You can't outsource your thinking (even to AI)

In this episode of The Standup, we’re joined by Andreas Welsch - an executive, former VP, and now Chief AI Strategist at The Intelligence Briefing - who’s spent his career helping organizations bridge the gap between technology hype and business reality. Andreas has led high-performing teams through change, uncertainty, and the rise of disruptive tech. He gets real about what it takes to foster an AI-ready culture, why clear communication is a non-negotiable, and how leaders can set smarter standards as AI enters the daily workflow. Plus, he shares a candid failure story that every leader navigating AI projects will want to hear - and a simple question to ask before greenlighting your next big initiative. What you’ll learn: - Why clear communication matters more than AI fluency when leading teams - How to decide when to kill a project (and how to do it without losing trust) - What it really takes to build an AI-ready culture from the inside out Things to listen for: (00:00) Why experimentation with AI tools is a leadership skill (01:01) The top questions leaders are asking about AI today (02:15) Why AI rollouts often miss the mark — and how to fix it (03:36) How to identify where AI can add real value in your workflows (05:03) Don’t skip the ROI check: Evaluating tools and vendors wisely (06:26) How to communicate about AI with clarity — and less fear (08:06) What it means to lead hybrid teams of humans and AI (11:24) Overhyped vs. underhyped trends in the AI space (12:42) Andreas shares a failure story — and how it shaped his leadership (16:11) One thing leaders should stop doing immediately Resources: - Connect with Andreas - http://linkedin.com/in/andreasmwelsch - Connect with Yael - http://linkedin.com/in/yael-miller - For more leadership insights and trending news sent to your inbox weekly, subscribe to monday insights - https://forms.monday.com/forms/f6a43bd1d11128761d3533a395c4c655