Episode 42

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Published on:

13th May 2026

The AI Leadership Reckoning: Why 95% of Corporate AI Pilots Go Nowhere

Most managers will not be replaced by AI. They will be replaced by someone who understands it. The question is which side of that line you are standing on right now.

- Why 95% of corporate AI pilots have no measurable financial impact, and what your organisation is almost certainly getting wrong about implementation right now

- Why most leaders are halfway in on AI, and what halfway is going to cost you, your team, and your career when the other half catches up

- The single leadership behaviour that moves your employees from 15% to 55% positive on AI adoption, and why most executives skip it because it feels exposing

- The identity shift that separates the managers who lead through AI from the ones who get quietly replaced by someone who simply uses it better than they do

- Why reading the articles and dabbling in ChatGPT is not adoption, and what actually counts as being all-in

YOUR CHALLENGE:

This week, rate yourself honestly from 0 to 10 on how all-in you are on AI today, then rate how important AI is to your company's next five years, and if there is a gap between

those two numbers, write down the one specific thing that is keeping you halfway in instead of fully committed, because naming it is the only way you start closing it.

Topics: AI leadership, AI for managers, AI for leaders, AI adoption, AI implementation, AI strategy, AI transformation, AI readiness, leading through AI, future of work, AI for executives, AI mindset, AI change management, AI pilot projects, AI culture, leadership and AI, executive presence

Questions on this? Ask me in the Leadership Mindset 2.0 community on:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8944058/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/leadershipmindsetgroup

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About the Podcast

Leadership Mindset 2.0
Transform From Tactical Doer to Strategic Leader: The Psychology of Scaling for Executives & Entrepreneurs
Leadership Mindset 2.0 is the definitive playbook for executives and entrepreneurs ready to break free from the "Doer Trap" and scale their business using psychology and strategy.

Host R. Michael Anderson has scaled multiple software companies to the Inc. 5000 list and was named Social Entrepreneur of the Year. Now, as a 2x Executive Coach of the Year, he uses that experience to help high-performers transform from Tactical Operators into Strategic Leaders.

In this podcast, Michael blends cutting-edge neuroscience, emotional intelligence (EQ), and battle-tested business strategy to help you overcome burnout, imposter syndrome, and the "Leadership Incompetence Trap" so you can lead with clarity and confidence.

Two New Episodes Every Week which include a mix of:
• Strategy: Neuroscience frameworks & leadership tactics to start your week.
• Mentorship: Live Q&A and specific answers to your leadership challenges.
• Coaching: A fly-on-the-wall look at real, unscripted executive coaching sessions as Michael helps leaders break through their blind spots live.
• Masterclasses: Listen in as Michael and guests teach valuable leadership and management skills to a real-life audience.

Topics include: The Psychology of Scaling, Burnout Prevention, Strategic Planning, Executive Coaching, and Emotional Intelligence.

About your host

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R. Michael Anderson

R. Michael Anderson, MBA, MA has a striking combination that creates truly impactful transformation in leaders – he has the real-life business success of founding, scaling and exiting three software companies, plus the educational background of a Masters Degree in Psychology.



This combination gives him the unique ability to connect to other leaders as a peer, then teaches evidence-based leadership skills that genuinely drive behaviour and performance.