Leading With AI: How Forward-Looking CEOs Can Bring Teams Up to Speed

Introducing artificial intelligence (AI) to a sceptical workforce

For most of us, films and TV shows have heavily influenced our vision of an AI future. We imagine intelligent computers that can do everything humans can do, only better. Naturally, we feel a little nervous about the prospect of AI at work. Will we still be needed?

The answer is yes. While AI excels at processing data and identifying trends, human judgement and creativity are irreplaceable for strategic decision-making.

To introduce AI to a sceptical workforce, CEOs must first demystify the technology. You need to educate your team on what AI truly means for your business  — beyond the hype and misconceptions — by revealing its practical capabilities and limitations. 

Yet this can be challenging as currently there’s a low level of confidence among more junior employees. While 77% of UK C-suite and 67% of managing directors say they’re confident in deploying AI responsibly, only 35% of senior managers and 29% of junior managers share this sentiment. This leaves CEOs with a critical question: How do you get all teams on board with using AI to achieve your business goals? 

Strategies for CEOs to engage their teams with AI

As a CEO, you juggle many challenges (from improving customer experience, data intelligence, and reporting, to motivating employees and beyond) — in a way, spinning all these plates is your unique challenge. Here are key strategies that you can implement to help you engage your teams on AI and overcome barriers.

1. Start an open conversation and seek ideas

Engaging your workforce in open dialogues and allowing them to express their concerns and suggestions regarding AI integration shows them that you value their input. This collaborative approach cultivates a supportive environment for AI adoption and encourages them to envision how AI can complement their roles and improve overall business efficiency. 

2. Provide colleagues with technical knowledge

Tapping into your team’s inherent motivation to learn is critical. Research by Salesforce found that just one in 10 UK workers feel they’ve got the necessary AI skills to succeed at work. This approach prepares your workforce for the future and fosters a culture of adaptability and continuous learning, which form indispensable components for maximising the advantages of AI.

Additionally, upskilling your employees with knowledge of AI is essential in enabling them to identify and address biases in data and machine learning models to ensure fair and ethical use. 

3. Prove value to stakeholders and shareholders

AI-focused business leaders must understand that convincing goes beyond just employees. You need to gain the support of the C-suite, the board members, shareholders, and other key stakeholders who need to be convinced to provide financial backing for new technology investments. It’s vital you craft a clear value proposition that encapsulates the unique advantages AI brings to the table. But where to start?

Begin with clearly explaining the return on investment that AI brings and breaking down the cost of implementing these technologies. This financial justification is critical to ensure a sufficient budget for AI initiatives. By creating a comprehensive roadmap with defined and measurable goals, you can clearly show how these AI initiatives align with your business objectives and deliver tangible benefits.

4. Maintain regulations and compliance

Trust is a key aspect to consider when introducing AI. The workforce wants to know they’re working with a robust, secure tool that isn’t leaking data. The board wants to know you’re not bringing risk — reputational or operational — into the organisation.

A one-size-fits-all approach to regulations and compliance measures may hinder innovation — a tailored approach is key. The following are some of the main areas to focus on:

• Risk-based framework: The context in which technology is used matters. A risk-based AI framework focuses on high-risk applications, especially those with legal, financial, and ethical implications that could cause significant harm or impact someone’s rights and freedoms.
• Data privacy laws: Data protection laws that protect the fundamental human right to privacy are the foundation of responsible AI regulation. Additional rules specific to generative AI should address the use and privacy of personal data for training future models and safeguarding personal data within the AI ecosystem.
• Transparency: Your workforce should know the “why” behind AI-powered work, and your audience should know if they’re interacting with a human or an automation.
• Accountability and government oversight: AI impact assessments are one way to promote accountability and trust in AI systems. Licenses or notifications are useful in accountability and compliance, but they should be implemented through a risk-based approach and balance compliance with market entry, competition, and innovation.

By embedding these practices, you create a secure environment — one where your whole organisation feels safe and confident leveraging AI technologies.

How Salesforce brought global success to Santander UK’s teams

In an era where AI is reshaping industries, Santander UK’s journey exemplifies how business leaders can embrace the changing tides and drive success. 

Salesforce helped Santander UK enhance their operational capabilities by consolidating all service requests, complaints, and opportunities into a single, centralised record. This not only streamlined relationship management but also positioned Santander at the forefront of customer satisfaction.

Moreover, this approach enabled the rapid creation and deployment of customer-centric solutions like the Santander Navigator that helps provide personalised growth strategies and recommendations to businesses looking to expand internationally. The impact of these innovations is evident in several key performance indicators:

• 4x the number of daily conversations demonstrates to customer service leaders how much more efficient they can be at resolving customer issues
• 70% of total subscribers are new customers, proving how it can help Sales teams hit targets
• New businesses can be onboarded in 15 minutes — a boon for operations, marketing, and customer experience

Embracing AI is no longer optional — it’s a necessity. By engaging teams in open dialogues about the benefits and limitations of AI, CEOs can foster a supportive environment where AI is seen as a tool to enhance roles, not replace them. 

With Salesforce, every team member can become an “Einstein.” For more information on how Salesforce can help you invest in the future of work with AI, see here.