This week, we’re sharing the story of
Geoff Gilmore
Six months ago, Geoff thought AI had “no place in steel manufacturing.”
Today, every one of his 6,000 employees is required to use it.
Here’s how that transformation happened—and what it teaches every CEO about ownership, education, and courage.
If you’re short on time, here’s the one-minute summary below 👇
The 20% Executive Summary
Worthington Steel’s journey from skepticism to full AI adoption started with one persistent employee, one book, and one CEO willing to learn.
Within six months:
6,000 employees.
Four AI pilots launched within days of their first leadership workshop.
The turning point wasn’t technical—it was cultural. Geoff Gilmore made AI personal, declaring: “I can’t delegate this. I have to own it.”
That single sentence changed the trajectory of a 65-year-old company.
The Deeper Dive
When Geoff Gilmore first heard about AI, he dismissed it as irrelevant.
It took a direct report, Steve, to persistently bring him real examples—and one small nudge that changed everything: “Maybe you’re uncomfortable because you don’t understand it yet. You’re a curious person. Learn about it.”
Steve handed him Ethan Mollick’s Co-Intelligence and then Geoff Woods’
The AI-Driven Leader.
Those two books reframed AI from a technology topic to a leadership imperative.
Soon after, Geoff brought his executive team together for a hands-on session.
They didn’t start with tools—they started with strategy. They uploaded Worthington’s corporate strategy into ChatGPT and Copilot, using AI to interrogate their plans:
“What’s sound? What’s flawed? What would we build from scratch today?”
That exercise sparked the company’s aha moment. Within hours, the team identified four AI pilots—and volunteers for more.
Then came the public declaration: “AI adoption is not optional. It’s a standard.”
That mandate set off a chain reaction across the organization:
From 25 to 275 ChatGPT Enterprise licenses in weeks.
Use cases ranging from earnings-call analysis to board-prep and strategy design.
A CEO who uses AI daily as a thought partner to sharpen his own critical thinking.
Geoff admits he wasn’t an expert when he made the call.
“I was early on and learning every day,” he says.
“But no one will ever master this. Everything I’m using today is the worst version I’ll ever use.”
That humility is exactly why his people followed.
What matters is that he owned it—personally, publicly, and persistently.
Take Action with CRIT™
Use the CRIT™ Framework to shape your own AI leadership mandate. Copy and paste the below prompt into your LLM of choice:
CONTEXT
ROLE: Act as a leadership communications coach who specializes in AI-driven culture change.
INTERVIEW
Ask me one question at a time (up to 5) to understand: 1. My industry and current AI maturity level 2. My biggest concerns or resistance points inside the organization 3. The specific business outcomes AI should help us achieve 4. What “AI standard work” would look like for my team 5. How to measure adoption and impact
TASK
Based on our discussion, draft a clear CEO statement that: • Defines why AI matters to our future • Sets a standard for daily use across roles • Establishes the leader’s personal commitment and example Use this to move your organization from conversation to commitment.