When generative AI burst onto the scene in late 2022, nearly every organization started from the same point. A few had been experimenting with machine learning for years, but for most, the race to operationalize AI began at the same moment. Since then, the question hasn’t been whether to adopt AI, but how.

At Six06 Strategy, we’ve built structured programs—an AI Foundations Workshop for immediate efficiency gains and an AI Adoption Accelerator for scaling adoption over time. Across engagements, five themes surface again and again. Leaders who understand these themes early are better equipped to steer AI adoption with clarity and confidence.

1. Expect to cultivate an AI-First mindset

AI-First is not a slogan—it’s a lens. It means bringing AI to the table for every task, process, or decision, even if you ultimately set it aside. The value comes from asking, “Could this be better with AI?” That discipline uncovers the use cases that matter most.

2. Expect to commit for the long term

Transformation takes time. Models evolve, tools proliferate, and features that seem cutting-edge one month feel obsolete the next. That volatility makes process even more important. Build your governance, hold your council meetings, capture results, and stay the course.

3. Expect progress, not perfection

Not every pilot will succeed. Some tools won’t deliver ROI. What matters is learning, documenting, and sharing. Perform after-action reviews, loop in your executive sponsor, and move forward. Progress compounds; perfection stalls.

4. Expect pushback

AI provokes strong reactions—philosophical, ethical, practical. Don’t dismiss them, but don’t let them paralyze you either. Acknowledge concerns and focus your energy on the curious, because curiosity is the engine of adoption.

5. Expect everything to change—again and again

The adoption curve is faster than both the internet and the personal computer. Capabilities that once required bespoke solutions are now features inside frontier models. The safeguard is governance: a policy-anchored way of making decisions that lets you adapt without losing direction.

What It Means

The journey isn’t easy, but it is rewarding. With the right mindset, discipline, and structure, AI moves from an abstract concept to a concrete driver of growth and innovation. The sooner you begin, the faster you’ll be ready for what comes next.