I turned 58 on July 1. Five days later, I packed my laptop and began a month of working while travelling.
We started in Belfast for a wedding, then travelled to Corfu and are now in Paxos, Greece, surrounded by the most extraordinary blue water I have ever seen. From here, we will fly to London to celebrate my daughter graduating with her law degree.
Like many business owners and leaders, I am trying to do two things at once: remain present for the people and experiences that matter to me while continuing to meet my commitments to clients.
Some days, that balance works better than others. One morning in Paxos, I found myself working through client material with this incredible view outside my window. It struck me how much technology has changed what is possible. I can coach, prepare for meetings and support clients from almost anywhere. AI has made parts of that work faster, but it still requires me to determine what is useful, what is missing and what does not fit the situation.
That is where experience matters.
I sometimes hear experienced leaders talk about AI as though it belongs to a younger generation. At 58, I do not see it that way. I am not trying to become a technology expert or use every new tool that appears. I am learning how to use AI where it genuinely improves my work, while relying on the judgment I have built over many years to challenge what it gives me.
I suspect many of you are navigating the same question: How do we keep adapting without dismissing the experience that has made us effective?
Perhaps we have been looking at it the wrong way. Our experience is not what holds us back from using AI. It may be the very thing that helps us use it well.
Experience is an advantage
I hear some experienced leaders speak about AI as though it belongs to a younger generation. They assume they are already behind because they did not grow up with the technology. I think that view underestimates what experienced leaders bring to the table.
You may not experiment with every new tool as quickly as someone earlier in their career. But you have years of context, pattern recognition and judgment. You have seen strategies succeed and fail. You understand your customers, your industry and the realities of implementation. You can often recognize when an answer sounds right but does not fit the situation. That experience makes you more valuable in an AI-enabled workplace, not less. The opportunity is to combine what you already know with a tool that can help you work through information, test your assumptions and move more quickly.
Ask better questions
The quality of an AI response depends heavily on the quality of the question and the context provided.
An inexperienced user might ask:
“What is a good strategy for improving employee performance?”
An experienced leader can provide far more useful context:
“We have capable managers who avoid addressing performance concerns early. Expectations are not always clear, and difficult feedback is often delayed until the issue becomes significant. Help me identify the three changes that would create the greatest improvement.”
The difference is not technological ability. It is clarity of thought.
Experienced leaders are often better equipped to identify the real problem, understand the business implications and recognize the constraints that will affect execution.
Before asking AI for an answer, ask yourself:
AI can help you explore the question. You still need to determine whether it is the right question.
Do not confuse confidence with accuracy
AI is exceptionally good at producing confident, well-written responses. That can make weak thinking appear stronger than it is.
A recommendation may look logical while missing the history of the organization, the readiness of the team or the political realities affecting the decision. It may offer a strategy that is theoretically sound but impossible to execute with the available people and resources.
This is where judgment becomes critical.
Leaders need to challenge AI output in the same way they would challenge advice from a consultant, employee or colleague:
AI should help strengthen your thinking, not allow you to avoid it.
Protect your leadership capacity
There is another leadership advantage that is easily underestimated: the capacity to think clearly.
The current business environment is demanding. Leaders are navigating cost pressure, economic uncertainty, changing workforce expectations and constant technological change. The natural response is to work harder, stay connected longer and try to absorb more.
That approach has limits.
When leaders are depleted, they become more reactive. Patience shortens. Curiosity declines. Immediate problems consume the time that should be spent anticipating what is ahead.
We often treat rest as something to be earned once the work is finished. For most leaders, the work is never finished.
Protecting your capacity is not stepping away from accountability. It is part of being accountable. Other people depend on the quality of your judgment, your presence and the decisions you make.
A change of environment has reminded me that distance can create perspective. It does not make the challenges disappear, but it can help us see more clearly which ones deserve our attention.
Four questions for leaders
AI can help us move faster. Experience helps us decide where to go. Protecting our capacity ensures we are still able to lead others there.