AI Summary
5 min read"They Aren't Confident If I'm Not Confident"
Emily Garner runs Five Pack, a Dallas-based software company, and she came to EntreLeadership coach John Felkins with a problem her team is terrified that AI will replace them. She sees the possibilities. Her team sees doom. "I can put some things on the board and I can say let's go get it," she explains. "But being able to effectively communicate the confidence level of the vision—they aren't confident if I'm not confident."
Her company is trying to shift from service-based work (build a product, hand it off) to a product-based model with ongoing licensing revenue. AI makes that shift possible by speeding up development. But her team is watching LinkedIn layoffs and struggling to get excited. Some teams have already embraced AI. Others are stuck on old-school client projects and won't even look at it. The gap between those two groups is what keeps Emily up at night.
The Communication Gap
Felkins immediately zeroes in on how often Emily communicates directly with her team. She sends a quarterly newsletter. She does big company updates. But her team hears about AI every single day from external sources—news, social media, industry chatter. The noise is constant, and her voice is not.
"How often are they hearing from you?" Felkins asks.
"Once a quarter," Emily says.
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What you'll learn
- 1 (00:05) **Episode Introduction & Context** - Host Dave Ramsey introduces the topic: leading a team terrified of AI, featuring a live coaching session with head coach John Felkins and software CEO Emily Garner.
- 2 (01:41) **Emily's Problem: Industry Change & Team Fear** - Emily explains her business creates apps, and the biggest challenge is leading through AI-driven industry change that excites her but scares her team.
- 3 (02:33) **John's First Probe: The Vision Casting Gap** - John asks what vision Emily is casting for a future that is better than today, noting that people don't dislike change when it's better.
- 4 (05:22) **Observing the Team's Split: Old vs. New Approaches** - John asks what he would observe in her office that concerns her; Emily describes a split between teams embracing AI and teams stuck on traditional projects.
- 5 (07:54) **Ad Break – Christian Healthcare Ministries** - An advertisement for CHM's group program as a faith-based health insurance alternative for businesses.
- 6 (09:08) **The Communication Gap: Leader's Voice vs. Noise** - John identifies a critical issue: the frequency of Emily's direct communication to the team is too low relative to the constant noise about AI.
- 7 (11:29) **The Solution: Increase Frequency and Over-Communicate** - John reveals that Emily's company already holds a weekly all-company meeting, which he calls a huge investment, and suggests using it to amplify her vision.
+ Full timestamped outline available in the app
Show Notes
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When fear and uncertainty start spreading through your team, how you lead matters. In this episode, Head Coach John Felkins walks a business owner through how to address his team’s fears head on, build trust, and give them the clarity they need to move forward with confidence.
Next Steps:
· 🎥 Watch our video What Business Owners Get Wrong About AI.
· 🎯 Not sure what to do next in your business? Let’s figure it out together. Book a free 30-minute consult call with the EntreLeadership Team.
· 📞 Have a question for the show? Call 844-944-1070 or send us a message.
· 📚 Order Dave’s most recent EntreLeadership book, Build a Business You Love.
· 📧 Get EntreLeadership’s free weekly newsletter: expert advice and practical tips from the same playbook we used to build Ramsey Solutions into a $300 million company.
· 🌎 Attend our world-class leadership conference, EntreLeadership Summit.
· 📝 Stop guessing. Get a plan built for your business and someone who holds you to it. Find out which coaching option is right for you.
· 📈 Take a deep dive into the EntreLeadership System™ at our Master Series event, where our Executive Team shares the exact strategies behind our growth so you can run your business the same way.
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