Leading in the Age of AI – Lessons from Amit Fulay on Navigating Chaos, Change, and Uncertainty
Welcome to the latest issue of the AI Community Learning Series – a space to explore how leaders and innovators are reshaping industries with AI. In this session, Amit Fulay, VP of Product at Microsoft (ex-Meta, Google), joined us to unpack what it really takes to lead in a world shaped by AI acceleration, organizational flux, and mounting ambiguity.
If you missed it, here’s the recording and our key takeaways from the conversation.
💡Signal vs. Noise: “You’re not here to be an AI expert. You’re here to build.”
In an age of AI overload, Amit encouraged leaders to reject the myth of total mastery. Instead, he offered a simple metaphor: assembling IKEA furniture. You don’t start by becoming an expert furniture maker. You start building—then pause, check the manual, learn a bit more, and keep going. He urged product leaders to treat AI the same way.
The real risk? Getting stuck in “analysis paralysis,” chasing every new tool or trend. Instead:
Learn, apply, and iterate—don’t try to master it all upfront.
Treat AI like a bicycle for the mind: useful, powerful, and fast—but still just a means to get to the destination.
“Be honest: are you still running the race, or have you learned how to ride?”
🎷 Leading Through Chaos and Ambiguity: From Assembly Line to Jazz Band
Traditional orgs scaled like assembly lines—add more people, build more layers. But gone are the days of linear org charts and predictable product roadmaps. Today’s teams, Amit said, must operate like jazz bands—adaptive, fluid, and deeply collaborative.
What’s changed:
We’re moving from scaling through layers to thriving in smaller, multidisciplinary squads.
Leadership growth is no longer about headcount—it’s about capability and adaptability.
Instead of certainty, leaders must embrace probabilistic thinking: test, adapt, refine.
“Don’t expect a fixed route. Build the muscle to navigate by compass, not map.”
🧭 Leadership: Be the Compass, Not the Map
Old-school leadership focused on having the map—the vision, the strategy, the fixed plan. But in a world of rapid AI evolution, Amit offered a different metaphor: you are not the map—you are the compass.
Especially in AI-driven environments, leaders:
Set direction, not prescription.
Hold space for exploration.
Lead through questions, not just answers.
He emphasized the importance of understanding what won’t change:
Culture
Purpose
Emotional aperture
The ability to hold ambiguity
📣 Communication & Influence: Simplicity Is a Superpower
Amit didn’t mince words here: “Most workplace communication is generic and full of jargon. We need to stop pretending that makes us sound smarter.”
He challenged leaders to:
Replace complexity with clarity.
Communicate in ways that show real understanding.
Tailor influence tactics to the audience: some respond to logic, others to narrative, some to urgency. Influence is not about you—it’s about knowing what resonates with the person you’re trying to move. Amit shared briefly his Influence Map framework to tailor messaging by persona and motivation.
🎓 A Note from Amit: Why I Built This Course
Amit wrapped up with a powerful reflection: “There were so many moments in my journey where I thought—‘Why didn’t anyone teach me this?’”
That’s what led him to create Elite Product Leadership Bootcamp—a weekend cohort-based course packed with lessons from Microsoft, Meta, Google, and startups. It’s designed for PMs and leaders ready to operate at the top 1%.
In the course, you’ll go deep into:
Communication frameworks and storytelling tools
Decision-making under uncertainty
Emotional aperture and managing complex team dynamics
It’s live, case-based, and rooted in real leadership challenges.
📅 Next cohort: May 3–4
👉 Sign up here: maven.com/amitfulay/toppmleader💸 Use code MAY10 at checkout for 10% off.
📢 Final Thought
Leadership in the AI age isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about being the kind of leader who helps others make sense of the chaos—and move forward.
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