The rise of artificial intelligence is not on the horizon.
It’s already here. Read Harvard Business Review, Forbes, The Conversation app, or any news post. As Peter H. Diamandis writes in Metatrend #2: AI & Quantum (2024), the question isn’t whether AI will change the world- it’s how quickly, and how well prepared we are to adapt. I’m a fan of his books.
Since 1997, I’ve worked with leaders across several sectors using the Action Learning model– a proven framework that aligns real-world problem-solving with strategic learning. In that time, I’ve watched leaders panic or pivot in the face of digital disruptions. You have seen the panic in 2008. Today is the pivot.
The key difference? Those leaders who thrive don’t wait for government programs or corporate re-skilling. They invest in mastering three core skills that shape their adaptability, agency, and long-term success. That’s why I earned my PhD in business psychology in my 50s… Here are some highlights. You can master these skills.
The Three Essential Skills in an AI World
In a recent Moonshots podcast conversation between Peter Diamandis and Tony Robbins, they outlined three core competencies to help leaders remain relevant:
Pattern Recognition, Pattern Utilization, and Pattern Creation.
These three skills are not new to those of us who practice Action Learning. In fact, they are embedded into the very DNA of our model.
Let’s break them down and show how they’re alive in the executive leaders I’ve coached for three decades. YOU can apply these three skills immediately.
1. Pattern Recognition: Learning from Data
Tony Robbins describes Pattern Recognition as the ability to look at history, human behavior, and technology trends and say, “I’ve seen this before.” The result is less fear.
In Action Learning, we often begin with what Revans called “programmed knowledge” and “questioning insight…” the act of recognizing patterns in current systems, processes, and outcomes. I teach leaders to ask questions like:
- “Where else have you seen this behavior?”
- “What patterns are repeating here?”
- “What’s being ignored?”
- “What numbers and words can we us to describe this behavior?”
For example: In a healthcare company facing massive turnover, our Action Learning team mapped resignation data and recognized patterns of burnout following project cycles. By naming the pattern, the client was no longer surprised by attrition. They recognized seasonality and then began to prevent it.
2. Pattern Utilization: Acting on What You See
Recognition is only useful if it leads to effective action. As Tony Robbins notes, civilization began when we learned to use the pattern of seasons—planting in spring, harvesting in fall. The leap from fear to control came through utilization. Today is the season of springtime.
In Action Learning, we emphasize “taking action and reflecting on the results.” A team that sees a pattern of client dissatisfaction, for example, must test new workflows, measure response times, before they can adapt. Tools like surveys, interviews, observations, 360 assessments are helpful.
For example: One healthcare client noticed repeated delays in patient discharges every Friday. Instead of managing around the bottleneck, they used Action Learning to test discharge protocol changes. They used cross functional teams, called Action Learning Sets, to explore solutions. They saw a 17% improvement in weekend flow within 60 days. And yes, automation helped immensely.
3. Pattern Creation: Designing What Comes Next
This is where great leaders shine. This is where YOU can shine.
Diamandis calls it the highest skill: creating new patterns. Not just responding to the world but reshaping it. He founded Singularity University, the XPrize’s, and the Open EXO community to embrace converging technologies. In Action Learning, we guide teams to generate new frameworks, policies, and cultural norms based on data and learning.
This level is visionary. It’s where leaders become creators. Practical creators of one solution after another.
For example:In a regional asphalt company, an Action Learning team created a new RACI-based scheduling protocol that reduced field crew conflicts by 42%. That new pattern, tested and refined by a newly promoted operations manager, became company policy within one quarter.
The BIG Identity Shift: From Manager to Creator
This AI revolution is not just about skills. It’s about identity.
The Action Learning model pushes leaders to shift from “problem manager” to “solution creator.” That’s the identity shift Robbins, Diamandis, Revans and I are describing. We say, “Stop managing problems. Start creating solutions.”
FACT 1: You won’t be replaced by AI.
FACT 2: You’ll be replaced by someone who uses AI more creatively than you do… unless you become that person first.
If you’re interested in diving deeper into the frameworks behind this post:
- Diamandis, Peter H. (2024). Metatrend #2: AI & Quantum.
- Gray, Doug. (2024).Objectives + Key Results (OKR) Leadership
- Gray, Doug. (2024).The Success Playbook for Next Gen Family Business Leaders
- Gray, Doug. (2025). Legacy Locked
- Marquardt, Michael J. (2004). Optimizing the Power of Action Learning. Davies-Black Publishing.
- Revans, Reginald. (1982). The Origins and Growth of Action Learning. Chartwell-Bratt.
Your Call to Action
Governments and institutions often lag. But leaders don’t have to.
Since 1997, I’ve helped hundreds of leaders navigate disruption with Action Learning tools that cultivate:
- Pattern Recognition in systems and culture. See my coaching solution at www.JITCoach.com
- Pattern Utilization in decision-making and behavior. Schedule a session here.
- Pattern Creation in strategy and innovation. Schedule a session here.
The AI revolution isn’t a threat. It’s an invitation.
What patterns will YOU CREATE? Let’s build something better, together.