Believe it or not… AI could be your secret weapon. Remember the TV Show The Greatest American Hero? I know I’m totally dating myself with this example but it’s a 80s gem with an earworm theme song you’re probably humming right now. In it, there’s an unlikely hero (substitute teacher by day) who gets this incredible super-suit but – plot twist – loses the instruction manual. So instead of graceful heroics, we get a regular guy crashing through billboards, bouncing off buildings, and somehow saving the day despite having no clue what he’s doing.
Sound familiar? As you probably guessed, I’m making the case that most businesses with AI right now have incredible power at their fingertips and phones, but they’re kind of missing the manual.
The AI Race Is Already On
Here’s the reality we need to face: While you’re figuring out your AI strategy, your competitors are already implementing theirs. The AI adoption curve isn’t gradual – it’s exponential. Companies that get ahead now aren’t just winning a slight advantage; they’re setting new customer expectations across entire industries.
Think about it:
Once your customers experience hyper-personalized service from one brand, generic interactions from others feel disappointingly outdated. Once they’ve seen AI-enhanced products that adapt to their needs, standard offerings seem rigid and limited. The bar for “wow” is rising daily, and AI is the only ladder tall enough to reach it.
You’ve got this powerful technology at your fingertips, but let’s be real – having ChatGPT open in a browser tab doesn’t magically transform your business. Buying Microsoft Copilot licenses doesn’t suddenly make your team AI-wizards. And between us, many executives talking big about their “AI strategy” haven’t actually used these tools themselves (ahem… you know who you are!).
After every keynote I deliver, the conversations are surprisingly consistent:
- “Nice suit!” (Thanks!)
- “AI isn’t nearly as overwhelming/scary/hard as I thought!”
- “Whoa – I never thought about using AI for that!”
That last one is exactly why I’m writing this series – to give you practical, no-nonsense ways to use AI that actually move the needle.
The AI Superpowers Framework
Working with teams across different industries, I noticed everyone asking the same fundamental question:
“What does AI actually do for a business?”
So I built this framework based on real-world applications – actual ways companies are using AI right now to drive results:
1. Understand – AI to Help You See More Than Before
AI isn’t just about crunching numbers – it’s about seeing everything in new ways. Yes, it devours data for breakfast, spotting patterns humans would miss after staring at spreadsheets until their eyes bleed. But it also transforms how you perceive your market, facilities, strategy, prospects, and employees.
Computer vision systems can identify inefficiencies in warehouse operations that have been invisible for years. Smart prompting in generative AI can reframe customer feedback to reveal sentiment patterns you never knew existed. McKinsey found companies leveraging these AI insights see productivity jumps of 5-15%. When AI handles the perception work, your team can focus on what to do with those fresh perspectives.
2. Create – AI as an Imaginative Partner and Producer
JPMorgan Chase used AI-generated ad copy that boosted click-through rates by 450%. Not a typo – 450%. Whether you’re drafting emails, designing products, or brainstorming campaign concepts, AI doesn’t just speed up creation – it opens doors to ideas you might never have considered.
3. Engage – AI as the Relationship Builder
Personalization isn’t just nice to have anymore – it’s rapidly becoming table stakes. Customers who experience tailored interactions from innovative brands will bring those expectations to every business they interact with.
Starbucks‘ “Deep Brew” system doesn’t just know your name – it knows you might want a hot drink when it’s raining or an iced one during your afternoon slump. AI enables personalization at a scale humans simply can’t match, turning transactions into relationships. Companies that master AI-driven engagement aren’t just serving customers better – they’re resetting the standard that everyone else will be measured against.
4. Enable – AI for Growth and Skill Development
Imagine having a personal coach in your pocket, available 24/7, speaking your language and understanding your specific challenges. AI video and voice functionality can create customized training that adapts to your learning style, uses examples from your industry, and focuses on your particular growth areas.
IBM reduced turnover by using AI to customize career development paths for employees. The difference? Their system didn’t just offer generic advice – it provided personalized guidance using language and examples that resonated with each individual. AI can be the coach that scales, making expert-level development accessible to everyone on your team.
5. Empower – AI to Scale and Streamline Operations
Amazon’s predictive inventory system ships products to warehouses near you before you’ve even decided to buy them. That’s next-level efficiency that businesses of any size can now tap into.
This is where AI agents are changing the game – autonomous systems that can handle complex workflows without constant human oversight. These aren’t just scripted bots; they’re sophisticated assistants that can make decisions, coordinate with other systems, and continuously optimize operations. Early adopters are seeing productivity gains of 30% or more in knowledge work and administrative functions.
The superpower framework makes this actionable. Need to understand market shifts in real-time? That’s Understand. Marketing team stuck in a creative rut? Tap into Create. Customer service overwhelmed? Engage can help scale personalized support.
Real Superpowers in Action
- A retail client used AI sentiment analysis to discover that their return policy – not product quality – was driving customers away. One simple policy change later, retention jumped 22%.
- A manufacturing company automated their custom quote process with AI, cutting response time from three days to under an hour. Their sales team now spends time building relationships instead of formatting spreadsheets.
- A healthcare provider used AI to generate role-specific training on new regulations, achieving compliance faster while reducing training costs by 40%.
None of these companies were just playing AI bingo. They identified specific business challenges and matched them with the right AI capability.
Your AI Playbook Starts Here
Over the next few weeks, I’ll break down each superpower with practical examples and actionable steps. You’ll walk away knowing exactly how to apply these capabilities to your unique challenges.
Because, like our flailing TV hero, we might not have perfect instructions – but with the right approach, we can still do something extraordinary.
Come back next week as we dive deep into our first superpower: Understand – how AI can help you see your business, customers, and market in ways that reveal opportunities hiding in plain sight. I’ll bring the cape, and you can wear the tights.
