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Forget the hype cycle, this conversation gets into how AI actually lands inside a company: purpose first, people next, technology last. We sit down with returning guest Darren Thayre from Google to unpack how a 180,000 person organisation moved from siloed product areas to a shared AI language, and why a calm, purpose‑driven message aligned everyone faster than any dashboard or revenue goal could.

We talk through the real mechanics of change: aligning OKRs across ads, YouTube, payments, cloud, and workspace around Gemini; replacing jargon with a common vocabulary that lets teams collaborate without translation; and setting a one‑way‑door commitment so the organisation stops hedging and starts learning. 

Darren shares insights from interviewing 150 Googlers; what worked, what didn’t: treat AI as a decade‑long capability you embed, not a three‑year “program” you complete.

If you’re a leader wondering where to start, you’ll get a playbook you can use tomorrow. Run a one‑day purpose workshop to set ethics and vision. Ask every department for three use cases in three weeks:

1) An easy win

2) A six‑month stretch

3) A moonshot

Let teams become CEOs of their own journey. Put an AI assistant in every brainstorm to check feasibility, legality, and past art in the moment. Keep incentives and measures honest, communicate in plain English, and resist over‑engineering your transformation. 

Subscribe for more practical conversations on culture, leadership, and the real work of making AI useful. If this episode helped you reframe your approach, share it with a colleague and leave a short revieaw. What’s the first small bet your team will try?

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