AI Strategy: Star Players or Team Performance?
AI Strategy: Star Players or Team Performance?
The Veikkausliiga season starts this week. As a father of two boys playing on league fields, I've spent countless hours watching games and practices, and noticed how differently football appears on-site compared to television coverage. From the sideline, you can clearly see that dynamic whole where players move, anticipate and communicate constantly. It's not about individual stars but the entire team's collaboration and a whole polished through thousands of practice hours.
The same dynamic seems to repeat in AI strategy. Organizations often seem to search for that one "game-changing" application or model that would revolutionize everything - as if looking for that million-euro star player who would solve matches alone. At the same time, there's talk about integrating AI as part of the entire organization. Does a single star application solve business challenges – or is teamwork needed after all?
When examining the matter more deeply, it becomes evident that the most successful football teams rarely build on one star - even though media often presents it that way. Similarly, AI's real value rarely emerges from individual applications, but rather from how different capabilities work together, support each other and strengthen the organization's strategy. Central is coaching - how well the organization can "coach" both its AI and its people to work together.
Finding balance is essential here. A football coach doesn't shout instructions to the field in every situation, but trusts players' ability to make independent decisions in the game's dynamics. Similarly, effective AI strategy balances between centralized control and distributed autonomy. The organization's "playbook" must be clear, but AI agents and employees must also be given space to apply, learn and react flexibly to situations.
Interestingly, in both football and AI strategy, stars often get attention, but success builds on structures, processes and culture. Just as football requires "game vision," using AI requires "business vision" – the ability to recognize where and how technology truly brings value.
What position is your organization's AI currently playing - and who is coaching it? And are you looking for one star player or building a sustainable team?
#AIStrategy #LeadershipAndCoaching #OrganizationalCapabilities
Marko Paananen
Strategic AI consultant and digital business development expert with 20+ years of experience. Helps companies turn AI potential into measurable business value.
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