In this episode, I’m joined by Jim Ristuccia, a former US Naval officer, founder/CEO, and Vistage Chair in San Diego who leads peer groups for CEOs of $5M+ companies and small business owners in the $1–10M range. We break down what actually happens inside a Vistage meeting—especially the “issue processing” that surfaces blind spots through uncomfortable but growth-producing questions. Jim shares how AI started showing up consistently after a 2024 speaker session, including a case where an IP law firm put its team through AI bootcamps, tripled personal productivity, and grew revenue 50–60% in a year. We discuss the adoption gap (CEOs vs. leadership teams vs. employees), why employees often feel threatened, and how leaders can create psychological safety. We also dig into practical implementation via AI champions, committees, process mapping, low-hanging-fruit use cases, and measuring ROI through time savings, productivity, and revenue.

01:56 What Vistage Really Is

02:45 Issue Processing Secret Sauce

04:46 When AI Hit the Groups

06:43 Why Some CEOs Lag on AI

08:44 Use Cases vs Business Model Shifts

09:45 AI Readiness and Industry Friction

11:20 Leading Change and Finding Use Cases

13:25 Prompts Training and Psychological Safety

15:01 AI Champion and Process Mapping

16:04 Why People Quit

16:32 Build AI Champions

17:58 Pick Use Cases Fast

18:33 Measuring AI Impact

20:00 Beyond Time Savings

21:02 Culture and Safety

23:48 Compliance and Knowledge

24:32 Jobs and Business Models

27:38 Adoption Takes Time

Connect with Jim:

• https://jimristuccia.com/

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• Work with Raul: https://dogoodwork.io

• Free Growth Resources: https://dogoodwork.io/resources