You Need AI in Your Modern Strategy. Here’s Why.

With over 25 years of experience helping organizations across industries execute strategies, I have seen firsthand how the right tools and approaches can reshape outcomes. As the co-founder of ClearPoint Strategy, I’ve dedicated my career to building software that simplifies strategic management and reporting. Today, I’m more convinced than ever that artificial intelligence (AI) is one of the most transformative forces shaping management and strategy.

AI’s Revolutionary Impact on Strategy

AI has taken what used to be time-intensive, manual processes in strategy and management and made them smarter, faster, and more insightful. At ClearPoint, we’ve embraced AI in ways that leverage both quantitative and qualitative data, helping managers uncover critical insights and make informed decisions faster. AI isn’t simply a tool, but a partner in strategy development that empowers leaders to focus on higher-value activities.

For example, consider a city government client of ours who struggled with inefficiencies in aligning department goals with broader city objectives. By integrating AI into their strategic processes, they now have expert "assistants" that can create plans, analyze data holistically, and provide actionable recommendations. This has saved weeks of effort and transformed their decision-making processes.

The Human-AI Partnership

Despite AI’s capabilities, I firmly believe that strategy remains a human-centric discipline. AI is a powerful enabler, but it doesn’t replace the creativity, intuition, and contextual understanding that leaders bring to the table. ClearPoint designs AI tools to work alongside humans, ensuring that data-driven insights complement, rather than overshadow, human expertise.

Our AI tools are trained on 50+ years of management experience and are designed to function as expert “assistants,” but the final decisions always remain in the hands of skilled managers who understand the unique context of their organizations.

Lessons from Building ClearPoint Strategy

Building ClearPoint has taught me a lot about the intersection of AI and management. When we first started, performance reporting was tedious and error-prone, relying heavily on Excel spreadsheets and PowerPoints. By embedding AI into our platform, we’ve shifted the focus from manual data management to strategic insight generation. ClearPoint focuses on helping organizations take a broad view of their data, using both qualitative and quantitative inputs to drive actionable insights.

How AI is Embedded in ClearPoint Strategy

At ClearPoint Strategy, we are continuously innovating to integrate AI into our application. Here are a few examples of how we are building AI capabilities into ClearPoint:

1. ‍Strategic Planning: Quickly and professionally create your strategic plan in any modern strategy management framework.
2. ‍Objectives and Key Results: Create your OKRs with help thinking through your personal goals.
3. ‍Task Automation: Create action items and build robust project plans with detailed milestones to execute any project.
4. ‍Data Analysis: Uncover patterns in your data and write qualitative analysis looking at short and long-term results.
5. ‍Report Summaries: Summarize your strategy, results, and recommendations to make improvements to your plans.

Why Organizations Must Embrace AI

In my experience, organizations that hesitate to adopt AI risk falling behind. The business environment today is too complex and fast-paced to rely solely on traditional methods. AI equips organizations with the tools to:

• ‍Adapt Quickly: AI processes data in real-time, enabling organizations to respond to changes faster than ever before.
• ‍Enhance Decision-Making: By uncovering patterns and trends that might go unnoticed, AI ensures that leaders make informed decisions.
• ‍Optimize Resources: Automation powered by AI reduces the time and cost associated with manual processes, allowing teams to focus on strategic priorities.

Yet, adopting AI comes with challenges. Ethical concerns, data privacy, and organizational resistance are real obstacles. That’s why I advocate for a thoughtful, phased approach to AI implementation. Start small, prove value, and build a culture that embraces innovation.

Watch: Leveraging AI in Strategy Execution with LBL Strategies

A Personal Perspective

As someone deeply invested in helping organizations succeed, I see AI not as a disruptor, but as an enabler of transformation. At ClearPoint, we’ve always believed in simplifying complexity. AI aligns perfectly with this vision, making the impossible possible and helping organizations achieve clarity in their strategies.

If you’re considering integrating AI into your management practices, my advice is simple: don’t wait. Start exploring how AI can help you today. Whether it’s automating reporting, leveraging expert insights, or enhancing decision-making, the benefits far outweigh the risks.

AI is here to stay, and its role in management and strategy will only grow. As leaders, our job is to harness its potential responsibly and effectively. By combining the power of AI with human ingenuity, we can create strategies that are not only smart, but transformative.

If you’d like to learn more about how ClearPoint Strategy is using AI to help organizations achieve their goals, feel free to reach out. Get a demo from one of our strategy experts to see how our platform can support your organization’s strategic management needs, and shape the future of strategy together.