There are no playbooks, no winning strategies, and no crystal balls for today’s leaders — not even for those at the forefront of AI implementation. The pace of change is simply too fast to rely on past tactics. As a result, companies and their executives find themselves in the uncomfortable position of having to redefine what leadership looks like when no one can predict what comes next.

As AI rewrites industry standards, Kaushik Patel, Head of Business Systems at Brex, believes the best leadership strategy is to embrace uncertainty — and build frameworks for experimentation to stay ahead. 

A chance to experiment: “The impact of AI and the landscape is changing so fast that, in my opinion, there’s no clear winning strategy,” Patel says. “From a leadership perspective, I strongly feel that this is the opportunity to experiment and be open to it, irrespective of what the outcome is.” 

Patel emphasizes that while leaders should encourage exploration, there must be measurable guardrails in place. Without a defined playbook or clear personal OKRs tied to AI initiatives, organizations are navigating largely on intuition or familiar frameworks— a reality that adds friction but also invites creativity. “How do you displace the status quo when all you have in good faith is that this is the way to go and this is how it’s going to help?” he asks. “That is the biggest challenge.”

Hurdles for adoption: Even among technical teams, Patel notes, adapting to AI-driven change is not automatic. While his team recognizes AI as a game-changing technology, shifting established workflows and demanding new skillsets remains a hurdle. “Folks are having a hard time changing how they operate and how they adopt, especially when it comes to changing how people work, what they’ve been doing, and how their skills need to evolve.”