Guest: Neil Sahota, United Nations AI Advisor

From internal sabotage and mistrust to ethical blind spots and cultural misalignment, this conversation dives deep into the real reasons AI transformations succeed or stall…and the solutions you need to make AI work in your company. You’ll also hear powerful examples of machine-human collaboration, the rise of AI bosses, and why trust is now a core leadership metric.

Here's what Neil and Maureen cover:

• The #1 reason AI rollouts fail – and how you can avoid it;
• How to assess your organization’s readiness for AI; and
• Practical strategies to build buy-in, trust, and adaptability.

Neil’s other binge-worthy episodes about AI are:

- The 10 Leadership Skills You Need to Safely Adopt AI

- Unleashing the Power of Human-AI Collaboration

- How to Own the AI Revolution

- And, of course, the first part of this interview: Why AI at Work Fails

For daily wisdom from our guests, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn.

RESOURCES:

Neil’s book, Own the AI Revolution, is available on Amazon at https://amzn.to/4kx4af3, and on Audible at https://amzn.to/4lgS0rK.

Learn more about Neil on his website at https://www.neilsahota.com/. He shares his latest observations on AI in the workplace on his Substack channel at neilsahota@substack.com.

Our host Maureen Metcalf posts a newsletter every week on LinkedIn. You can subscribe here.

The book Maureen and Neil referenced which they wrote together is Innovative Leadership & Followership in the Age of AI. You’ll find details about it at https://bit.ly/LeaderInAI, or check out the Kindle version at https://amzn.to/44buVz8. The audiobook version is now available at https://amzn.to/4dTCleZ.

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OUR PODCAST TEAM:

Host & Executive Producer: Maureen Metcalf

Editor & Executive Producer: Dan Mushalko

Graphics Editor: Stacia Rogan

Booking Producer: Jenna Reik

Theme Music by Pavel Bekirov from Pixabay.

CONNECT WITH US:

YouTube: @InnovatingLeadership

LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/ILI-LinkedIn2

Website: InnovativeLeadershipInstitute.com

Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating!

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About Our Guest:

Neil Sahota (萨冠军) is an IBM Master Inventor, United Nations (UN) Artificial Intelligence (AI) Advisor, author of the best-seller Own the AI Revolution and sought-after speaker. With 20+ years of business experience, he works to inspire clients and business partners to foster innovation and develop next generation products/solutions powered by AI.

Guest: Neil Sahota, United Nations AI Advisor

Most AI failures aren’t caused by bad code. They’re caused by bad leadership.

In this episode, host Maureen Metcalf talks with UN AI advisor and IBM Master Inventor Neil Sahota to uncover the 5 fatal mistakes most organizations make when adopting AI. From the myth that AI is "just software" to the risk of automating bad processes, Neil explains why 4 out of 5 failures are human and leadership-based, not technical. Learn how treating AI like a high-energy intern, not a black box, transforms your success rate. This episode is a must for leaders looking to build effective, ethical, and future-ready AI strategies.

Here's what Neil and Maureen cover:

• The real business pain points when adopting AI apps at your company;
• How bias and hallucinations sneak into AI when you rely on your tech team over your subject matter experts; and
• Why AI amplifies your mistakes as well as your strengths.

Neil’s other binge-worthy episodes about AI are:

- The 10 Leadership Skills You Need to Safely Adopt AI

- Unleashing the Power of Human-AI Collaboration

- How to Own the AI Revolution

For daily wisdom from our guests, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn.

RESOURCES:

Neil’s book, Own the AI Revolution, is available on Amazon at https://amzn.to/4kx4af3, and on Audible at https://amzn.to/4lgS0rK.

Learn more about Neil on his website at https://www.neilsahota.com/. He shares his latest observations on AI in the workplace on his Substack channel at neilsahota@substack.com.

Our host Maureen Metcalf posts a newsletter every week on LinkedIn. You can subscribe here.

The book Maureen and Neil referenced which they wrote together is Innovative Leadership & Followership in the Age of AI. You’ll find details about it at https://bit.ly/LeaderInAI, or check out the Kindle version at https://amzn.to/44buVz8. The audiobook version is now available at https://amzn.to/4dTCleZ.

-----------------------

OUR PODCAST TEAM:

Host & Executive Producer: Maureen Metcalf

Editor & Executive Producer: Dan Mushalko

Graphics Editor: Stacia Rogan

Booking Producer: Jenna Reik

Theme Music by Pavel Bekirov from Pixabay.

CONNECT WITH US:

YouTube: @InnovatingLeadership

LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/ILI-LinkedIn2

Website: InnovativeLeadershipInstitute.com

Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating!

-----------------------

About Our Guest:

Neil Sahota (萨冠军) is an IBM Master Inventor, United Nations (UN) Artificial Intelligence (AI) Advisor, author of the best-seller Own the AI Revolution and sought-after speaker. With 20+ years of business experience, he works to inspire clients and business partners to foster innovation and develop next generation products/solutions powered by AI.

Guest: Sebastian Salicru, Psychologist & Author

Are we training leaders for a world that no longer exists?

Leadership expert and psychologist Sebastian Salicru joins host Maureen Metcalf to tackle one of today’s most pressing challenges: the failure of traditional leadership in a world defined by complexity and change. More importantly, they explore what today’s leaders actually need to succeed in a high-velocity world.

Here's what Sebastian and Maureen cover:

1. The breakdown and downfall of the heroic leader;
2. Why the billions of dollars spent on leadership development aren’t delivering results;
3. The very real yet positive role of failure and suffering in building great leaders; and
4. Why we must challenge the outdated mental models holding leadership back.

Other episodes you'll enjoy:

- Tales from the Top: How Leaders Use Stories with Dr. Tanvi Gautam

- The Rise of Humanness with Chris Nolan & Michael Schindler

- Leading with Care & Purpose with Raj Sisodia & Sudhanshu Palsule

For daily wisdom from our guests, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn.

RESOURCES:

Sebastian has a website filled with information on his leadership work at https://ptspsychology.com/.

His book, Leadership Results, is available on Amazon at https://amzn.to/4nulK66.

Our host Maureen Metcalf posts a newsletter ever y week on LinkedIn. You can subscribe here.

Maureen’s latest book is Innovative Leadership & Followership in the Age of AI. You’ll find details about it at https://bit.ly/LeaderInAI, or check out the Kindle version at https://amzn.to/44buVz8 . The audiobook version is now available at https://amzn.to/4dTCleZ.

Her other 10 books are available on Amazon here.

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OUR PODCAST TEAM:

Host & Executive Producer: Maureen Metcalf

Editor & Executive Producer: Dan Mushalko

Graphics Editor: Stacia Rogan

Booking Producer: Jenna Reik

CONNECT WITH US:

YouTube: @InnovatingLeadership

LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/ILI-LinkedIn2

Instagram: @innovativeleader

Website: InnovativeLeadershipInstitute.com

Loved this episode? Leave us a review and rating!

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About Our Guest:

Sebastian Salicru has been a registered psychologist for over 25 years, and has professional experience in both clinical and corporate settings. Sebastian empowers his clients to: make better (and often previously unimaginable) decisions and choices about their personal and/or professional lives; set ambitious goals; take positive and bold action; change the status quo; achieve real outcomes and long-lasting results; enjoy intimate relationships, and live meaningful lives.

In addition to English, Sebastian speaks French, Italian and Spanish.

In addition to being a registered psychologist, Sebastian is: a board-approved supervisor by the Psychology Board of Australia; a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) of the International Coach Federation (ICF); a graduate from the ‘Art & Practice of Leadership Development’, Harvard University Kennedy School; a Fellow of the Institute of Coaching, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School; and author of multiple publications.