[Recap from my virtual keynote: “AI-Powered Innovation: 5 Ways to Lead Positive Change”]
What a great morning! My client keynote to over 2,300 global leaders went smoothly and the audience inspired me with thoughtful questions.
Here are highlights and a handout:
1. I defined innovation and explained how it differs from creativity. It’s “applying creativity to achieve a new and improved stakeholder condition.”
2. In both sessions, we took a poll to learn how organizations treat innovation. The responses were pretty consistent.
In one session with 314 companies (and over 600 participants total), 52% of the audience said “innovation is active and essential for our growth.”
13% said “It’s a perk with some teams.” 26% said “it’s an emerging priority.” 9% said “innovation is too distracting, risky or expensive for our operation.”
My heart aches for the 9%. They may need to find another role, and soon.
3. I explained why we live in a time of transformation. With inspiration from Charlene Li and her upcoming book, I explained why old change management playbooks cannot help us adapt and experiment.
4. I introduced my five strategies for guiding positive change through AI-powered innovation: acknowledge, attune, ascend, amplify, and adopt.
When it comes to the Amplify strategy, over-communicating is key! Check out my “7 Magic Questions” to guide transformation.
7 Magic Questions TO Guide Positive Change.
After enjoying a flood of 167 comments about these five strategies, I realized that even the most effective leaders can find areas to improve.
5. I showcased several companies who model effective experimentation and transparency. They include GoDaddy CEO Aman Bhutani, Mann + Hummel’s Michael Nichols, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, and Mayo Clinic’s Co-Director of AI, Zachi Attia.
(I asked some female innovators to contribute to my story collection, and they did not respond).
Remember this key takeaway:
Experimentation is no longer an exclusive benefit for IT, R&D, or product teams. Failure is part of the journey. Together, they are an essential and new way of living, learning and leading.
We can thank AI, shifting geopolitical sands, and high levels of team disengagement for this new reality. The tools and frameworks I shared today provide tested, practical strategies to fight less and find flow.
Message me if you’d like to discuss bringing these insights and value to your next offsite or conference.
This post was completely written by me — a human. I did not use generative AI.
© 2025, Lisa Nirell. All rights reserved. lisanirell.com.