Lost in Translation? Why So Many Leaders Are Struggling With AI (And How to Stop Just Surviving)

"It feels like being a captain on a ship in a rough ocean—except the ocean isn’t just rough. It feels like we’ve been pulled through a time tunnel into a different world altogether."

That’s what one of my clients told me. And it stuck.

This is what so many leaders are navigating right now.

The pace of change, the pressure, the unfamiliar tools. AI isn’t just a trend or a tech upgrade—it’s exposing the deeper cracks. And when leaders feel overwhelmed, it’s not because they’ve suddenly become incapable. It’s because the old maps no longer match the terrain.

In a recent conversation with my colleague Becky, she asked me directly:

“Birgit, what’s really going on with leaders and AI? Why do so many feel lost?”

We talked about what I see every day: brilliant leaders, well-educated, experienced, committed—struggling. They were trained for a different world. Their playbooks don’t apply anymore. And while they’re doing everything they can to keep up, they often feel like they’re the problem.

They’re not. The systems around them are shifting. And they haven’t had a trusted space to pause, reset, and reorient.

That’s the work I do.

“I don’t use AI.” Oh, really?

Becky brought up a story that made us both laugh. She was speaking with a group of leaders, and one said, “I don’t use AI. I don’t need it—I’m too old for that.”

Becky replied with three simple questions:

• Do you have Netflix?

• Do you use a smartphone?

• Are you on Facebook or LinkedIn?

All three answers were yes. Then came the reveal:

“You’re already using AI—every day. You just didn’t call it that.”

This moment says everything. It’s not a tech gap. It’s a visibility gap. Leaders don’t need to become coders—they need to reconnect to their own sense of agency.

AI isn’t a magic fix. It’s a magnifier.

What many leaders hope is that AI will fix what’s broken: slow processes, stressed teams, patchy data, unclear priorities.

But here’s what I tell them:

AI doesn’t fix dysfunction. It exposes it.

If your data is flawed, AI will make it worse. If your culture is tense, AI will accelerate the pressure. If your people don’t trust leadership, AI won’t change that—it’ll amplify it.

That’s why I always start with alignment.

• Bring your team in early.

• Be transparent. Don’t “roll out AI”—build readiness, together.

Yes, some jobs may shift. Some roles might even disappear. But that doesn’t mean the people disappear. When done right, AI opens doors—new roles, new creativity, new energy.

Becky put it simply:

“We’re not being replaced by AI. We’re being replaced by people who know how to use it.”

That’s the difference. It’s not fear—it’s fluency.

Leaders don’t need to catch up. They need to lead differently.

This isn’t about turning CEOs into data scientists. It’s about helping them reclaim their time, their clarity, and their power.

One of the biggest breakthroughs I see is this:

The moment a leader stops fighting the chaos and starts making space again—for vision, for trust, for courage.

“I was putting out fires all day,” one executive told me. “I didn’t even have time to think about preventing them. Now that AI handles some of that load, I finally have room to lead again.”

And the teams?

• The mood changes.

• They get curious.

• They collaborate again.

• They start seeing possibility.

We joked, too, about our personal AI assistants, we built and trained ourselves. Becky said hers is her perfect teammate:

“It does what I ask, sounds like me—and when I correct it, it doesn’t argue back.”

And that lightness is real.

Because when AI is used with care, it gives you time back—not just for work, but for breathing room, for a coffee, for re-connecting with the people around you.

Even 10 minutes a day matters. That’s where the reset begins.

But there’s one more thing you need to hear.

This isn’t just about tools. It’s about responsibility.

I’ve seen leaders rush to “AI everything”—only to hit walls. Why? Because they skipped the hard part: getting their culture, data, and strategy ready.

AI will not save a broken system. It will magnify it.

So yes—embrace it. But do it with a plan. With your team. With your eyes wide open.

And if you’re unsure where to begin? That’s where I come in.

I help leaders bridge the space

• between heart and tech.

• Between chaos and clarity.

• Between what worked—and what comes next.

As Becky said, “With Birgit’s guidance, it’s not about catching up. It’s about cutting through the noise, focusing your energy, and getting back to what matters.”

That’s the kind of leadership the future needs.

And it starts now.

Ready to get practical?

If you’re ready to stop reacting and start leading—this is your invitation to join the AI Clarity

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The AI Clarity Challenge is a live, applied experience for business owners, CEO’s of small and medium sized businesses and yes - their teams are encouraged to join. Make this transparent and collaborative from the very first beginning. Special team tickets with welcome and transfer call for the team available.

You’ll see real AI use cases. You’ll test tools safely. And you’ll learn how to lead AI with intention, not fear. 5 x 90 minutes live. Interactive and practical, time for questions. Spot opportunities.

FInd out more here: AI Clarity Challenge

We won’t just talk theory. We’ll work with real prompts, tasks, and leadership challenges.

Because the shift isn’t technical. It’s cognitive. It starts in the brain—and in how you choose to lead.

Let’s make AI clear—together.