The AI-Curious Leader: How to Innovate Without Breaking Your Firm

Everywhere you turn, someone is saying firms need to be focused on AI. For a lot of us, that doesn’t feel like opportunity. It feels like one more thing on an already full plate.

And let’s be honest. Most firms don’t have the time or appetite to overhaul how they operate just to chase the latest technology trend.

So why explore AI at all?

Because it’s already showing up in the work. Clients are asking about it. Staff are trying it on their own. Whether we plan for it or not, it’s in the room. And when something is already in the room, the safest move is to turn on the lights and take a real look.

So instead of asking whether we should use AI at all, a better question is how we want to approach it.

What Is an AI-Curious Leader?

An AI-curious leader is willing to learn. It’s the person who looks at AI and says, “If this could help our people do better work, I want to understand it.”

They don’t treat AI as a threat or a shortcut. They see it as something that can support humans. Better conversations. Better judgment. Better client experiences. Not automation for its own sake.

They’re comfortable starting small and saying, “I don’t know yet, but let’s find out.” And they connect experiments back to real issues the firm is already managing. Capacity. Burnout. Developing talent. Rising client expectations.

Most of all, they create an environment where trying something new feels safe. No panic. Just learning together.

And here’s the part that matters most. You don’t need to become a tech expert or redesign the firm to lead this way. AI-curious leadership is about making the first steps feel manageable.

Start Small

The good news is we already know how to introduce new technology in accounting. We pilot. We test. We learn. Then we decide what’s worth scaling. AI doesn’t need a different playbook

Instead of rolling something out firmwide, think in micro experiments. One team. One workflow. One month. Maybe a small group tests it to summarize documents or scan data. Maybe a tax manager uses AI to prep for a client conversation.  

When you treat this as a pilot instead of a permanent decision, you reduce the stakes for everyone. No one is being asked to change how they work forever. They’re just agreeing to try something, learn from it and talk about what happened. That’s how momentum builds without creating anxiety

Build Guardrails, Not Roadblocks

People learn better when they know the boundaries. A little structure makes experimenting with AI feel safer and less confusing.

That’s why AI-curious leaders don’t ignore AI or try to shut it down. They help people use it in a smart, safe way

Guardrails don’t have to be complicated. Clear expectations around client data. Which tools are approved. Simple prompt reminders like no full returns, no personal information, no proprietary material. Basic AI literacy, often referred to as AIQ, so people know how to review outputs and spot errors

The message goes from “Don’t use this” to “Here’s how to use this responsibly.

First Signs of Success

You’ll start to notice small changes before you see big ones.

At first, there may be hesitation. Trying something new always brings some uncertainty. But when someone shares a small experiment in a team meeting and nothing breaks, others start leaning in. More questions show up. More people are willing to try it themselves.

Then the conversations start to sound different. “I tried this with AI and here’s what I learned.” A manager walks into a client conversation more prepared because they practiced their talking points with AI. There’s less quiet experimenting in the shadows and more open sharing.

Over time, you may start to see the business impact too. Stronger client conversations. Clearer next steps. New advisory opportunities emerging naturally. 

AI doesn’t replace the human in the loop. It helps us lead better at scale.

Try It for Yourself

Being AI-curious is taking one small step and learning from it. Pick one team. Pick one use case. Try it for a month. Talk about what you learn, together. 

If you want support getting started, Think AI-First gives teams a hands-on way to learn how to work with AI and strengthen the skills that support next-level advisory work.