to become more technical in order to lead AI driven teams!

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Lori Pitcher
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Original Message:
Sent: Thu March 12, 2020 12:19 AM
From: Lauren Thomas
Subject: Leadership in the Age of AI

Hi all,

Through my own career, developing leadership skills was always something that I've invested time in, along with helping others develop their skills as leaders. As an engineer, a lot of times soft and leadership skills have been a difference maker in navigating technical challenges within a team. Technical leadership -- advanced AI and ML skills, infrastructure and fertile space for innovation is one way to lead in AI, one that IBM and others lead in. There's also a second way to lead in AI, which is leading people and organizations to AI adoption and implementation.

When you consider the latter, what do you want or expect from leaders in your organization when it comes to adopting AI into the business?

What do you think are the most important non-technical skills for adopting AI?

If you have gone through an AI adoption or implementation project, what are great habits or actions that you saw or exhibited as leaders? What approach do you want more leaders to have when it comes to AI adoption?

I'd love to hear your thoughts!

------------------------------
Lauren Thomas
------------------------------