Send us Fan Mail

Global AI investment is crossing $1.3 trillion, and 95% of pilots are delivering no measurable P&L impact. That gap isn't a technology problem — it's a sequencing problem.

Jackson and Scott unpack why the money isn't following the results and what the CHRO needs to do about it. Five moves, in order. Get the sequence wrong and no adoption dashboard will save your business case.

What You'll Learn

• Why "we bought the AI module" is not an AI strategy — and why adoption metrics measure the wrong thing
• The constraint inversion loop: how vendor demos drive tool selection before any business problem is named
• Why AI is fundamentally different from prior technology waves — and why the headcount elimination instinct misses the real opportunity
• The five-move constraint-first framework and why the sequence matters as much as the moves themselves
• How the CHRO who owns the constraint review cadence owns the AI accountability conversation for the entire enterprise

Key Quotes

"Usage tells you people are using the tools. It tells you nothing about whether the tool is moving a business outcome anyone cares about."

"The CHRO who treats AI governance as an enablement function is handing away their most important capital allocation role in the enterprise."

"Redeployment is a strategic expansion question. Where does the free capacity go? What can the business do with it that it could not do before?"

Sources for Statistics Cited

• $1.3T global AI spend by end of 2026 — Source not verified at $1.3T; Gartner puts 2026 AI spend at $2.5T
• 95% of AI pilots failing measurable P&L impact — MIT NANDA Report, 2025
• 14% of CFOs see clear, measurable AI ROI — RGP 2026 CFO Research Report
• 25% of AI initiatives deliver expected ROI — IBM CEO Study, 2025
• 42% of companies abandoned AI projects in 2025 — S&P Global
• 61% of CEOs under pressure to show AI ROI — Kyndryl 2025 Readiness Report
• IBM tripling entry-level US hiring in 2026 —

Support the show

Resources

• CHRO Ascent Academy — Jackson's cohort-based program for sitting CHROs and leaders actively preparing to step into the role. A practical, peer-driven experience designed to build altitude, mandate clarity, and the strategic relationships the role requires. Currently building the next cohort for June 2026 — sign up for the wait list at mytalentsherpa.com
• getpropulsion.ai — AI teammates that enable leadership to focus on the work that actually drives business outcomes. Recommended for organizations where role clarity is the starting constraint.
• Talent Sherpa Substack — Jackson's newsletter on human capital, CHRO altitude, and enterprise leadership at talentsherpa.substack.com