A concerning trend has emerged in the realm of artificial intelligence: many company executives lack a fundamental understanding of the AI technologies that their organizations employ. Furthermore, a recent study found that only 29% of executive teams agree they have the in-house expertise to adopt generative AI. This knowledge gap can hinder effective decision-making and long-term strategic planning. With the emergence of generative AI and multimodal large language models like OpenAI’s ChatGPT, teams across multitudes of industries are now looking to leverage these state-of-the-art technologies and bring it to the attention of executive leadership. 

Why Leadership Buy-In for Your AI Strategy is Critical for Success 

Businesses have shifted focus from the broad implications of AI solutions to developing long-term change management plans and aligning AI solutions with their company’s vision and future. However, harnessing the power of AI solutions requires support and buy-in from executive leadership. Without their backing, the project may never reach its full potential or achieve the proposed business process efficiencies.  

Leadership buy-in for your AI strategy is also crucial in scaling the solution, as on average, only 54% of AI projects make it from pilot to production. Executives, with their long-term perspective, want to ensure the company has the required resources to fulfill the project. Their extensive business knowledge and experience are vital in ensuring the risks and benefits of the project align directly with the firm’s strategic goals. 

Develop a Strategic Blueprint 

For company executives considering the adoption of modern technology like AI, the decision-making process is no different from other business decisions made by the C-suite. Executives want to understand why this new project is being proposed and how it aligns with the company’s current priorities and challenges.  

A strategic blueprint, while not a new concept for gaining executive buy-in, is crucial when enacting an AI strategy. It should align the company’s goals with the risks and benefits of the chosen AI solution. A comprehensive blueprint allows executives to visualize the project and the business process efficiencies that will be achieved with an AI solution.  

Executives often make decisions based on perceived future impact and tangible outcomes. When developing a strategic roadmap, consider how this AI implementation will benefit the company. Use specific examples related to the long-term, overall vision of the company. When the C-suite wants to know how a specific AI capability will push their overall organizational vision forward, you need to have the answers. For example, a manufacturing facility with an overall vision of agility and cost optimization could be presented with a strategy demonstrating how predictive maintenance can cut supply chain costs by automating delivery of SKUs.  

Most importantly, emphasize how the chosen AI solution is directly tied to the firm’s long-term vision. This connection is often the key to gaining leadership buy-in for your AI strategy. 

Inform Executives on the Capabilities of AI 

To gain support for your AI strategic blueprint, it’s crucial to educate leaders on AI fundamentals. This knowledge will help them understand how specific AI solutions can benefit the company. When presenting your strategic roadmap: 

1. Explain the capabilities of the proposed AI solution 
2. Identify which business functions are most suitable for AI implementation 
3. Use simplistic diagrams and high-level outlines to illustrate the AI structure and data usage 
4. Demonstrate how AI fits into the current business model 

By providing this context and basic education, you’ll enable leaders to make informed decisions about AI investments and reduce the likelihood of an automatic rejection. 

Enhancing Your AI Strategy with Partnerships 

While 80% of corporations have an internal team of at least 10 generative AI engineers and data scientists, there’s still no substitute for purpose-built technology and expert implementation services provided by specialized partners. As we make significant strides in AI capabilities across commercial industries, it’s crucial to consider collaboration with AI experts and tech companies as part of your AI strategy roadmap.  

Involving these specialists in both the strategic planning stage and throughout the project’s duration can be highly beneficial. They possess the resources, technology, and expertise to forecast potential risks others might overlook. Executives should recognize the value of field experts, even if it’s just for a one-time consultation on their AI strategy roadmap and its potential weaknesses. 

Looking Ahead 

As companies continue to push forward in implementing AI strategies, strategic leadership buy-in for your AI strategy must be at the forefront of the initiative. By bridging the knowledge gap and fostering informed leadership, companies can better position themselves to leverage AI’s transformative potential and maintain a competitive edge in today’s technology-driven business environment.  

If your business is looking for opportunities to improve business processes with an AI solution and achieve executive leadership buy-in, our AI strategy experts are here to help you meet your AI goals.  

Contributions from Malik McFadden