Business leaders face overwhelming uncertainty about AI implementation, with executives privately admitting "I don't know what I'm doing" despite mandates from the top. The AI resistance stems from competing priorities, limited time, and the sheer volume of change overwhelming even experienced leaders. Rather than seeking confidence through knowing, successful leaders build confidence through curiosity and learning. The Matthew Effect shows that early AI adopters gain compounding advantages, while those who wait fall further behind. Key strategies include finding your "coalition of the willing" rather than convincing skeptics, treating AI as a service to existing strategy rather than the strategy itself, and embracing small experiments to build capabilities through commitment and courage.

Highlights
- Build confidence through curiosity rather than traditional knowing-based leadership
- Find your coalition of the willing instead of wasting energy on convincing skeptics
- Treat AI as service to strategy rather than making AI the strategy itself
- Early adopters gain compounding advantages through the Matthew Effect
- Create organizations that reward questions rather than demanding answers

Important Concepts and Frameworks
- Matthew Effect in AI — Early advantages compound for AI adopters while others fall behind
- Link: https://medium.com/@geopertea/the-ai-matthew-effect-pay-to-play-intelligence-supercharges-inequality-128bb4a36430

- Navigating the Jagged Technology Frontier — BCG/Harvard study showing AI shifts performance one standard deviation
- Link: https://www.hbs.edu/ris/Publication%20Files/24-013_d9b45b68-9e74-42d6-a1c6-c72fb70c7282.pdf

- Confidence Framework — Dan Sullivan's commitment-courage-capabilities-confidence cycle
- Link: https://www.couragetoanswer.com/blog/blog-post-title-four-s9s8j

- Trust Triangle — Capability, consistency, and selflessness as foundations of trust
- Link: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/trust-triangle-framework-leadership-excellence-dr-nik-eberl-lj5ff/

- Coalition of the Willing — Organizational change driven by pulling rather than pushing

Tools & Resources Mentioned
- Claude 4.5 — AI assistant with new planning capabilities
- Codex — OpenAI's code generation system
- Wall Street Journal — Source for AI Matthew Effect article
- Fortune — Article on executive AI uncertainty by Heather Conklin

Calls to Action
1. Find 2-3 people in your organization to form a learning team around AI
2. Schedule 2 hours per week dedicated to AI experimentation and learning
3. Identify one small process where AI could create immediate value
4. Stop trying to convince skeptics and focus on your coalition of the willing
5. Commit to one AI experiment this week, regardless of outcome

Key Quotes
- "Your confidence now needs to come from curiosity" — Mark Redgrave
- "Create an organization that rewards questions, not answers" — Mark Redgrave
- "AI is in service of your strategy, not the strategy itself" — Mark Redgrave
- "Find your coalition of the willing and go hard" — Mark Redgrave

Chapters
00:27 — Welcome to AI Resistance and Business Uncertainty
01:29 — What Leaders Are Actually Seeing in AI Implementation
04:25 — The Matthew Effect: Early Adopters Gain Compounding Advantages
07:22 — Building Confidence Through Curiosity Instead of Knowing
13:58 — Finding Your Coalition of the Willing
17:27 — AI as Service to Strategy, Not Strategy Itself
20:02 — Trust Challenges in Rapidly Changing Environments
25:07 — Personal Resistance and Overcoming Information Overload
31:57 — Leadership Mindset Shifts for AI Adoption
37:46 — From Systems of Engagement to Systems of Action
39:18 — Practical Steps to Start Your AI Journey
41:12 — Wrap-Up: Commitment, Courage and Capabilities

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Meet the Crew

Mike Richardson – Agility, Peer Power & Collective Intelligence
Website: https://mikerichardson.live/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/agilityexpertmikerichardson/

Ryan Niemann – Software CEO & Board Operator
Website: https://bob3.pro/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanniemann/

Mark Redgrave – Agility, People and Performance
Website: https://www.shift-transform.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mredgrave/

Tom Adams – Executive Coach, Advisor & Trail Blazer
Website: https://tomadams.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomadamscoach/