Embrace the Unknown

Disruption Is Nothing New:

Historically, something has always been thought to disrupt companies, from the printing press to machinery to Excel, and now AI. Every day, I log into LinkedIn or other social media and see new content about AI. Some are inspiring, some educational, but there are also warning AI will replace the whole workforce.

The Power of the Unknown

But here is the thing: we all have speculation where AI might go, but none of us truly know, or more importantly, when. And this is the point. These moments of uncertainty make an ordinary firm extraordinary if they can be on the front end of adoption; those who lean into the unknown gain an edge over those who retreat in fear.

Our Firm’s Approach

In my firm, we’ve chosen to embrace all things AI. This is for both how our clients can effectively use it, along with where we can use AI ourselves. We’re not approaching it from a scary perspective but as a tool that makes us faster and more effective. It’s not about replacing people, it’s about helping them. In fact, we believe this will enable our ability to scale more revenue over time with less people. We are actively evaluating solutions, gathering information, and attending demos to be fully educated.

Questions Pro Service Leaders Should Ask

When facing the unknown, I often ask myself:

• Do I really understand this new thing? Take a moment to research and understand it, rather than react emotionally. Often, new technologies start clunky as they are unperfected. As they figure things out, this generates fast adoption. Will we be ready for this moment?
• What industries is it impacting? If it’s transforming industries broadly, chances are it will eventually touch mine. If it is narrow, then it may be less meaningful to explore.
• Where does it overlap with my world? Does it affect my clients, my workflows, or my employees? If it touches your clients, they will ask, and you’d better know as the expert. Don’t be surprised.
• What opportunities can come from it? Could this unknown help us reduce waste, serve customers better, or uncover new working methods? Most importantly, can we monetize this new thing?
• What risks do we need to guard against? Embracing doesn’t mean unquestioningly adopting. It means testing, measuring, and implementing responsibly. This is especially true if client data is involved.

Lessons From History

If we look back, this same pattern has repeated over time. When machines first automated production lines, many feared jobs would vanish. Instead, productivity soared, and entirely new industries were created. Companies worried about fraud, complexity, and cost when the internet emerged. Now, no modern business or even the average individual can operate without it. When cloud technology appeared, leaders resisted, fearing security risks. Yet today, the cloud underpins nearly every central business system.

What It Means for Us

The lesson is simple: every great leap starts as “the unknown.” At first, it seems disruptive, scary, and even dangerous. However, over time, it becomes normal and the way of the world. Then, those who embraced it early become leaders. AI is following this same path. People can fight AI all they want, but the truth is that it is not going anywhere, so we’d best all get on board and find opportunities.

For us, embracing AI means treating it as a partner, not a threat. It’s here to speed up repetitive work, free our people to focus on strategy and creativity, and help us deliver better client outcomes. There are unknowns, but the unknown has always been the birthplace of innovation.