Why Agility Matters More Than Ability in the Age of AI

“In a world that’s changing really quickly, the only strategy that is guaranteed to fail is not taking risks.” — Mark Zuckerberg

We’ve entered a leadership era where intelligence is abundant, but agility is rare. In the age of artificial intelligence, where new tools, trends, and technologies are launched weekly, one thing is becoming clear:

It’s not the smartest leaders who will thrive—it's the most adaptable.

AI isn’t just changing how we work—it’s redefining who we need to be as leaders.

🧠 Why Ability Is No Longer Enough

In previous eras, a leader’s success relied on:

• Deep expertise.

• A track record of problem-solving.

• The ability to make high-quality decisions based on experience.

  
  

But the half-life of knowledge is shrinking. As AI accelerates, what you know today may be irrelevant tomorrow.

Adam Grant, organizational psychologist and author of Think Again, reminds us:

“The ability to rethink and unlearn is more important than the ability to learn.”

Meanwhile, Andrew McAfee, principal research scientist at MIT and co-author of The Second Machine Age, notes that the most successful organizations are not the ones with the best strategies, but the ones that can adapt fastest to change.

In other words, adaptability is becoming the ultimate competitive advantage.

🚀 The Leadership Shift: From Control to Curiosity

To lead in the age of AI, we must shift from:

• Having the answers → to asking better questions.

• Clinging to expertise → to embracing experimentation.

• Command-and-control → to curiosity and co-creation.

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What’s needed isn’t more intellectual horsepower—it’s emotional flexibility, cognitive openness, and the courage to unlearn.

This is where leadership agility comes in.

💡 What Is Leadership Agility?

Leadership agility is the ability to pivot perspectives, learn on the fly, and lead through uncertainty without freezing or forcing.

Agile leaders:

• Adapt their style to the needs of the moment.

• Sense patterns early, not just respond late.

• Experiment boldly, fail fast, and recover faster.

• Listen actively, especially when challenged.

In practice, it’s about being grounded in your values, but flexible in your thinking.

🔁 Reflection Questions for Leaders

To assess your leadership agility, ask yourself:

1. When was the last time I changed my mind about something important?

2. Do I invite dissenting views—or avoid them?

3. How quickly do I recover from being wrong?

4. How often do I say “I don’t know” and mean it?

5. Am I growing faster than the pace of change around me?

   
   

These aren’t theoretical questions—they're practical diagnostics for surviving and thriving in a future shaped by AI.

🛠️ Exercises to Build Your Agility Muscle

Agility isn’t a personality trait—it’s a trainable skill.

Here are three ways to build it:

💡 1. Deliberate Unlearning

Once a month, ask: “What belief, process, or assumption am I holding onto that no longer serves me?”

Action: Choose one area to unlearn and experiment with a new approach.

“Transformation is often more about unlearning then learning.” – Richard Rohr

To be agile, leaders must master the art of unlearning — letting go of outdated practices, assumptions, and leadership habits.

Applied Examples of Unlearning for Leaders

• From Control to Trust

  A founder who used to approve every invoice or client proposal unlearns micromanagement. Instead, they implement AI-enabled financial dashboards so their team can make faster, data-driven decisions — freeing the founder to focus on strategy and growth.

  
  

• From Expertise to Curiosity

  A long-time business owner known as the “expert” in operations unlearns the belief that their experience always trumps new ideas. When AI produces unexpected efficiency suggestions, they resist dismissing it and instead ask, “What can we test here to see if this actually helps?”

  
  

• From Perfection to Experimentation

  A small marketing agency leader who once spent weeks polishing campaigns unlearns perfectionism. Using generative AI, they create three quick drafts, test them with clients, and improve based on real-time feedback. The result? Faster learning, lower costs, and better outcomes.

  
  

• From Routine to Reimagination

  A local retailer who relied on monthly sales reports unlearns the old cycle of hindsight. With AI-driven analytics, they shift to monitoring real-time buying patterns and proactively adjust promotions — staying ahead of customer demand.

  
  

Each of these shifts requires humility, flexibility, and the willingness to see change as opportunity instead of threat.

💡 2. Experiment Sprints

Choose one small process (e.g., social media post creation, expense approvals, or sales outreach). Run a one-week test using AI tools to simplify, speed up, or enhance it.

Debrief with your team: What worked? What didn’t? What did we learn? 

💡 3. Micro-Pivots

Each week, pick one small habit to do differently—how you start meetings, delegate, or respond to a challenge.

In your next team meeting, instead of providing answers, commit to asking at least five questions. Notice how this shifts the conversation and opens space for new ideas.

Why it matters: Small shifts train your brain to embrace change, not fear it.

🧭 Final Thought

AI is not coming someday. It’s already here, and it’s accelerating. The question is not, “Can I keep up?” but rather,

“Am I willing to grow faster than the world is changing?”

Ability will always matter—but without agility, it becomes obsolete.

Let’s develop the mindset, skillset, and toolset to lead with clarity, flexibility, and courage.

As a Growth Coach working with many CEOs, senior leaders, and founders, I’ve found the most successful ones ensure their agility to keep learning becomes a regular, committed behaviour. Here’s a few key resources for you to explore agility leads you forward into our rapidly shifting business practices with AI:

• Adam Grant, Think Again – For learning to rethink and let go of outdated thinking.

• Jennifer Garvey Berger, Unlocking Leadership Mindtraps – For building adaptive thinking and leading in complexity.

• The Agility Shift by Pamela Meyer – Practical frameworks to develop agile leaders and cultures.

  
  

  Jerome Dickey, Growth Coach | AgileWorkSolutions.com