- The Big Gulp Newsletter
- Posts
- The Secret to Disruption (Hint: It's Not Your Youth š)
The Secret to Disruption (Hint: It's Not Your Youth š)

People love to blame generations.
Weāre quick to point out differences between our generation and the next, and to assume we canāt learn anything from each other.
Not only does this attitude not serve us, research on disruption shows itās completely bogus!
You donāt become more resistant to change or disruption the older you get, and youāre not more disruptive when youāre younger.
(Yes, despite the āOkay, Boomerā responses and reaction videos on social media!)
Age doesnāt matter in disruption. Sure, there are some differences between generations ā people text now instead of meeting in person. That made it hard for Boomers to communicate with Gen Y at first, but now everyone does it. The āold dog new tricksā adage is the only thing thatās tired.
A more compelling consideration than age group or generation is disposition.
I often get asked, how do you stay on top of trends? And while I feel young at heart, thatās not why.
Instead, itās about my disposition.
Some people are disposed to trying new things. We call those people early adopters. Iām in that category. Iām constantly asking, whatās new? I love new people, new experiences, new tech, new ideas. Iāve always been wired that way.
On the other hand, a close friend jokes that heās the ālead indicatorā that somethingās about to go mainstream. He prefers to find a tool he really likes, then use it for decades. Heās not an early adopter. If heās trying something different, itās because heās really thought it over. And when he commits, he commits. Full throttle.
If you donāt love to embrace new things, thatās okay. It doesnāt mean youāre too old or āstuck in your ways.ā It just means youāre wired differently. And while our culture tends to embrace āearly adopters,ā we need diverse kinds of wiring for all stages of successful operations, transformations, and disruptions.
Why? Having different ways of thinking isn't just an organizational ānice to haveāāit's essential for growth. The friction between different perspectives and approaches, while sometimes challenging to manage, is exactly what drives breakthrough thinking and transformational change. A single way of thinking will never represent the full spectrum of perspectives needed for true innovation.
All the more reason, then, not to confuse age with dispositionāor disposition with open or closed mindedness. āļø
Hit reply and let me know ā are you an early adopter, or do you prefer to take your time?
-Charlene
What I Canāt Stop Talking About:
Bad news is good news. You might be tempted to avoid your unhappy customersābut they're actually your best teachers. Here's why leaning into dissatisfaction is the key to great leadership. (Hat tip to Risto Siilasmaa, former chairman of Nokia, for capturing this wisdom so memorably š©).
Let your purpose be the antidote to your doubt. From literal cliff edges to pivotal business decisions, I've learned that our biggest "gulp" moments need more than courageāthey need connection to why we started. Here's what happened when I almost scrapped our AI bookāand why Iām so glad I didnāt.
The AI Strategy Wake-Up Call. In 2024, we threw AI use cases at the wall to see what stuck. In 2025, leaders need real strategies and brave conversations. Here are my three predictionsāand the winners will face them all, head-on. š®
My Latest:
Catch up on my webinars! You can still review the slides and recordings of my two new webinars. In āUnlocking The Power of Generative AI,ā I explain how to set up a generative AI āplayground,ā three ways to elevate your leadership with step-by-step instructions, and the broad outlines of creating a strategy. In āDeveloping a Winning Generative AI Strategy for Competitive Advantage,ā I walk through the steps needed to create a cohesive AI strategy.
What AI governance and Goldilocks have in common. š»When it comes to AI governance, we need to get the balance "just right." In Leading Disruption, Iām sharing why finding your organization's "Goldilocks zone" of governance is the secret to successful transformation. Head over to the newsletter for the pillars to a balanced framework.
The no-frills AI tech stack you actually need. There's the big, expensive way to do AIāand then thereās the cheap, simple way. Can you guess which one I like better? šJoin me next Tuesday, January 28th at 9am PT/12pm ET to learn why starting small beats going bigāand how to avoid the expensive mistakes most companies make.
My Upcoming Appearances:
If you want me to speak at an upcoming event or conduct a workshop with your executive team, please drop me a note at [email protected].
Jan. 27: Dent: AI Reception & Showcase, San Diego, CA
Feb 13: AFIRE Winter Conference, Washington, DC
Mar 20: SHRM, Philadelphia, PA
Aug 29: SHRM, Indianapolis, IN
If this information was helpful, thereās plenty more!
š Sign up for updates and early access to my upcoming book, co-authored by Katia Walsh, which is all about creating a winning generative AI strategy.
š Want more? Check out my weekly publication, Leading Disruption, on LinkedIn.
Thank you for subscribing to The Big Gulp Newsletter, which goes out to thousands of disruptors every other week to help you on your disruption journeyāplus a curated recommendation list of the things I canāt stop talking about.

Charlene Li
If you found this note helpful, please forward and share it with someone who needs the inspiration today. If you were forwarded this, please consider subscribing.