Liza Adams

I’ve seen a lot of companies grappling with how to lead AI adoption. Shopify’s recent CEO internal memo made it clear that AI use is no longer optional. It’s now “a fundamental expectation of everyone at Shopify.”

Clear expectations are a strong start. But in practice, it’s better to be effective than right. The real challenge isn’t declaring AI a priority. It’s designing the conditions that make it real in the work.

Here’s what I believe the CEO got right:

• AI skills should be part of every role

• AI isn’t just for optimization; it should shape how we prototype, plan, and build

• Expectations should grow as AI becomes part of everyday work

• People should share what they’re learning so the whole team levels up faster

• Teams should ask if AI can do the job before adding headcount

That kind of clarity matters. But direction alone doesn’t get results. It has to be backed by support, systems, and space to grow.

It also takes empathy. Helping people succeed with AI in their current roles is important but so is helping them build skills they can carry forward.

Companies that invest in upskilling aren’t just raising performance. They’re setting people up to succeed in whatever comes next.

When I helped transform a lean marketing team into a 45-member human-AI powerhouse, it started as an all-human team. By January, they were working alongside 20 AI teammates. Today, they’ve scaled to 35+ AI collaborators integrated into real workflows.

What made it work wasn’t pressure. It was the environment we built:

• Time, space, and support to experiment—not just perform

• Clear use cases by role and responsible AI guidelines, so people knew where to start

• Dedicated learning time and safe spaces to try without fear

• Systems like custom GPTs, workflow templates, cross-functional AI councils, and impact tracking to scale what works

• A mindset shift: using AI not just as tools but as teammates we collaborate with.

We achieved up to 75% faster content creation, 35% better campaign performance, 98% lead qualification accuracy, and 100% AI adoption in six months.

To be clear, we don’t have full visibility into Shopify’s broader rollout. This isn’t a critique. It’s a lens. I’m sharing what I’ve seen work when companies move fast and bring their people with them.

If we want teams to evolve, we have to help them see themselves in it.

What do you think about Shopify’s approach?

For more details on building human-AI teams, check out the case study and playbook here: https://lnkd.in/gKVHapFX

#FutureOfWork #AITeammates #AICollaboration #AILiteracy #AIAdoption

What if one of your most helpful teammates wasn’t human but helped you lead your team even better?

AI is changing how we work. The real shift is how we build teams, made up of both human and AI teammates. When done right, they help us move faster, think smarter, and support each other in new ways.

This Fri, April 11, I’m joining Christine / Chris Heckart and the team at Xapa for a live session on AI teammates, especially the most human-centered one you can build: your digital twin.

I’ll show you how to create one for yourself plus other AI teammates that support your thinking, creativity, and clarity under pressure.

See details in the image and share with others. Register using the link in the comments (https://lnkd.in/gDwaKKp9).

#AITeammates #DigitalTwins #AIAgents #AIAdoption #GenerousLeadership

https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUkceuurzwqHtclkgO0hqxkckWpeN0gd3Qh#/registration