How Businesses Can Use AI to Accelerate Growth and Improve Productivity in 2026

Richard Wood is a highly regarded business expert who specialises in helping organisations unlock growth by aligning strategy, leadership and emerging technologies. With extensive experience advising founders, senior teams and scaling businesses, he is known for cutting through complexity and focusing on what actually drives performance.

Drawing on real-world commercial experience, Richard works with organisations to identify constraints to growth, improve decision-making and apply tools such as AI in a way that is practical, relevant and results-driven. His approach is rooted in understanding the unique priorities of each business rather than applying one-size-fits-all solutions.

In this exclusive interview with the London Keynote Speakers Agency, Richard Wood shares his insights on AI adoption, business growth and how leaders can embrace change with confidence and clarity.

Question 1: When organisations begin their AI journey, what foundational questions should leaders be asking before making any technology decisions?

Richard Wood: “So that’s a really interesting question. I think right at the start, companies really need to maybe take into account what type of organisation they are, because no one size fits all with many things in life, never mind AI.

“So, I would very much be talking to companies and senior teams, the people that are running the organisation, and say: what type of organisation are we, and what are our priorities? Because that’s a really good starting point for the next step, which in my opinion would then be finding someone or an organisation that’s got knowledge and expertise in that area around AI adoption, but very much connected to where we are now.

“So, I think for teams it would be finding someone that’s coming from that standpoint of what type of organisation are we and what might our priorities be. Because the priorities for a company that’s been going 12 months and maybe has a couple of team members is going to be so different from an organisation that’s maybe got 5,000 or 10,000 people. It’s a really totally different ball game.”

Question 2: From your experience, what is the most common strategic mistake leaders make when introducing AI into an organisation?

Richard Wood: “I think the biggest trap that leaders fall into is the potential of delegation. This brings me back to another point that’s heavily connected to this, which is what type of organisation are you?

“Because if it is just you and a couple of people, then you can get very hands-on with AI. Whereas I think there is a tendency, when you’re a big organisation and maybe you’ve got departments with skill sets, to think AI needs to be handed over to IT and tech.

“So I’d say the biggest trap to fall into with AI is thinking that it’s for a department to deal with and to be dealt with in silos, where for me it’s very much a core part of business. 

“It has the potential to sit in many different positions within the organisation, because we’ve got many different types of workflows, from marketing and sales, acquiring customers, right the way through to the way the actual business model operates.

“So I would say get hands-on, understand it, and then very much align it to where the business is going in terms of strategy.”

Question 3: How should businesses think about connecting AI adoption directly to growth, profitability and measurable results?

Richard Wood: “So that’s a great question, because business growth is what businesses actually should be all about. I have got this very interesting talk where we explore what a business is actually meant to be doing.

“How do you know when you’re succeeding in business? A great analogy is that we know when we’re succeeding in sport because there are rules, there are points, and it’s really nice and clear. And when I meet with business owners and business leaders and ask, what is your goal, what is the purpose of your business, you can get many different answers.

“But for me, it’s really nice and clear. It’s about gross profit. Businesses grow on gross profit. And so therefore it’s about how can we provide great value, how can we be profitable so that all the stakeholders win.

“And I think when you understand that and you come from that perspective, then it very much becomes: what’s our constraint to growth, how can we open up some of these problems we’ve got and move into that growth opportunity? And then for me, that’s when I like to really bring AI alongside and see where it can help leverage those opportunities.”

Question 4: When audiences leave your talks, what shift in mindset or approach to AI do you most want them to take back into their organisations?

Richard Wood: “So that’s a great point. For me, it’s embracing the fact that AI is here, embracing that it’s affecting all of our technology, being inspired and excited to use it, not being afraid.

“A really great metaphor I like to use for this is to think of it as a big, huge wave. It’s a big change. And the way we look at life in general, we can turn changes in our lives into opportunities or challenges.

“So for me, this big wave is coming. It’s here. We’re all within it. And you can either get wiped out and talk about the problems it’s bringing, or you can face it head on, pick up your surfboard, and ride it and enjoy it.

“I think our minds are very much like parachutes. They work when they’re open. So if we can be open-minded, hands-on, and from a business perspective think about the effect it’s having on what you do in your organisation, that’s really important.

“One last point on that is that for some people, AI is not an important part of their world, and that’s fine. There is something called IPL, which is referred to as in-person live, and there is such value in human connection, in us meeting together and socialising together.

“It’s important to recognise that sometimes it is good to say AI is not right for this, and to understand that difference. But where it is relevant, even if your business is an in-person live business at its core, for example if you run festivals or concerts, you still have the performer and the audience, but you could use AI to target, market and sell tickets.

“So I think it’s about recognising there is a place for it, but let’s get excited.”

This exclusive interview with Richard Wood was conducted by Tabish Ali of the Motivational Speakers Agency.

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