Hi everyone,
Want to know what AI adoption really looks like inside a company?
Ask the leaders in the middle.
They are close enough to strategy to understand the intent and close enough to the front lines to hear the real questions. They know where teams feel excited, where they feel overwhelmed, where the process breaks, and where AI creates actual value.
I sat down with four 2026 Emerging Leaders who were handpicked by their as leaders to watch:
* Lane Koetter, Client Advisor, The Jacobson Group
* Kieva Kasek, Head of U.S. Operations, Simply Business
* Enoch Sutherland, Director of Digital Workforce Enablement, CNA Insurance
* Tian Xue, Senior Director of Data Science and Product Data Lead, SageSure
These are the people helping AI move from strategy to adoption. They are fielding the detailed questions, the fears, and the concerns directly. Their advice is especially valuable for peers who want to lead from where they sit.
A few themes stood out.
Leaders model the behavior that creates clarity and drives adoption. When leaders use the tools, show the work, invest in training, and create space for hands-on learning, teams gain confidence.
AI creates an incredible opportunity to move closer to the customer. Everyone says they want more customer-facing time. AI can help make that possible by reducing repetitive work and freeing people to focus on relationships, judgment, service, and business problems.
Transparency around ethics and measurement has to be built in from the beginning. Teams need to define the role AI plays, the role people play, the outcomes they expect, and how they will measure success before pilots scale.
What I loved most is that these emerging leaders are not waiting for AI strategy to come from the top. They are already shaping how adoption happens inside teams.
This episode marks the official end of Lead The Machine Season 1. Season 2 podcast episodes will be back in the fall. In the meantime, I’ll be writing and reflecting on what I learned this season. Thanks for listening.
— Kirstin
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit leadthemachine.substack.com
