You’ve built a career on making smart, high-stakes decisions. You’ve navigated market shifts, organizational restructures, and more performance reviews than you can count. And now everyone is asking the same question: What’s your AI strategy?
If that question triggers more anxiety than clarity, you’re not alone. But according to executive coach and WealthChoice client Diana Urbin, founder of Sharro Solutions, the problem isn’t that leaders don’t know enough about AI. It’s that they’re letting fear drive the conversation, and that has real consequences for their teams, their culture, and their career trajectory.
We sat down with Diana to talk about what she’s hearing from leaders right now, the biggest mistakes, and what executive women specifically need to understand to navigate AI with confidence.
The Leadership Divide: Defeated vs. Empowered
When Diana surveys the leadership landscape right now, she sees two distinct camps.
“There are leaders who are just defeated,” she says. “They’re in a doom-and-gloom headspace, like AI is like an apocalyptic event. And then there are leaders who see it as an exciting opportunity.”
The problem isn’t the divide. It’s what happens when a leader in that defeated camp is the one setting the tone for an entire organization. Fear at the top doesn’t stay at the top.
“When leaders are in that space, it bleeds into their culture,” Diana explains. “You end up with dysfunctional teams, paralyzed by uncertainty, when what they need is someone modeling thoughtful, calm adaptation.”
For executive women managing equity decisions, business growth, or a potential exit, this dynamic is critical. Your emotional state around AI isn’t a personal matter. It shapes how you lead, how your team performs, and how your business is perceived.
We’ve Been Here Before (And We Made It Through)
One of the most grounding reframes Diana offers her clients is historical perspective. AI isn’t the first technological shift to send leaders into a tailspin.
“Remember Y2K?” she asks. “People in tech genuinely believed all computer systems would stop working. And the internet before that. There were resisters and early adopters, and everyone found their footing eventually.”
The pattern repeats: disruption, fear, adaptation, normalization. What separates leaders who thrive through these moments from those who don’t isn’t technical expertise. It’s emotional regulation and the willingness to keep learning without overreacting.
That doesn’t mean ignoring what’s real. AI is moving faster than previous tech shifts, and the implications for certain roles and industries are genuinely significant. But Diana’s point is that leaders who operate from fear and confusion do more damage to their organizations than the technology will.
What a Smart AI Strategy for Leaders Actually Looks Like
Diana is quick to clarify something: she’s not an AI strategist or consultant. And that’s exactly her point.
“You don’t need to become an AI expert,” she says. “You need to know the basics well enough to have brainstorming conversations, to ask better questions, and to understand how AI can optimize your business.”
For executive women, that looks like three practical things:
Build enough literacy to lead the conversation. You don’t need to know how large language models work. You do need to know enough to ask your team the right questions and evaluate the options they bring you.
Create a standing check-in. Diana recommends a monthly review: What do we actually know today? What’s changed? What are the researched AI trends coming up in the next quarter? And therefore, what pivots should we prepare for? This keeps decision-making grounded in current information rather than fear or assumption.
To make that review even easier, consider using an AI research tool like Perplexity.ai to do the heavy lifting. Try a prompt like this one Diana suggests:
“I run an [industry] company. What AI tools and resources should I be considering for [marketing/sales/operations/etc.]? What are the researched AI trends coming up in the next quarter that I should be aware of for my industry? And therefore, what pivots should I be preparing for? Please cite research sources.”
Plug in your specifics, and you’ll have a current, sourced snapshot to bring to your monthly review.
Think about positioning, not just process. How are you communicating about AI to your clients, your stakeholders, and your team? Leaders who present themselves as thoughtful, informed learners and adopters build more trust and credibility than those who dismiss AI or overstate its capabilities.
The Real Competitive Edge: What AI Can’t Replace
Here’s the part of the AI conversation Diana thinks most leaders are missing. As AI takes over more routine and analytical tasks, the premium on human skills is going up, not down.
“AI will handle more of the dry, process-oriented work,” she says. “That means the demand for people who can build relationships, navigate complexity, and lead with emotional intelligence is going to grow.”
This is a real opportunity for executive women. The skills that have made you effective, including building trust with clients, managing teams through ambiguity, and making judgment calls under pressure, are exactly what become more valuable as AI absorbs more of the transactional work.
That’s true whether you’re running a company, managing a major client book, or evaluating a business exit. The human judgment and relational intelligence you bring to complex decisions aren’t your competitive advantage in an AI world.
The Takeaway for Executive Women Navigating AI Right Now
If you’re feeling pressure to have all the answers on AI, Diana’s advice is to slow down before you react.
“Take the time to be thoughtful. Many are fearing the speed of AI but that’s exactly the panic that is working against so many leaders right now, ” she says. “The leaders who do the most damage are the ones dragging their teams into that panic.”
You don’t need a perfect AI strategy by next quarter. You need a clear-eyed, grounded approach: stay informed, manage your own emotional response, build your team’s trust, and show up as the leader who thinks before she reacts.
That’s not a small thing. For many organizations, it’s the difference between a team that adapts well and one that struggles to keep up.
Your career and your financial life are deeply connected. If you’re working through major decisions around equity compensation, business growth, or planning for an exit, it helps to have a team that understands the full picture. Schedule a complimentary consultation with WealthChoice to talk through what a thoughtful financial strategy looks like for where you are right now.
About Diana Urbina: Diana Urbina is an executive coach and the founder of Sharro Solutions. Her work focuses on helping leaders navigate organizational change, emotional resilience, and culture. Learn more at sharrosolutions.com
