The AI Advantage Belongs to Those Who Reinvent How They Work

Q: Last year, you emphasized the importance of strategic alignment with talent development as a driver of agility. In what areas do organizations still struggle to translate strategy into execution? 

A: Organizations operate in a constantly changing context, where challenges are no longer limited to technological advances or AI. There are also sociopolitical dynamics, tariffs, and global conflicts that directly impact business environments. Therefore, it becomes essential to clearly define what strategy the organization wants to pursue and how talent initiatives support that direction.

We are observing a significant increase, about 40%, in projects focused on strategic alignment. What that number tells us is that organizations are recognizing that having a brilliant strategy is not enough. Every leader, at every level, needs to know exactly which decisions they must make differently for that strategy to come to life. That translation from intent to action is where most organizations still struggle.

Q: Considering that change is no longer a project but a permanent state, what does leadership need to do to remain effective under these circumstances?

A: There is a collective illusion that leaders need to break: the idea that change is a storm that eventually passes. It does not. Effective leadership starts with that clarity, and from there, with the intentional development of strategies to guide others through constant transformation. This means that leadership is situational. At times, leaders need to provide stability; at others, they need to push forward or simply listen. However, it all starts with self-awareness. Many leaders are not fully conscious that they are not only leading a function or an area but are also inherently leading change.

In a recent discussion with leaders from organizations such as Coca-Cola FEMSA, Starbucks, and BBVA, one recurring theme was how overwhelming it feels to face continuous change across all fronts. Not because these leaders lack capability, but because they are being asked to manage this quarter’s results while simultaneously reinventing their business. Those are two completely different capabilities, and change does not pause while they figure it out. This creates a dual challenge. Leaders must deliver short-term results,  monthly, quarterly, or annually, while simultaneously rethinking the future of the business. 

Ideally, organizations should not rely on a specific function dedicated solely to managing change. Instead, every leader should embrace this dual responsibility: managing their business while leading transformation. While this is not a minor challenge, it reflects a growing awareness that change is not episodic but continuous, and that responsibility must be shared across all leadership levels.

Q: Many companies are investing heavily in AI but are not seeing clear returns. What does a more strategic, value-oriented approach to AI look like in practice?

A: The frustration is real, and the data is clear: fewer than 10% of organizations have achieved meaningful financial impact from AI, even when most have a roadmap in place. The core problem is that organizations are measuring the wrong thing. They track activity metrics, licenses activated, people trained, but users trained does not equal value created. Genuine adoption requires people to actually redesign how they work, and that cannot happen when organizations are simply waiting for a perfect, predefined solution to arrive from elsewhere.

The frustration stems from the fact that while investments are being made, organizations are not revisiting their ways of working. The real unlock is at the team level: focused teams rethinking entire workflows across multiple systems, not isolated individuals gaining small productivity wins or large IT projects that take years to deliver. Organizations that concentrate efforts there are nearly three times more likely to realize genuine returns from AI. The signal worth listening for is whether your teams are telling you they found a breakthrough, or just that they are using the tools.

Q: What mindset changes are required within teams to fully embrace this transformation and deliver results?

A: One of the key risks we see is the tendency to outsource critical thinking to AI. There must always be a human element in the interaction. AI should not replace judgment or reasoning; instead, it should enhance effectiveness, creativity, and the ability to think differently. True transformation requires rethinking how work is approached. It is not about maintaining the same processes and simply adding AI on top. 

Organizations need to redefine the role of AI as a catalyst and enabler of new ways of working. A useful frame here is jazz: unlike a symphony, where everyone follows the same sheet music and a single conductor dictates every note, jazz has structure but also freedom. Each musician listens, adapts, and riffs. That adaptive, participative culture is what AI genuinely demands. It requires organizations to redefine their relationship with uncertainty and failure, creating environments where trying new approaches is an expectation, and where learning in public is celebrated rather than concealed.

Additionally, curiosity and a willingness to learn are essential mindsets. While younger employees may be more familiar with certain tools, there is immense value in combining the experience of more senior professionals with the openness and adaptability of newer generations, and that combination, when made intentional, generates breakthroughs that neither group would reach on its own. Ultimately, organizations need to create environments where trying something new is not a career risk but part of the work, allowing teams to continuously learn and evolve.

Q: You recently expanded your presence in Monterrey. What does this move reveal about your strategic priorities in Mexico?

A: We have been working for several years with clients whose operations are primarily based in Monterrey. Expanding our presence there is a natural step in ensuring closer proximity to those clients. Mexico is a large and diverse market, and being physically closer to clients allows us to better understand local contexts and provide more effective support. While there was a strong shift toward remote work in recent years, there is now a renewed appreciation for in-person interactions.

Being close to clients enables deeper understanding, stronger relationships, and more effective collaboration. As a global organization with more than 34 offices worldwide, proximity remains a fundamental pillar in building strong partnerships.

Q: What would mark 2026 as a successful year for BTS?

A: A successful year is one where our clients can say they made better decisions, with greater clarity, as a result of working with us. That is the measure that matters most. In my 16 years with the organization, no year has ever been the same, and no project is identical to another, which is itself one of the greatest motivations. We are constantly evolving. Growth has also come through acquisitions, such as a recent one in Brazil that strengthens our capabilities in culture-related projects.

A successful year is not defined solely by achieving targets; it is defined by how those targets are achieved and by taking on challenges we have not addressed before, supporting our clients in meaningful ways, and growing alongside them. At the end of the year, I want to be able to say that we took on challenges that did not have a manual, created real value for clients navigating something genuinely difficult, and left organizations more prepared for what comes next, even when we cannot fully name what that is yet. That capacity to learn forward is what defines BTS.