When Anne Murphy left her in-house career to launch her own company, she never imagined that a global pandemic and long COVID would be the catalyst for her next chapter. For 18 months, she lived with a brain fog so heavy that she only had about two productive hours each day.
But in that narrow window of clarity, she stumbled across something that changed everything: artificial intelligence.
“AI became like a second brain,” Anne recalls. “I could suddenly do all the strategy and brainstorming I needed. I leaned in, used AI as my super-smart intern, and it helped me get my business off the ground.”
With AI by her side, Anne didn’t just survive, she thrived. She joined a community called the AI Exchange, investing thousands of hours to learn, experiment, and collaborate. The experience shaped her into a leader in the AI space. It gave her not only tools, but also perspective: AI wasn’t just a lifeline for her personal health journey. It was the biggest leadership opportunity of our time, especially for women.
The Moment for Women in Leadership Is Now
“AI is a moment unlike any other that we’ve seen, or will ever see, for women to harness a trend for personal benefit and advancement,” Anne says.
She’s right. For decades, women have faced systemic barriers: fewer promotions, less visibility, and being overlooked for stretch opportunities. AI flips the script. It gives women tools to become more visible, productive, and heard. It levels the playing field in ways that were unthinkable just a few years ago.
Raising your hand to lead on AI sends a powerful signal:
- I’m ready to tackle the unknown.
- I’m willing to lead something complicated, disruptive, and important.
- I can bring emotional intelligence and psychological safety to the conversation.
And there are multiple ways to do this:
- Quietly leading from the middle, using AI to influence change in your team.
- Advocating to company leadership that you should be the AI lead.
- Taking the leap into a new role, or even launching a consultancy, focused on AI leadership.
What’s critical, Anne stresses, is this: Do not let your career be pigeon-holed in an organization that refuses to adopt AI. If your company is lagging, build your own AI thought leadership. Start a side-hustle. Learn. Share. Employers and clients alike are already demanding AI-ready leaders.
Read the full article on Substack.com.
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