We are in the first half of the year’s vendor conference season, and AI agents are changing leadership, workflows, and decision-making. To lead effectively, leaders should focus on three priorities: begin with solving real business challenges, build trust through hands-on use of AI, and communicate transparently to guide teams through reinvention. But that’s not everything.
Together with fellow LinkedIn Learning instructor Charlene Li, I discussed what leaders need to know about Agentic AI. Here are the highlights of our conversation…
Solving Business Challenges with AI Agents
When leaders first explore AI agents, it’s tempting to get distracted by the technology itself. But the real impact of AI begins with solving real business problems. Instead of asking, “What can AI do?”, seek clarity on “Which of my strategic problems could Agentic AI help solve?”
Too many initiatives start with a shiny new system, not a pressing need. That’s where many projects fall apart. AI needs direction. In conversations with finance and IT leaders, it’s clear that focusing AI efforts on the most painful challenges creates clarity, for example, in cash flow forecasting, market research, or customer churn. It sharpens vendor conversations, aligns teams, and drives results.
AI agents are not magic buttons. They're partners for solving the same problems you’ve always faced—but now at greater speed and scale. Leaders must bring their teams into these conversations at an early stage. Ask yourself: What are the top three things keeping us from hitting our goals? Then explore how AI could help. A simple reframing like that changes everything.
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Andreas Welsch uses real-world knowledge and examples from interviews with over 60 leaders and experts in AI to help you both introduce and incorporate AI into your organization, from aligning it with your business strategy to turning new-to-AI employees into passionate multipliers to making sure humans stay at the center of your AI use. After listening to this audiobook, you will be able to confidently implement AI in your business, no matter your industry.
Trust is not built in theory. It’s built in action. For leaders, this means using AI first-hand, not just reading about it or receiving demos from vendors. Real insight starts with experimenting on your own terms.
Agentic AI systems behave differently from previous technologies. They learn and adapt, and they act with increasing independence. That makes them valuable, but also unpredictable. What is the best way to manage that unpredictability? Use them. Delegate a task and review the result. Correct it and learn from this interaction.
Treat it like onboarding a new team member. You wouldn’t delegate a high-stakes initiative to someone you just met. But over time, as they prove themselves, you trust them with more. Same with AI agents. If a tool can summarize meeting notes effectively, it may also be able to draft your presentation outline. Then it can monitor sentiment in your team’s Slack channels and alert you to cultural shifts.
This hands-on approach boosts your credibility. When your team sees you using AI responsibly, they follow your lead. And when mistakes occur (because they inevitably will), you’re better equipped to guide your organization through them. Start experimenting today, because it’s the only path to confident leadership.
Leading Reinvention Through Clear, Consistent Communication
The shift to AI-first isn’t just about adopting tools, but about transforming how people work and how leaders lead. And right now, that shift is happening faster than most teams are ready for.
Some CEOs have made bold public declarations such as “no new hires without proving AI can’t do the job first.” Others are quietly integrating AI into daily operations. Regardless of the approach, the message to employees must be clear: AI is here to help us do better work, not to replace you without warning.
Organizations that get this right approach AI not as a cost-cutting tool, but as a reinvention enabler. They use it to unbox teams, simplify workflows, and elevate people into more strategic roles. For example, one global retailer redeployed thousands of customer service reps as design consultants, leveraging their product knowledge instead of discarding it.
This transformation requires a leadership style rooted in clear communication. Explain why AI is being introduced. Show how it will be used. Outline what support employees will get and invite feedback early and often. People don’t fear AI. They fear being left behind. Transparent communication doesn’t just reduce resistance. It fosters a culture of trust where reinvention becomes a shared mission, rather than something imposed upon them.
Conclusion
If you're a leader navigating the rise of AI agents, three things matter most:
Focus on solving real business problems, not chasing features.
Build trust by experimenting with AI yourself.
Lead your organization with transparency and purpose.
This is a moment of transformation. Not just for technology, but for leadership itself. The tools are evolving quickly, but people move at the speed of trust. The leaders who succeed in this next phase of AI are those who remain grounded, remain curious, and remain committed to building better organizations.
So start with your biggest problem. Try one small thing. Tell your team what you’re doing. That’s how reinvention begins.
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