Research-grounded, plainly written. A ten-part series from the primary research behind the LSRH, and an annual independent reading of the most widely read report in the field.
Across 18 UK SMEs, the organisations that progressed with AI were not those with the best tools.
The leaders who made the most progress were not those with the most answers. They were those who made uncertainty discussable.
The most common barrier to adoption was not technical. It was emotional — and almost entirely invisible to leaders.
The fourth piece grew into its own page — the full framework: three stages, a loop, and why readiness is provisional.
The difference was not ambition, funding or technology. It was leadership practice.
Introduced too early, governance stifled experimentation. Too late, it created anxiety.
Readiness was not created through formal strategies or large programmes, but through repeated leadership actions.
The instinct to write a three-year AI strategy is understandable. It is also counterproductive.
GenAI initiatives rarely failed outright. They stalled — and understanding why is the practical conclusion of the series.
I set out to answer an academic question, not to start a business. Twenty interviews later, the gap I kept finding convinced me otherwise.
If something you've read raises a question about your own organisation, we'd welcome a conversation. We can help you explore what it means for your priorities and where to go next.