The One Question Every Leader Should Ask About AI

19 snips

Mar 8, 2026

Neo Aplin, Head of Inventium AI who helps organisations train teams to use generative AI productively and responsibly. He explains why AI rollout is a people problem, why handing out licences without training backfires, how untrained use can harm productivity, and the practical steps leaders should take to prepare staff, secure data and embed AI into real workflows.

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ADVICE

Make Readiness The First Question

Ask “How can I help my people be ready for AI?” to frame adoption as a people problem, not just a tech rollout.
Neo Aplin warns that handing out Copilot/ChatGPT licenses without support is a recipe for disaster and demoralisation.

ADVICE

Explain Why AI Helps People Not Replace Them

Tell people why you're introducing AI, emphasising workload relief and meaningful work rather than job cuts.
Neo Aplin recommends framing AI as a tool to remove administrivia so staff can do smarter 40‑hour work.

ADVICE

Invest In Practical AI Training

Don't assume AI is intuitive; run capability building so users learn more than two or three shallow tricks.
Neo Aplin compares untrained users to people who only use microwaves for defrosting or Thermomixes for smoothies.

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Rolling out Copilot or ChatGPT and hoping productivity magically improves rarely works. In fact, for many leaders, it creates more confusion, more noise and, in some cases, more work.

In this How I AI episode, Neo and I unpack the single most important question leaders should be asking about AI adoption: how can I help my people be ready for AI? Because bringing AI into your organisation isn’t primarily a technology decision. It’s a people one.

We talk through why simply handing out paid licenses without building capability often backfires, how poor AI use can actually reduce productivity, and the practical steps leaders need to get right from day one.

Neo and I cover:

Why AI adoption fails when leaders treat it as a software rollout instead of a change process

How to clearly articulate the why so people don’t assume AI equals job replacement

Using AI to reduce administrivia and free people up for more meaningful work

Why “it’s intuitive” is a dangerous assumption when it comes to capability building

How untrained use can create AI slop, longer emails and organisational “Chinese whispers”

How searchable knowledge can unlock real productivity gains, and how poor permissions can create real risk

Why training change leads or team leads is critical to embedding AI into real workflows

Connect with Neo Aplin on LinkedIn and via inventium.ai, where he leads Inventium’s AI training and upskilling work with organisations and teams.

My latest book The Health Habit is out now. You can order a copy here: https://www.amantha.com/the-health-habit/

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If you are looking for more tips to improve the way you work and live, I write a weekly newsletter where I share practical and simple to apply tips to improve your life. You can sign up for that at https://amantha-imber.ck.page/subscribe

Visit https://www.amantha.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes.

Get in touch at amantha@inventium.com.au

Credits:
Host: Amantha Imber
Sound Engineer: Martin Imber

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