Your Culture Is Already Being Shaped by AI—With or Without You

Leaders, it's time to ask the harder question: not how to use AI, but how it's already using you.

Every leadership team I meet these days is somewhere on the AI journey. Some are experimenting. Some are all-in. Others are cautiously watching from the sidelines, waiting for clarity.

But there's one thing most haven't realized:

Your organizational culture is already being shaped by AI—whether you've officially adopted it or not.

Not in a dramatic sci-fi sense. Not through some top-down rollout. But through the quiet, decentralized choices your people are making every day.

• The analyst using ChatGPT to draft a report.

• The team lead testing summaries in Notion AI.

• The assistant director copying LinkedIn posts into a tone rewriter.

• The intern using image generators to polish presentations.

These aren’t isolated hacks. They’re signals. Signals that your culture is shifting towards speed, convenience, and invisible automation.

And if you're not leading that shift with intention, you're being led by it.

The Myth of "We Haven't Started Yet"

I often hear this from CEOs: "We're not using AI yet. We're still evaluating."

Respectfully: your team already is.

In nearly every organization I step into, people have found their own entry points.

• Sometimes for efficiency.

• Sometimes out of curiosity.

• Sometimes out of sheer overwhelm.

They’re not waiting for IT policies or executive strategies.

• They’re trying to survive the inbox.

• Make smarter slides.

• Write clearer emails.

• Get to dinner on time.

And that matters.

Because this is how culture shifts happen. Not through grand declarations. But through lived behavior. Small, repeated decisions. Tools that quietly become habits. Habits that become norms.

If your leadership doesn't acknowledge this, you're not "neutral." You're invisible.

Culture Isn't What You Say. It's What You Permit.

In a world shaped by AI, your culture will not be defined by your slide decks or strategic statements. It will be defined by:

* Which tools people feel safe to use.

* What they whisper in Slack channels.

* Whether experimenting feels welcome or risky.

* Whether outputs get scrutinized or celebrated.

* Who gets credit when AI helps the work shine.

When no one talks about AI use, people hide it. That creates shadow practices—and a culture of secrecy.

When leaders ignore AI, early adopters set the norms.

When there's no shared language, confusion fills the gaps.

So the question isn't, "Should we use AI?" The question is, "What are we modeling, allowing, and amplifying—right now?"

Your Leadership Is the Signal

If you're a CEO, founder, or department head, here's what I want you to hear:

You don’t need to be an AI expert. But you do need to be the signal.

Signal curiosity. Signal safety. Signal accountability.

If you pretend AI isn’t here yet, your silence sends a signal too—one that says: "Figure it out on your own. But don’t get caught."

That's not innovation. That’s fear.

Three Cultural Signals to Watch For

1. Whispers

Are people quietly "confessing" their AI use to you? That’s a trust signal. They want permission.

2. Workarounds

Is AI showing up in unexpected places—like project briefs or stakeholder decks? That’s a creativity signal. But also a governance gap.

3. Uneven Access

Are some teams fluent in AI tools while others lag? That’s a signal of emerging inequity. And resentment isn’t far behind.

So What Do You Do?

Lead the culture before the culture leads you.

Here’s how:

• Name It. Start talking openly about AI. Normalize experimentation. Don’t make it taboo.

• Invite It. Ask teams where they're using AI already. Celebrate the smart uses. Learn from the missteps.

• Frame It. Anchor AI use in your values. Show how it supports trust, clarity, equity—not just speed.

• Equip It. Offer light training. Safe spaces. Role-model reflection, not just rollout.

• Audit It. Pay attention to patterns. What’s getting amplified? Who’s being left behind?

What Happens When You Lead It

When you lead AI with intention, culture doesn’t erode. It evolves.

You create teams that:

• Share best practices instead of hiding them.

• Use AI to elevate their thinking, not replace it.

• Stay aligned on the why—not just the what.

• See technology as a tool, not a threat.

And most importantly, you stay in the leadership seat.

Not chasing the change. Guiding it.

Warmly,

Birgit

#YourTransformationalAlly