AI and the CSO: 7 ways to drive competitive advantage
The role of the chief sustainability officer (CSO) has moved from the margins to the center of corporate strategy. Here are seven ways to harness AI to embed sustainability and drive growth....
Brain Circuits
Good gut: Why intuition is still essential in a world of AI
Being able to use your gut instinct remains vital for effective decision-making in a data-driven world. Here’s how to use and develop your “sixth sense”.
Use intuition as a diagnostic filter
Don’t accept or reject AI recommendations indiscriminately: use your intuition as a litmus test. If something doesn’t feel right, go find out why. Allow your gut feeling to trigger deeper investigation.
Evaluate explanations, not just outputs
Teach yourself and your team to ask, “Does this explanation make sense in our context?”, rather than, “Do I like this answer?”
Create safe spaces for disagreement with AI
Intuition often manifests as hesitation or discomfort. Normalize the idea that it’s okay to question AI outputs, especially when explanations don’t feel satisfying. This avoids both blind trust and reactive dismissal.
Document when intuition conflicts with AI and learn from it
Humans often get it right when they question AI with good cause. Encourage teams to log and analyze instances where intuitive disagreement with AI led to better decisions, and build those patterns into future system design or training. The “traffic light” model below summarizes some tactics for managing situations when humans and AI agree or disagree.
Key takeaway
Even in the age of AI, intuitive intelligence will give us an edge and enable us to continue to add value. Leaders who know when to trust their gut, when to interrogate AI, and how to balance both intelligences – machine and human – will be better equipped to lead in a future where decision-making is based on human inputs and machine outputs.
Authors
Related
Is your C-suite AI-literate?
Unlock senior leaders’ competitive edge: how AI elevates decision-making, coaching, and talent management - while mitigating cognitive offloading and bias....
Tool up: How to use AI as your personal thought-leadership partner
Turn AI into your thought-leadership partner: four key practices to sustain flow, align ideas, and boost strategic clarity....
Inclusive or just inoffensive? When AI turns culture into uniformity
AI can make existing organizational norms harder to see by “flattening” them. Here’s how to stop it producing a more homogenous culture, instead of a more inclusive one....
Learn Brain Circuits
Join us for daily exercises focusing on issues from team building to developing an actionable sustainability plan to personal development. Go on - they only take five minutes.
Explore Leadership
What makes a great leader? Do you need charisma? How do you inspire your team? Our experts offer actionable insights through first-person narratives, behind-the-scenes interviews and The Help Desk.
Join Membership
Log in here to join in the conversation with the I by IMD community. Your subscription grants you access to the quarterly magazine plus daily articles, videos, podcasts and learning exercises.