Augment, Automate, Aspire: The 3 Tiers of AI Every Leadership Team Must Understand

What if the biggest mistake leadership teams are making with AI isn’t about the technology at all? In this episode of the Strategy & Leadership Podcast, Anthony Taylor speaks with Jeroen De Flander, international expert in AI Strategy and Strategy Execution, keynote speaker, and co-founder of The Performance Factory. Jeroen has worked with more than 500 companies worldwide and has spent decades helping organizations close the gap between strategy and execution. In this conversation, he breaks down a simple but powerful framework for thinking about AI inside your organization: Augment, Automate, Aspire. Anthony and Jeroen explore why most leadership teams are still focused on the wrong level of AI adoption, how strategy is ultimately about making clear choices, including what not to do, and why delegating AI decisions to IT is one of the biggest risks in today’s boardrooms. They also discuss how AI should be treated as a strategic capability, not just a tool, how leaders can use it to improve processes and create new value for customers, and why the real opportunity lies in rethinking business models entirely. What You Will Learn in This Episode Why strategy is fundamentally about making clear choices that last The importance of defining what your organization will not do Jeroen’s 3 A framework: Augment, Automate, Aspire Why most companies are stuck at the lowest level of AI adoption How AI can improve both internal processes and customer value Why leadership teams must own AI strategy instead of delegating it How AI is reshaping business models and long-term competitive advantage About Jeroen De Flander Jeroen De Flander is an international expert in AI Strategy and Strategy Execution, and a keynote speaker who has inspired audiences in more than 45 countries. He is a professor at TIAS School for Business and Society and Academic Director for both the Strategy Execution Master and the AI Strategy Program. Jeroen is the bestselling author of several books, including Strategy Execution Heroes, The Execution Shortcut, and The Art of Performance, and creator of The 8 Model. As co-founder of The Performance Factory, he supports organizations in developing practical AI strategies and achieving stronger execution results. He has worked with more than 500 companies worldwide and contributes to the Harvard Business Review Advisory Council. His current work focuses on how AI reshapes strategic thinking and execution inside organizations. Connect with Jeroen: Website: https://www.jeroen-de-flander.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeroendeflander/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jeroendeflander1 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeroendeflander/ X: https://x.com/JeroenDeFlander About the Strategy & Leadership Podcast The Strategy & Leadership Podcast is hosted by Anthony Taylor, a strategic advisor who works with mid-market leadership teams ($30M–$300M) across North America. For more than 15 years, Anthony has been in the room with leadership teams navigating growth, transitions, and the alignment challenges that come with scaling complex organizations. On this show, he interviews CEOs, founders, and senior leaders about what actually works when strategy has to survive execution. If you lead a team and want to get better at it, subscribe. Strategy Resources for Leaders Download the Strategic Alignment Toolkit https://www.smestrategy.net/toolkit Book a Strategic Alignment Review https://www.smestrategy.net/contact Learn more about SME Strategy https://www.smestrategy.net Connect with Anthony Taylor on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonyctaylor604/ Produced by Rednyne Productions https://www.rednyne.com