Adopting artificial intelligence (AI) is not about picking the right tools and technologies, it actually requires a shift in thinking. The people who will succeed in AI are not just technologists; they have a particular set of traits. They are curious, use systems-thinking and understand the importance of starting with “why” instead of “what” or “how.” And, yes, they commonly have a growth mindset, as they are always curious to learn new things.
Great AI change leaders foster an environment where all team members learn from each other.
AI Adoption Is About Change Management
Imagine you’ve stocked your kitchen with the finest ingredients: organic flour, farm-fresh eggs, rich Belgian chocolate (my favorite). You’ve purchased the latest top-of-the-line mixer. But here’s the challenge: You don’t have a recipe. This is how most marketing teams are approaching AI adoption.
They invest in the newest tools with the expectation of immediate return on investment. Tools don’t bring success; People who know how to use them do. And just like with baking without a recipe, success happens with the right people in an environment where experimentation and learning will ultimately result in creating something that fits your goals.
Now some will ask, “Why not simply ask AI for a recipe?” Certainly, you can. You can give AI a list of instructions, your flavor preferences and dietary needs and get a personalized recipe back. That’s amazing. However, it’s still your guidance that makes the outcome remarkable. It’s your input, your adjustments, your taste-testing that turn a generic recipe into something remarkable.
Here is where marketing leaders need a mindset shift. AI is not a shortcut; It’s a partner that is available 24/7. And like any partnership, it requires collaboration, transparency and trust.
That’s why adopting AI is not a tech launch, it’s about change management. It is a question of empowering your organization to build the skills, the confidence and the curiosity to work with AI. To experiment. To fail fast. To learn what’s optimal for your business.
There is a simple seven-step approach that can help marketing leaders lead this change. Because the goal isn’t just to make cookies – it’s to make the right cookies, together, in a way that works for your team.
7 Steps to Lead AI Change in Your Marketing Team
AI adoption is a people-first journey, grounded in best practices from change management. The following framework can help marketing leaders guide their teams from AI uncertainty to confidence.
1. Define the Why and Paint the Vision
Help your team understand why AI matters to your business and how it aligns with your values – and most importantly the goals of the individual team members, the department and the organization itself. Create a compelling vision of how AI can elevate their work and replace the more mundane tasks. When people see the destination, they’re more likely to take the first step.
2. Demystify AI for Leadership
Many senior leaders have read about AI in research reports, studies and social media headlines, but few have seen it in action. Carve out time to demo real tools, show outputs and spark curiosity. A live experience of AI often flips the switch from doubt to buy-in, and trust from the top makes change much easier.
3. Build Skills, Not Just Awareness
Understanding AI basics, like what does GPT stand for (generative pre-training transformer) or how to write a useful prompt, is now considered table stakes. Now is the time to go deeper. Equip your team with skills they can use immediately. Host hands-on sessions, build prompt libraries and custom GPTs, and talk openly about limitations and risks. The more confident your team feels, the more likely they are to embrace experimentation.
4. Answer the Question: ‘How Does This Help Me?’
This is the most important step in people change management. As a manager, you must clearly state and show the benefit to your team members or they will never get onto the adoption curve. Show them how AI can eliminate the repetitive, time-sucking parts of the job, freeing up marketers to do more creative, strategic work. And be real. Those who can’t shift to this higher-value work may struggle in the AI era. This isn’t about creating fear, it’s about preparing your people to thrive. As they say, AI is not going to replace people, people using AI will.
5. Let Them Play and Experiment
Reading about the latest AI trends is one thing, but using it is another. Create as many opportunities as possible for your team to try tools in a safe, structured way. Encourage team members to share what they learn and share what the tools can and currently cannot do well.
Of course, you will need an AI Code of Conduct that will clearly define rules around data privacy and security. Think about how you can create a positive learning “sandbox,” not a free-for-all for your team to learn and play together.
6. Start Small and Scale
Often when we start with AI we think that these agents can tackle large, multiple-step tasks. Instead, look for small, bite-sized, well-defined use cases such as helping with outlines, reviewing a first-draft copy, crafting your meta titles and descriptions for blogs, or summarizing research. Smaller wins will roll out to bigger wins. Then scale those wins into more complex use cases as confidence grows.
7. Keep the Momentum Alive
Last but not least, every week ensure that the topic of AI is front and center in all your meetings and check-ins. AI adoption is not a singular workshop, announcement or training session. Consistently have team members share wins and challenges, celebrate experimentations and continually share use cases that will help inspire other team uses. Real change happens not when new tools are introduced, but when team members’ mindsets shift.
When you bring your team along for the ride, they stop seeing AI as a threat and start seeing it as a powerful teammate.
The Future of AI in Marketing: The Mindset Shift
Marketing teams must go beyond just adopting AI tools and embrace them as a teammate. AI won’t replace human creativity, but it will enable more of us to be creative, and it will definitely change how we work in the future. Marketers will be able to shift their focus from mundane, repetitive tasks to developing new ideas. Leaders who push for curiosity and experimentation, and who start to realize that AI creates new capabilities for us to execute campaigns more effectively, not just efficiently, will do well in this AI-driven future.
The future of AI in marketing isn’t just about automating – it’s about changing everything.
