I want you to sit back and take a short break, the length of time it takes to enjoy a good cup of tea or coffee. Let’s literally or virtually step outside our box, the office, the mind. And let’s start counting our achievements and our blessings.
Now walk up to something, anything that reflects your image. What do you see? A fearless tech leader.
And now let’s get back to what this article is about: You’ve been preparing for AI for years. You’ve got this.
Where would you be today if you hadn’t stepped up when multifunction printers started to replace single-function devices? Or when managed print services (MPS), in all its shapes and sizes, took a firm grip on dealerships? Or when software, workflow, and workflow automation became household items? And when diversification became an additional lifeline?
Exactly, you wouldn’t be looking at that reflection today if you hadn’t stepped up.
And where would your team be if you didn’t take the lead? If you didn’t invest in their skills?
We would all be nowhere. We all would be doing different things. And we all know it.
This same courageous approach applies to everything and anything AI. Select wisely, master the learning curve, set rules, arrange training, spread the word, lead by example, and be the best you possibly can be—alone or, as always, with a trusted partner.
Regardless of where we all were 10, 20, 30, or 50 years ago, we are still here, and we still rock the show. Because we are fearless. Was it tough? Yes. Did we pull through? Yes, and yes, and yes to all the other challenges not listed or even thought of here.
AI for the notoriously curious
I don’t have a recipe for how you can master AI, but it’s not by thinking it’ll go away, or it won’t affect your business. That approach, I’m afraid, might even ruin your business.
So, like with everything you’ve done before, be curious, talk to an expert, take baby steps, and get going! Don’t ignore the fasten your seatbelt sign, don’t ignore the security red lights—but don’t be afraid or ignorant either.
Feeling overwhelmed? You’re not the only one—everyone is, they just might not be showing it. In fact, a recent EY survey found that 71% of U.S. employees are concerned about AI, and about half say they are more concerned today than they were a year ago. The anxiety is real and universal. The difference between leaders and bystanders is simply what you do with it.
But here’s the funny thing about AI: it’s been with us for a very long time; we just didn’t think about it or we used a different name for it. Or how do you think scan-and-route on the fancy MFPs you’re selling is working? Or the image correction on the copier? Or the auto-correct on your smartphone? It’s all AI!
Are you using any of the office platforms? Microsoft? Google? AI is baked in left, right, and center—it’s just more prominent, and yes, in some cases, more intrusive than it used to be. I, for one, have been enjoying it for a long time: when Gmail detects a calendar event in an email, it often saves my sanity by highlighting details I might have missed. Or spam detection—AI-trained. So many little things that made our work easier are AI-driven. Some of them are simple algorithms, some are generative AI, some are LLM-based, and others are simple workflows disguised as AI.
However, and yes, there has to be a however: since Large Language Models became publicly available, the AI-everything boom has begun to infiltrate our tech brains with all sorts of thoughts about the good, the bad, and the ugly. The risks are real—from data privacy and cybersecurity threats to deepfakes and AI-generated phishing emails—and they deserve serious attention. But don’t let the risks paralyze you. PwC’s Global Workforce Hopes and Fears Survey confirms that optimism about AI’s potential significantly outweighs anxiety among those who are actually using it. And that’s the key phrase: among those who are actually using it.
A good first step? Ask your OEM rep what AI tools they’re already embedding in the devices you’re selling. The answer might surprise you, and will give you an immediate, practical foothold.
The curtain doesn’t fall, it rises
In the theater, “the show must go on” isn’t just a saying. It’s a discipline. No matter what falls apart backstage—a missed cue, a costume malfunction, a lighting failure—what the audience sees is a professional in command of the stage.
That’s exactly where you stand today.
You’ve navigated every technology wave that came before this one, and you didn’t do it by waiting in the wings. You stepped into the spotlight. AI is simply the next act, and if research tells us anything, it’s that leaders who frame it as an opportunity rather than a threat are the ones who bring their teams along with them. According to Boise State research on AI anxiety and innovation, it is precisely that leadership posture—curiosity over fear, growth over obsolescence—that turns anxiety into momentum.
The curtain isn’t falling. It’s rising. And the audience is waiting to see what you do next!
