The other day I was driving and three birds—each about the size of my fist—were standing in the road.
The first saw my car coming and flew to a nearby tree. The second noticed that bird take off and followed without hesitation. The third bird ran. Its little legs moved furiously. One or two inches at a time, sprinting like it knew its life depended on it.
What struck me wasn't the panic—it was the choice. The bird had wings. And still, it stayed on the ground.
I've done the same thing more times than I can count. I've had faster options, better tools, leverage within reach—and still chose to grind. Still chose the safety of keeping my feet on the ground.
AI is doing to our industry what wings do for a bird. The pace of business is accelerating. Communication, documentation, decision-making—everything is compressing. If your company isn't using AI yet, your competitors or partners are. Legacy workflows weren't designed for this speed. They can't keep up.
You don't need to be technical. You don't need a strategy deck. Open a popular AI model—ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Copilot. Type one sentence:
"I'm a [your role]. What questions should I be asking about using AI in my job that will prepare me for the future of work?"
Then ask the next question it suggests. And then the next. That's the roadmap. It's no more complicated than that.
"Thud" is the sound a bird makes when it hits your car's grille.