I have become a great fan of the javelin throw.
India getting a double podium at the Commonwealth Games 2026 made me think about how much this sport has changed. For decades, javelin was largely dominated by European countries. Then came India’s Olympic gold, followed by Pakistan making its mark, and now Sri Lanka winning at the Commonwealth.
What really changed?
Not geography or genetics I think.
The biggest change was the willingness to learn.
Athletes and coaches began studying the techniques, training methods and approaches used by the best in the world—and adapting them to their own circumstances. Once knowledge became accessible, the playing field started to change.
I believe AI presents a remarkably similar opportunity.
For decades, many of the technologies that shaped the modern world—including operating systems and much of the foundational software infrastructure—were built by a relatively small number of countries and companies.
AI is different.
It gives every country, every business and every professional an opportunity to leapfrog—not necessarily by building the technology from scratch, but by learning how to use it exceptionally well.
My Own AI Learning Curve
Over the last few weeks, I have been experimenting with combining Excel and Claude.
The results have been nothing short of magical.
Analyses that would earlier take me days can now be completed in under 10 minutes. Tasks that involved repetitive work, complex formulas or multiple iterations are becoming dramatically faster.
But the biggest benefit isn’t simply saving time.
It is what the saved time allows me to do.
Instead of spending hours working on data, I can spend more time thinking.
Instead of getting stuck in the mechanics of analysis, I can focus on solving problems.
Instead of being consumed by execution, I can spend more time on decisions and outcomes.
That, to me, is where the real AI opportunity lies.
The Next Competitive Advantage
The internet created new industries. Social media created new professions. Platforms like YouTube allowed content creators to build entirely new careers by learning how to use a technology that was already available to everyone.
AI could do something similar for knowledge workers.
The tools are increasingly available on our desktops. The question is no longer simply, “What can AI do?”
The more important question is:
“What can I do now that I know how to use AI well?”
The winners of the AI era may not necessarily be only those who build the underlying technology.
They may also be the people who learn faster, experiment more, integrate AI into their daily work and find ways to turn it into a genuine productivity advantage.
In javelin, the technology is not the athlete.
The athlete is the one who learns how to throw it the farthest.
Perhaps AI is the same.
The opportunity is here. The real differentiator will be how far we choose to throw it.
#AI #ArtificialIntelligence #Leadership #BusinessStrategy #FutureOfWork