[AI SPRINT] Will Fear, Incentives, or Inspiration Drive AI Adoption Best?

It’s AI keynote season, and I’m traveling the country helping leaders unlock real value from AI within their organizations.

This week I’m speaking with leaders from healthcare to auto care, and they all ask some version of the same question:

For the past 2.5 years, we’ve heard endless hype about AI’s transformational potential. And yes—some employees are already onboard. In most orgs, about 15–20% of people are self-motivated, curious, and driven enough to explore AI on their own.

And they’re crushing it:

• Up to 20% productivity gains (I see this—it’s real)

• Higher quality output

• More enjoyable, creative work

But that leaves 80% of your team stuck. Not because they’re lazy or resistant—simply because they haven’t been rallied, resourced, or rewarded.

This Is the “R” in AI SPRINT

You’ve heard me talk about the AI SPRINT framework for building AI into your company. To my knowledge, it’s the only framework of its kind—and it works.

The “R” stands for Rally—rally your people to use AI.

Last week, Fiverr CEO Micha Kaufman showed us what not to do when telling his company they need to use AI.

He wrote (edited to relevant points):

Honest? Yes.
Effective? Not remotely.

Fear doesn’t rally teams. It freezes them.

If your people think AI is the thing that’s going to make them irrelevant, don’t expect them to embrace it. Expect silent resistance.

And a quiet uptick in updated LinkedIn profiles.

Incentives Create Movement

What I find is most people aren’t adopting AI because it’s “the future.”
They adopt it when they see how it helps them win right now.

Your team will resist AI if:

• They’re rewarded for time spent, not outcomes (hello, billable hours)

• They fear becoming obsolete if they automate too much

• There’s no immediate upside to changing how they work

They’ll rally around it when:

• AI helps them hit goals faster and with less stress

• Mastering AI becomes the path to visibility, growth, and promotion

• Their wins are recognized—loudly and publicly

People move toward reward. Not abstract threats.

The Untapped Gold Mine of AI Adoption

Most teams run dozens of recurring processes every week—many ripe for automation or augmentation.

Every task is an opportunity to either rally your team—or repel them from AI.

Give people the support and incentives to explore.
Reward experimentation. Create structures to share wins.
Do this, and adoption follows.

Tell them their jobs are doomed? You’ll get silence.

Unlocking the Real Upside

Leaders who use fear or mandates are missing the biggest upside of AI of all: innovation.

I believe—deeply—that AI gives every company the opportunity to invent new products, services, and ways of working that were never possible before.

Let your employees reimagine:

• How you serve customers

• Where you reduce friction or cost

• What new markets you could enter

This is what sustains not just jobs—but your business itself.

And it’s never been more doable! It’s also the most meaningful work most of us do.

3 Ways to Rally, Not Scare Employees into AI

1. Tie Bonuses to Output, Not Activity
   Reward task automation, not time spent grinding.
   Pay for value created—not effort logged.

2. Build Career Ladders Around AI Fluency
   If using AI well means faster promotion, your best people will self-train faster than you can imagine.

3. Recognize Wins in Real-Time
   Want behavior change? Shine a spotlight on those already doing it.
   People move toward what gets noticed.

Final Word

Don’t scare your people into AI.
Rally them with rewards, recognition, and real outcomes.

That’s when real results start showing up.

Need help on how to do it? Let’s talk about how to build this into your culture—fast.

About Trent: Trent Gillespie is an AI Keynote Speaker, CEO of Stellis AI, former Amazon leader, and advisor on building AI-Native, AI-Enabled businesses. Book Trent to speak to your group or book a call to discuss using AI within your business.

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