Why long-term vision and “fusion teams” are crucial to your AI strategy

Few leaders are as well equipped to guide us through the thickening fog of our digital transformation as Vijay Tella — CEO of enterprise orchestration unicorn Workato. He honed his expertise as a “digital plumber” with TIBCO, engineering the world’s first “middleware” platform (aka “software glue” for disparate apps) before moving on to Oracle, and then into the consumer space with Qik, which he has described as “an Instagram for video two years before Instagram came out.” Qik was acquired by Skype in 2011. Tella returned to his software integration and automation roots in 2013 as co-founder of Workato, currently valued at $5.7 billion and sitting comfortably around mid-table on the Cloud 100. 

During his conversation with Big Think, Tella explores the landscape of our “agentic” future, and zooms out to explain why a long-term view of digital strategy is such a crucial leadership imperative; why the need for “antifragility” is stronger than ever; and why the shifts brought by AI will ultimately open up more opportunities.

Big Think: What are the key leadership qualities required for a time of such unprecedented digital transformation?

Vijay Tella: With big challenges facing us as leaders, it is natural to solve the problems right in front of us. We can’t ignore urgent challenges, and we should embrace our bias for action. But we should also have a bias for long-term results. Every decision should be made with a long-term, holistic view.

Thinking a few steps ahead means we approach every project with curiosity, asking ourselves “Where does this project lead?” and “Are we working on the right things?” Issues like fragmentation, scale, and more can only be solved with a long-term vision, so one of our greatest challenges is decision-making that nets both short-term results and long-term benefits.

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Big Think: You have suggested that we must enter an age of unparalleled cooperation to succeed in this transformation — what does this look like?

Vijay Tella: Across industries, thousands of companies have very similar processes. They are onboarding employees, processing orders, finding ways to reduce churn, and more. To stay current, leaders need to tap into the collective wisdom and best practices of their industry. Airlines are a great example — all pilots use the most up-to-date flight checklist based on FAA safety standards. Whenever the standards change, all pilots change their processes. Every industry should have access to a similar community knowledge about their processes. 

Big Think: Has the rapid arrival of generative AI and LLMs forced you to rethink your overarching philosophy of business?

Vijay Tella: GenAI has increased the urgency for business and IT teams to come together. AI puts more technical capability and power in the hands of business teams than ever before. That is a great opportunity for organizations, but it is also a risk. IT has a central role to play in how AI is adopted and scaled. To ensure AI is secure, transparent, governed, and more, IT and business should operate in what [tech consulting firm] Gartner calls “fusion teams” that blend technical prowess and process expertise.

Big Think: What do leaders get wrong about “automation” in the context of the AI transformation?

Vijay Tella: It is popular to view automation through the eyes of a CFO: as creating efficiency and replicating human tasks with bots. Rather than reimagining our processes, this approach cements them in place. It is a limiting view that misses out on the real potential to transform how we work and deliver value for our customers. If we are not careful, AI can fall into the same paradigm. Rather than replacing people with bots or saving time on tasks, we should take a more holistic view of AI to reimagine how our work gets done.

Big Think: There’s a growing refrain, echoed by yourself, that AI integration is more of a “mindset problem” than a “technology problem” — why is it important to frame AI in those terms?

Vijay Tella: Companies that thrive in today’s market think differently about their technology in three key areas. First, they think about the big picture. Companies that use systems thinking consider end-to-end processes rather than tasks. We call this the “process mindset.” Second, they aren’t afraid to break things. The “growth mindset” is a willingness to take on challenges, and making change is key. With AI, it is more important than ever to break things down and to question what our companies are doing. And third, they bring everyone along: It is important to approach technologies like GenAI with a “scale mindset.” Business teams bring process and domain expertise, but technology teams bring governance, security, and other important knowledge to the table as well. Together, both sides can accomplish more and deliver at the scale that a company needs.

Big Think: The rapid arrival of generative AI has caused a mix of panic, excitement and confusion in many companies. What are enterprise leaders getting wrong about AI?

Vijay Tella: Companies are following human nature: overestimating the short-term and underestimating the long-term impact of a transformative technology. We should think long-term with every AI project: as one step on a journey that will lead to transformational change. It is important to enter the AI arena, but it is a long game. In the future, every company will become “agentic”: every role in the company will have a domain expert AI agent assisting them. Short-term projects won’t create the agentic enterprise — but each project should contribute to the architecture that is required for this future.

Big Think: Does the imminent end of mundane repetitive work come with a cost for people?

Vijay Tella: Technology, historically, has fostered progress and enhanced productivity — leading people to do more impactful, valuable work than before. Disruptions are inevitable, and we should be transparent about them. But the shift brought by AI will ultimately open up more opportunities. It will empower workers — not just by eliminating mundane tasks — but to do more informed and smarter work than they could do before.

Big Think: How can leaders best address the risk of acting too fast and getting it wrong vs. acting too slow and missing out?

Vijay Tella: Finding the optimal pace to adopt AI is crucial for balancing innovation and operational readiness. Leaders must foster a culture of calculated risk-taking and iterative learning, where adaptability is prioritized over hasty implementation. This approach will ensure that AI initiatives are aligned with long-term objectives.

Big Think: Why should leaders embrace antifragility?

Vijay Tella: In the dramatic market changes of the last few years, many companies have struggled, but some have thrived. Thriving companies have been antifragile to the challenges, using them as fuel to become stronger. Now, a new set of disruptions and challenges are on the horizon. The need for antifragility — to turn these challenges into opportunities — is stronger than ever. Antifragility represents more than resilience: it’s about thriving in uncertainty and leveraging disruptions as opportunities for growth. Leaders who embrace antifragility cultivate organizations capable of adapting swiftly to change, outperforming competitors, and consistently delivering value in dynamic markets. This proactive stance not only future-proofs businesses but also fosters a culture of continuous improvement and innovation.

Big Think: Which business leaders — historical and current — do you study for business wisdom, and why?

Vijay Tella: I draw inspiration from biographies and writers that reveal the impact of transformative journeys. Walter Isaacson’s biographies of Steve Jobs and Elon Musk are great examples. I also take great inspiration from Frank Slootman’s book Amp It Up, and Ben Horowitz’s book The Hard Thing About Hard Things.

Big Think: You’ve worked with a lot of great leaders: what’s the best piece of evergreen advice you have been given?

Vijay Tella: The most enduring advice I’ve received is to embrace challenges and pursue ambitious goals with a team of dedicated individuals. It’s all about tackling the hardest problems and finding fulfillment in overcoming them together.