The Secret to Disruption (Hint: It's Not Your Youth šŸ˜‰)

People love to blame generations.

Weā€™re quick to point out differences between our generation and the next, and to assume we canā€™t learn anything from each other. 

Not only does this attitude not serve us, research on disruption shows itā€™s completely bogus!

You donā€™t become more resistant to change or disruption the older you get, and youā€™re not more disruptive when youā€™re younger.

(Yes, despite the ā€œOkay, Boomerā€ responses and reaction videos on social media!)

Age doesnā€™t 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 ā€œold dog new tricksā€ adage is the only thing thatā€™s 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, thatā€™s not why. 

Instead, itā€™s about my disposition.

Some people are disposed to trying new things. We call those people early adopters. Iā€™m in that category. Iā€™m constantly asking, whatā€™s new? I love new people, new experiences, new tech, new ideas. Iā€™ve always been wired that way. 

On the other hand, a close friend jokes that heā€™s the ā€œlead indicatorā€ that somethingā€™s about to go mainstream. He prefers to find a tool he really likes, then use it for decades. Heā€™s not an early adopter. If heā€™s trying something different, itā€™s because heā€™s really thought it over. And when he commits, he commits. Full throttle.

If you donā€™t love to embrace new things, thatā€™s okay. It doesnā€™t mean youā€™re too old or ā€œstuck in your ways.ā€ It just means youā€™re wired differently. And while our culture tends to embrace ā€œearly 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 ā€œnice to haveā€ā€”it'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 dispositionā€”or disposition with open or closed mindedness. āœŒļø

Hit reply and let me know ā€” are you an early adopter, or do you prefer to take your time?

-Charlene

What I Canā€™t Stop Talking About: 

  • Bad news is good news. You might be tempted to avoid your unhappy customersā€”but 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 šŸŽ©). 

  • 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 courageā€”they need connection to why we started. Here's what happened when I almost scrapped our AI bookā€”and why Iā€™m so glad I didnā€™t. 

  • 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 predictionsā€”and the winners will face them all, head-on. šŸ”®

My Latest: 

  • Catch up on my webinars! You can still review the slides and recordings of my two new webinars. In ā€œUnlocking The Power of Generative AI,ā€ I explain how to set up a generative AI ā€œplayground,ā€ three ways to elevate your leadership with step-by-step instructions, and the broad outlines of creating a strategy. In ā€œDeveloping 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. šŸ»When it comes to AI governance, we need to get the balance "just right." In Leading Disruption, Iā€™m 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 AIā€”and then thereā€™s the cheap, simple way. Can you guess which one I like better? šŸ˜‰Join me next Tuesday, January 28th at 9am PT/12pm ET to learn why starting small beats going bigā€”and 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]

If this information was helpful, thereā€™s plenty more!

šŸ“Œ 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.

šŸ“Œ 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 journeyā€”plus a curated recommendation list of the things I canā€™t stop talking about. 

Charlene Li

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