My leadership team is so busy solving weekly operational Rocks that we are not proactively addressing how AI might destroy our business model in two years. How do we carve out the space to address this threat?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When daily operations consume all your energy, strategic threats get pushed aside. This is a common failure point for leadership teams.

To solve this, you must separate your short-term execution from your long-term strategic planning. Do not try to solve multi-year AI threats during your weekly Level 10 Meeting. That meeting is for keeping the train on the tracks.

Instead, carve out dedicated Thinking Time as described in The Road Less Stupid. As the owner, schedule 45 minutes of uninterrupted time each week. Write down a single, high-value question, such as: How might our primary service be completely automated by a competitor using AI, and what must we do today to remain relevant?

Once you have gained clarity from your individual Thinking Time, bring those insights to your quarterly V/TO review. This is where your leadership team steps back to look at the big picture.

Use the IDS process during your quarterly to discuss these existential threats. If necessary, create a strategic Rock for the upcoming quarter specifically aimed at researching or piloting a defensive AI strategy.

By treating strategic AI planning as a structured quarterly discipline rather than a weekly distraction, you protect your current operations while building a future-proof business.