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Key Takeaways Many entrepreneurs have fallen for the “automation illusion.” They believe buying the right tools, building workflows and handing tasks to AI is the equivalent of traditional delegation.
However, they miss the mark because they build automations that require review, feedback and approval — creating more work for themselves.
To achieve genuine, intentional automation, leaders should follow a 5-step framework that includes mapping what matters most, designing roles before rules and documenting processes before delegating.
We’ve all heard the promises that AI can revolutionize entrepreneurship through round-the-clock productivity, effortless scaling and businesses that practically run themselves. For some business owners, these promises have materialized into real time savings and lower costs. That’s why nearly 80% of businesses have adopted some form of AI. The challenge is that many founders who bought into the AI dream are now overwhelmed with endless notifications, dashboards and data being generated by the AI model.
The latest trend of Agentic AI is making this even worse. The problem is that many entrepreneurs have fallen for the automation illusion. They believed that buying the right tools, building workflows and handing tasks to AI agents would be the equivalent of traditional delegation. When you delegate to a person, you set the standard and then step away.
Related: Ask 3 Questions Before Using Any AI Tool to Grow Your Business
Why delegating to AI isn’t the same as letting go
This is where many entrepreneurs miss the mark with AI agents. They build automations that require review, feedback and approval. By automating without letting go, entrepreneurs reduce their role to nothing more than a digital paper pusher by creating additional work for themselves that human team members would have solved autonomously.
This scenario is real for many entrepreneurs. One of my clients — let’s call him “Tom” — was so proud of the effort he put into using AI to automate various parts of his digital marketing agency. He didn’t hesitate when it came to embracing the latest AI tools and systems. Soon, he had automated every aspect of the business, from content approvals to invoicing to onboarding forms. Or so he thought.
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