When you need to pitch an AI initiative to leadership
The Move
Lead with the business case, not the technology. Anchor to credible third-party data.
The Script
"I've been researching how AI can improve [specific process]. Harvard and Stanford research shows teams using AI produce top-10% ideas three times more often. Here's a 30-day pilot I've scoped that would let us test this with low risk and measurable outcomes."
Your AI Prompt
Draft a 60-second executive pitch for implementing AI in [process/department]. Include: one Harvard or Stanford stat on AI productivity, a specific 30-day pilot scope, three measurable success criteria, and a risk-mitigation statement. Tone: confident, data-anchored, zero buzzwords.
Why This Works
Sadun, Lakhani & Dell'Acqua (HBS, 2025) ran a field experiment at P&G: ideas in the top 10% were three times more likely to come from AI-augmented teams. Neeley (HBS, 2025) found most McKinsey-surveyed businesses have applied AI to at least one function. Leading with these anchors makes you the person who brought the evidence, not the one asking for permission.
Research Behind This Move
AI in 2026: From Adoption to Agentic
Neeley, Riley, Sadun, Lakhani, Dell'Acqua, Paulson, Groysberg et al. · Harvard Business School Working Knowledge · February 2026
Navigating the Jagged Technological Frontier
Dell'Acqua, McFowland, Mollick et al. · HBS Working Paper / Organization Science · 2023 (updated 2026)