Article by INSTANDA Director, Will Wood
At the ITC Vegas Kick-off Summit, I joined the 'Leading through the AI Shift' workshop—a dynamic gathering of tech innovators and industry leaders from the Life & Annuities and Property & Casualty sectors. The event featured three high-energy, two-hour workshops, each designed to spark fresh ideas and ensure every attendee could dive into the conversation.
The first session kicked off with the iceberg metaphor, digging into both the surface-level and hidden barriers to transformational change. Then, we rolled up our sleeves to brainstorm real-world AI use cases that could shake up businesses before diving into the "blue ocean” to explore the cultural shifts and technologies that could unlock untapped potential.
The event concluded with a completed jigsaw puzzle—pieced together from everyone's contributions during the workshops. It was such a simple but powerful way to spotlight the key patterns and shared insights that came out of our sessions. Here are my main takeaways from everything we explored together.
The Hidden Mass: Blockers Beneath the Surface
When we talk about blockers to change, we often focus on the visible issues: budget constraints, technology gaps, or flawed processes. While important, these are just the tip of the iceberg. The real obstacles—the ones with the power to sink even the best-laid plans—are usually found below the waterline.
Cultural Resistance and Legacy Thinking
The most formidable barrier is often the existing culture. Terms like "cultural resistance," "legacy thinking," and "a culture that reinforces the status quo" echoed throughout the workshop. This isn't about deliberate defiance; it's about the comfort of "the way things have always been done." Muscle memory is a powerful force. When people are used to specific workflows and familiar hierarchies, any deviation can feel threatening. This inertia can create a drag on momentum, making it difficult to build the velocity needed for true transformation.
Fear, Insecurity, and Ambiguity
Just below the surface of cultural resistance lies a deep well of human emotion. Fear is a recurring theme: fear of the unknown, fear of making mistakes, and fear for an uncertain future. Employees may worry, "tech will never be able to do what I do," signaling insecurity about their value and role. This is compounded by "corporate ambiguity." When leadership fails to provide a clear "why" or articulate what success looks like, it creates a vacuum that fear and negativity rush to fill. Concepts like "loss of territorial power" and the dreaded "WIFM" (What's In It For Me?) highlight how personal anxieties can stall collective progress.
Misalignment and Lack of Sponsorship
Even with a willing culture, a change initiative can fail if it’s not anchored by strong leadership and clear direction. During the discussion, “lack of leadership clarity and sponsorship” emerged as a critical blocker to AI adoption. Without executive sponsors who are visibly and consistently championing the change, efforts become fragmented. Teams face an “alignment of priorities” problem, where transformation goals conflict with day-to-day business incentives. This creates a state of “POV purgatory”—a place where great ideas go to die because no one has the authority or accountability to move them forward.
The Buoyant Forces: Enablers for Change
While the hidden mass of the iceberg presents challenges, the water around it represents the powerful enablers that create lift and momentum. These forces are the key to navigating the obstacles and driving successful transformation.
A Culture of Openness and Psychological Safety
What stands out most to me is the power of a culture that actively works against fear. It starts with creating an environment where it “is safe to try.” Encouraging open mindsets, open thinking, and open communication builds that foundation. When an organization can “assume positive intent” and “accept failure” as part of learning, it empowers employees to experiment and innovate without fear of mistakes—a hallmark of resilient change agents.
Fearless Leadership and Clear Strategy
Just as a lack of sponsorship is a blocker, “fearless leadership at all levels” is a primary driver of success. This isn’t about being reckless; it’s about providing clear sponsorship and accountability. Leaders must define the “clear strategy,” “objective,” and “value propositions” that unite everyone toward a common goal. That clarity acts as a beacon through uncertainty. When combined with intergenerational collaboration, it bridges the gap between legacy knowledge and new, forward-thinking perspectives.
Empowerment, Education, and Shared Vision
Ultimately, transformation is about people. To get them on board, you need to "empower" them. This involves more than just delegating tasks; it requires "education," "mentorship," and providing the right "resources and incentives." Throughout the workshop, stewardship and collective rise took center stage as attendees shared examples of shifting from individual to organization-wide goals—fueled by the possibilities that AI brings to transformation. The collective vision developed within the sessions highlighted not just the importance of understanding the “why” behind change, but also how every person’s contribution creates a culture of "curiosity" and "willingness to adapt"
Charting Your Course Forward
Recognizing hidden blockers and visible enablers is just the beginning. To successfully navigate the waters of transformational change, here’s my personal perspective on the steps that matter most:
- Illuminate the iceberg: Start by bringing the hidden issues to the surface. Conduct workshops and create safe spaces for honest dialogue. Adopt strategies that help teams to surface the cultural norms, fears, and legacy mindsets that are holding them back. You cannot address what you cannot see.
- Lead with clarity: Leaders need to be the chief storytellers and champions of the change. Communicate the "why" relentlessly. Define success, model the desired behaviors, and establish clear accountability from the top down.
- Cultivate psychological safety: Make it safe to fail. Celebrate learning from mistakes and reward innovation, not just outcomes. Shift to a culture of curiosity and positive intent. When people feel secure, they are more willing to take the calculated risks necessary for transformation.
- Lay the right foundation for change: Lasting change starts with giving teams the flexibility to adapt and innovate. INSTANDA supports this by providing a powerful no-code configurable SaaS platform that empowers insurers to rapidly design and deploy new products, making it easier to overcome legacy barriers and respond to changing market and customer needs.
If you’d like to learn more about how INSTANDA helps insurers navigate and accelerate their digital transformation, get in touch. We’re always open to a conversation about your change journey, no matter where you are on your path.
