The AI-Savvy Leader: Nine Ways to Take Back Control and Make AI Work

Leaders, don't let AI get the best of you.

The AI transformation is underway, but where are the leaders who will ensure their companies implement AI successfully and responsibly? Up until now, leaders have largely ceded their role in the AI transformation, pushing strategy formulation out to tech teams and leaving investment decisions to groups that don't have a full view of the organisation or its goals. Just when responsible leadership is more crucial than ever, leaders are abdicating their role in understanding and executing in the new world of human-machine collaboration. A generation of AI transformation failures awaits if leaders don't connect their use of AI to their strategies.

This book helps leaders take control of the wildly rapid deployment of AI across organisations. Clearly and concisely, it focuses on the nine actions leaders need to take in order to successfully preside over the transition to a more AI-centric future that will lead to growth for all—companies and workers—and avoid the kinds of mistakes that author David De Cremer has seen many early adopters make. What may surprise you is that the nine actions De Cremer focuses on are based on skills that are second nature to successful leaders: creating a vision, communicating well, and executing a strategy. But here he shows you how to apply these skills in the context of AI. This is not a book about mastering machine learning or any of the latest developments in AI technology itself. Rather, it's a clarion call for leaders to take their rightful place at the front of the AI revolution and lead their organisations successfully into the new world.

About the Author

David De Cremer is dean of the D'Amore-McKim School of Business at Northeastern University and the founder and director of the Centre on AI Technology for Humankind (AiTH) at the National University of Singapore (NUS) Business School. He is the NUS representative for the scientific committee at AI Singapore, with a focus on AI governance. He is a member of EY's (formerly Ernst & Young) advisory board, guiding the development of its AI lab, and the author of Leadership by Algorithm and coauthor of Huawei: Leadership, Culture, and Connectivity. His work has appeared in Harvard Business Review, the Financial Times, the Wall Street Journal, and many other outlets. Find him at daviddecremer.com.

Advance Praise for The AI-Savvy Leader

"David De Cremer sees through the hype surrounding AI and absolutely nails the key drivers behind AI failures. This is an essential read for business leaders who want to thrive in the AI economy. He shows us how we need human leadership more than ever!" —Linda Avery, former Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Officer, Verizon; former Chief Data Officer, Federal Reserve Bank of New York

"A masterful guide offering invaluable insights for business leaders seeking a thoughtful approach to harnessing AI's potential and seamlessly bridging the gap between people and technology." —Francisco Veloso, Dean, INSEAD; former Dean, Imperial College Business School

"This book may be the best investment a leader will make to ensure their company's AI efforts don't fail. So many books today are long on explaining the problems and short on the solutions. This one is a rare exception." —Nancy Brown, General Partner, Oak HC/FT

"How can we ensure that our leaders are in charge of driving successful AI adoption? This book provides clear answers to this question and illustrates exactly what leaders need to do. After reading this book, you'll feel and act like an AI-savvy leader!" —Anu Rathninde, President, Asia Pacific, Johnson Controls

"This book takes the AI conversation to a deeper, more human, and actionable level. An excellent counterbalance to what has been an overwhelmingly technology-led narrative." —Lynda Gratton, Professor of Management Practice, London Business School; author, Redesigning Work

"This book is an outstanding and vital resource for all leaders seeking to assure successful implementation of AI, with the ideal balance of theoretical viewpoints and real-world, forward-thinking perspectives." —Rick LeBlanc, President and CEO, NELCO Worldwide

Dimensions: 15.24 x 1.91 x 21.59 cm