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Your 30-Day Action Plan (Industry Sage)

5 min read

Eng Manager

You're Elena's execution. Your 30 days: implement the pilots she champions, report results, and feed the narrative.

Vp Engineering

You own the org. Elena sets vision. Your plan: run the transformation, measure, protect the team. Same as hers, more tactical.

Tech Lead

You're the technical proof. When Elena needs evidence, you deliver. Pilots, metrics, and 'here's what we learned.'

Your 30-Day Action Plan (Industry Sage)

TL;DR

  • Week 1: Own the narrative. Week 2: Lead the transformation. Week 3: Board and talent. Week 4: Legacy and leverage.
  • Elena-level leaders need to set direction and create lasting impact. This plan does both.

Week 1: Own the Narrative

  • Day 1-2: Finalize your "why AI is different" and "our AI strategy" narrative. One-pager. Use it in every conversation.
  • Day 3-4: Align with CEO and board. "Here's our plan." Get buy-in. Adjust as needed.
  • Day 5-7: Identify transformation owners. Who runs pilots? Who measures? Who communicates? Assign roles.

Week 2: Lead the Transformation

  • Kick off or reinforce the AI rollout. If you have pilots, review progress. If not, launch. Own the timeline.
  • Communicate to the org. All-hands, Slack, or email. "Here's what we're doing. Here's why. Here's how you can participate."
  • Remove blockers. Budget, access, permission. Make it easy for teams to adopt. You're the sponsor.

Week 3: Board and Talent

  • Prepare board materials. One-pager on AI strategy. Metrics if you have them. Risks and mitigations. Ready for the next meeting.
  • Talent check-in. Who's your bench? Who needs development? One conversation with a high-potential leader. "How are you thinking about AI? What would help?"
  • Hiring criteria. Update job descriptions or interview guides. Add AI fluency as a signal. Make it org-wide.

Week 4: Legacy and Leverage

  • One mentorship offer. Identify one person to develop. VP, director, or Staff engineer. "I'd like to help. Would that be useful?"
  • One external output. Publish a post, give a talk, or record a podcast. Share your AI journey. Build the thought leadership.
  • Document the playbook. What did you do? What worked? What would you do differently? Write it down. Leave it for the next person.

Quick Check

Elena-level leaders have 30 days. What creates LASTING impact?

You set direction. You run the org. You don't mentor. You don't share publicly. You don't document. When you leave, what remains?

Click "Legacy" to see the difference →

Do This Next

  1. Start with the narrative. If you can't explain your AI strategy in 60 seconds, fix that. Everything else builds on it.
  2. Make one mentorship offer. Legacy compounds. Start this month.