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Despite general agreement that AI will transform most industries in the coming decades, a recent BCG survey of 2,700 companies revealed that only 11% have demonstrated significant value and impact using AI. In fact, few have managed to scale beyond pilots.
With modest investments in specific AI use cases, the 11% of successful companies can generate up to 6% more revenue, and as investments increase, the revenue impact from AI can triple to 20% or more. The most advanced companies also outperform on other KPIs. But what about the other 90% of companies that struggle to show any kind of impact? What qualities do successful companies have that the others lack?
Individual courage: Getting everyone on board
Successful transformation in any domain requires not only technology, but human qualities. The first is individual courage.
For example, we started working almost four years ago with a major luxury beauty brand. The head of CRM demonstrated great courage by championing the first AI project within the organization. She had to convince her boss, her teams, and IT to be on board from day one. Despite the challenges, her determination paid off, and the project was a success. As I told her, “You demonstrated courage to make it work.”
“Only 11% of companies say they have successfully generated impact with AI… Here are four human qualities that set those companies apart from all the rest!”Edouard de Mézerac, APAC CEO ARTEFACT / Data & AI
Eagerness to learn: Knowing what you don’t know
Quality number two is eagerness to learn. Leading CEOs often amaze me with their willingness to sit down, write, and learn.
A few years ago, I presented to the entire China executive committee of a global company. The global CEO attended and later requested a one-on-one discussion. For 45 minutes, he took careful notes and asked questions to understand roles like data analyst, data scientist, and data engineer. His eagerness to learn at the top level of the organization was truly impressive.
Ability to bring people together: Finding common ground
The third quality is the ability to bring people together. For an AI data transformation, this quality can come from many different parts of the organization.
In one instance, a CFO took on the mandate to bring IT, the head of digital, the head of marketing, and himself into the same room to work together on an AI data transformation project. His initiative to facilitate collaboration was crucial for the project’s success.
CEO ownership: Leaders taking the lead
The last quality is CEO ownership. While we often talk about employee ownership, it is equally vital at the highest levels of a company.
Stuart, the CEO of a leading brand in China, exemplified this. He organized a full-day workshop with his entire management team to identify and prioritize AI use cases. His direct involvement and willingness to sit at the table and do calculations with his team made a significant impact on the project and inspired everyone involved.
Many other human qualities can contribute to AI success in businesses, such as intuitive judgment, creativity, empathy, a growth mindset, and emotional agility. However, the four qualities discussed here – courage, eagerness to learn, the ability to bring people together, and CEO ownership – have shown demonstrable success. Emphasizing these human elements can help more companies move beyond pilots and generate greater impact with AI.
