Another Crazy Day in AI: Why Adaptability Beats Intelligence in Modern Leadership
- Wowza Team
- Jul 2
- 4 min read
Hello, AI Enthusiasts.
Midweek already. How’s your stamina holding up?
If you're steering a team, Sidecar Sync puts the spotlight on modern leadership, where IQ gets backup from emotional intelligence and adaptability. A renowned leadership expert and keynote speaker explains why the best leaders today are high in AQ.
Also making moves: Grammarly's getting serious about email, and Cloudflare’s slamming the door on AI data scrapers.
Catch your breath, then keep leading the charge.
Here's another crazy day in AI:
Three leadership quotients that matter most
Grammarly buys AI email client Superhuman
Cloudflare shuts door on AI crawlers
Some AI tools to try out
TODAY'S FEATURED ITEM: Beyond IQ and EQ in Leadership Success
Image Credit: Wowza (created with Ideogram)
What happens when an organization's survival depends not on what they know, but on how quickly they can learn, unlearn, and relearn?
In the latest episode of the Sidecar Sync podcast, hosts Mallory Mejias and Amith Nagarajan speak with leadership advisor John Spence about how leaders can respond to change, not in theory, but in practice. The conversation centers around three qualities Spence believes are essential for modern leadership: IQ (intelligence), EQ (emotional awareness), and AQ (adaptability). While IQ and EQ are well-known, AQ takes the spotlight here, particularly as organizations face more uncertainty and new technologies like AI become more embedded in day-to-day work.
Spence draws from decades of experience working with global companies, associations, and nonprofits. What makes the discussion engaging is his attention to both mindset and execution, how leaders help people navigate change, and how that plays out in culture, communication, and decision-making. He speaks openly about the discomfort that often accompanies change, from emotional resistance to uncertainty around new tools. But he also emphasizes that adaptability isn’t just individual, it’s something that can be reinforced or held back by the systems and behaviors modeled at the top.
Points that stood out in the conversation
Adaptability is increasingly seen as a foundational leadership trait as change becomes more frequent and complex
Teams are more likely to engage with new ideas when leaders model curiosity and openness
Building psychological safety allows space for disagreement, experimentation, and honest feedback
Associations are beginning to explore AI through small, focused projects that allow learning without high risk
Automation can support staff by taking on repetitive work, but it doesn’t replace context, empathy, or relationship-building
Learning opportunities that reflect real needs help ease anxiety and build confidence
Many members now evaluate digital experiences based on standards set by consumer platforms
A strong culture still relies on day-to-day behaviors like consistent communication, recognition, and support
The conversation reveals patterns that many leaders encounter but don't always recognize. Spence describes how organizations sometimes inadvertently create barriers to adaptation through policies or cultural expectations that prioritize consistency over experimentation. He shares examples from his consulting work where teams had good ideas for improvement but held back because they weren't sure how leadership would respond to suggestions for change. These situations highlight how organizational culture can either support or undermine a leader's stated commitment to adaptability.
What stands out in the discussion is Spence's focus on the practical challenges of helping people let go of familiar approaches, even when those approaches are no longer serving the organization well. He acknowledges that this process often involves genuine loss—of expertise that took years to develop, of processes that once worked effectively, of certainties that provided stability. For association leaders, this perspective offers a way to understand member expectations and organizational capabilities without getting caught in false choices between innovation and tradition. The conversation suggests that successful adaptation often requires maintaining core values while being willing to experiment with new methods, a balance that requires both strategic thinking and emotional intelligence from leadership.
Watch it on YouTube here.
Listen on Apple Podcasts here.
Listen on Spotify here.
OTHER INTERESTING AI HIGHLIGHTS:
Grammarly Buys AI Email Client Superhuman
/Ivan Mehta, Consumer Tech Reporter, on TechCrunch
Grammarly has acquired Superhuman, the sleek AI-powered email client, in a move to strengthen its productivity suite and expand its presence in email—one of its users’ top use cases. Superhuman’s founders and team will join Grammarly, with plans to build AI agents that collaborate within email workflows. The acquisition follows Grammarly’s recent $1B funding round and signals its intention to compete more aggressively in the productivity AI space. Email, according to both companies, is a natural frontier for intelligent agent integration.
Read more here.
Cloudflare Shuts Door on AI Crawlers
/Ryan Browne, Tech Correspondent, on CNBC
Cloudflare is taking a bold stand against unchecked AI data scraping by blocking AI crawlers by default on all new domains it services. Website owners will now have to explicitly opt in to allow bots access—and can even charge for it via a “pay per crawl” model. With Cloudflare handling 16% of global internet traffic, this shift could significantly limit what AI companies like OpenAI and Google can scrape for training purposes. The company frames the move as a defense of internet creators and the value of original content.
Read more here.
SOME AI TOOLS TO TRY OUT:
That’s a wrap on today’s Almost Daily craziness.
Catch us almost every day—almost! 😉
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