AI-First Leader
A Practical Guide to Organizational AI Leadership
1st Edition
Published on 31. October 2025
Book
Paperback/Softback
208 pages
978-1-041-09823-2 (ISBN)
Description
AI-First Leader is a practical guide for executives, technology leaders, and decision-makers seeking to turn artificial intelligence into a strategic advantage. As AI rapidly reshapes how organizations operate and compete, this book provides a clear roadmap from initial awareness to enterprise-wide adoption. It equips leaders with the tools to navigate both the promise and complexity of today's AI landscape, including machine learning, generative AI, and autonomous systems.
Blending technical clarity with strategic insight, the book is anchored in real-world frameworks and brought to life through the fictional yet highly realistic case study of NovaBridge Health, a mid-sized healthcare system navigating the risks and rewards of AI transformation. Through this narrative, readers gain firsthand insight into overcoming early missteps, building trust, aligning AI systems with KPIs, and scaling responsibly in regulated environments. Topics span foundational and advanced concepts, from data governance, model evaluation, and prompt engineering to the deployment of AI agents, resilient infrastructure, and responsible AI practices. Actionable insights, decision frameworks, and sector-specific examples help leaders bridge the gap between innovation and execution.
Written for CEOs, CTOs, product managers, and innovation leads, AI-First Leader demystifies AI without diluting its complexity. Whether you're building your first chatbot, deploying generative search and co-pilots, or shaping guardrails for enterprise-wide use, this book provides the blueprint to lead with AI strategically, responsibly, and at scale.
Blending technical clarity with strategic insight, the book is anchored in real-world frameworks and brought to life through the fictional yet highly realistic case study of NovaBridge Health, a mid-sized healthcare system navigating the risks and rewards of AI transformation. Through this narrative, readers gain firsthand insight into overcoming early missteps, building trust, aligning AI systems with KPIs, and scaling responsibly in regulated environments. Topics span foundational and advanced concepts, from data governance, model evaluation, and prompt engineering to the deployment of AI agents, resilient infrastructure, and responsible AI practices. Actionable insights, decision frameworks, and sector-specific examples help leaders bridge the gap between innovation and execution.
Written for CEOs, CTOs, product managers, and innovation leads, AI-First Leader demystifies AI without diluting its complexity. Whether you're building your first chatbot, deploying generative search and co-pilots, or shaping guardrails for enterprise-wide use, this book provides the blueprint to lead with AI strategically, responsibly, and at scale.
Reviews / Votes
AI-First Leader is a timely and useful primer for any professional seeking to lead the conversation about ethical, responsible, and creative utilization/implementation of AI at their organization. The book provides an approachable and relatable history and current state of AI, as well as a functional scaffolding to guide leaders as they strategically leverage this technology in their fields."Jennifer A. O'Malley, Stanford University School of Medicine, US
AI-First Leader is clear, thought-provoking, and timely. Mahesh and Bhavesh go beyond the hype to position AI not just as a technology, but as a strategic force. This book reshaped how I think about leadership in the AI era-it's a must-read for executives navigating today's complexities.
- Shiv Agarwal, Founder and CEO, Singular AI
The deeply personal preface pulled me in-but what followed was even more compelling. AI-First Leader is a rare blend of vision and pragmatism, capturing not just the potential of AI, but how to harness it for real, responsible impact. A powerful read for anyone committed to building the future of AI the right way.
- Brett Flinchum, CEO Stellar AI
With monumental turbulence in climactic, social, political, governmental, corporate, economic, and community forces, AI offers the most powerful tools to shape the world's future. This timely treatise captures all essential knowledge every leader needs to safeguard and promote their organization, while discovering unparalleled opportunities within the tectonic shifts currently underway.
- Professor K.J.S. "Sunny" Anand, Stanford University School of Medicine, US
For any company or leader interested in AI's impact, this book is a must-read for its actionable insights and pragmatic guide to deployment. Recommended for anyone looking to stay ahead of AI's rapidly inflecting progress in the years to come.
- James Dyett, Head of Enterprise and Strategic GTM, OpenAI
This book provides a strong grounding in the latest AI technology, discusses real world case studies and provides an implementation blueprint for AI in the enterprise with relevant success metrics. Highly recommended if you want to achieve an AI based business transformation.
- Praveen Asthana, Member Board of Directors, Centre Technologies, US AI-First Leader is a timely and useful primer for any professional seeking to lead the conversation about ethical, responsible, and creative utilization/implementation of AI at their organization. The book provides an approachable and relatable history and current state of AI, as well as a functional scaffolding to guide leaders as they strategically leverage this technology in their fields."
Jennifer A. O'Malley, Stanford University School of Medicine, US
AI-First Leader is clear, thought-provoking, and timely. Mahesh and Bhavesh go beyond the hype to position AI not just as a technology, but as a strategic force. This book reshaped how I think about leadership in the AI era-it's a must-read for executives navigating today's complexities.
- Shiv Agarwal, Founder and CEO, Singular AI
The deeply personal preface pulled me in-but what followed was even more compelling. AI-First Leader is a rare blend of vision and pragmatism, capturing not just the potential of AI, but how to harness it for real, responsible impact. A powerful read for anyone committed to building the future of AI the right way.
- Brett Flinchum, CEO Stellar AI
With monumental turbulence in climactic, social, political, governmental, corporate, economic, and community forces, AI offers the most powerful tools to shape the world's future. This timely treatise captures all essential knowledge every leader needs to safeguard and promote their organization, while discovering unparalleled opportunities within the tectonic shifts currently underway.
- 3/4 Professor K.J.S. "Sunny" Anand, Stanford University School of Medicine, US.
For any company or leader interested in AI's impact, this book is a must-read for its actionable insights and pragmatic guide to deployment. Recommended for anyone looking to stay ahead of AI's rapidly inflecting progress in the years to come.
- James Dyett, Head of Enterprise and Strategic GTM, OpenAI
This book provides a strong grounding in the latest AI technology, discusses real world case studies and provides an implementation blueprint for AI in the enterprise with relevant success metrics. Highly recommended if you want to achieve an AI based business transformation.
- Praveen Asthana, Member Board of Directors, Centre Technologies, US.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Professional Practice & Development and Professional Reference
Illustrations
45 s/w Zeichnungen, 45 s/w Abbildungen
45 Line drawings, black and white; 45 Illustrations, black and white
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 156 mm
Thickness: 15 mm
Weight
409 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-041-09823-2 (9781041098232)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
11/2025
Chapman and Hall
€69.99
Available for download
E-Book
11/2025
Chapman and Hall
€69.99
Available for download
Book
11/2025
1st Edition
CRC Press
€207.80
Shipment within 15-20 days
Persons
Bhavesh Mehta is an AI-first leader, engineer, and product strategist with over 20 years of experience building scalable technology systems and driving industry transformation. Currently leading customer support technology and engineering at Uber, Bhavesh applies conversational and generative AI to real- world problems, reducing operational costs and improving user experience at scale. Grounded in systems thinking and AI infrastructure, Bhavesh turns complex technologies into resilient, scalable platforms that deliver real-world impact.
He has held leadership roles at Cisco, VMware, and high-growth startups, where he launched innovative products, scaled teams across geographies, and authored multiple foundational patents in virtualization, storage, and AI. Bhavesh brings a rare blend of deep technical expertise and executive vision - bridging complex AI architectures with strategic business value. As an advisor to AI startups and a champion of responsible innovation, Bhavesh is passionate about democratizing AI for enterprises. In AI-First Leader, he distills his experience into actionable frameworks and casebased insights to help decision- makers lead with confidence, navigate AI's risks, and unlock its full potential.
Mahesh Kumar is a seasoned product executive with over 20 years of experience at the intersection of AI, cloud, and enterprise software. He has held leadership roles at Veritas, VMware, and Uber, helping to shape multibillion-dollar product portfolios, forge strategic partnerships, and deliver transformative solutions at global scale. With academic roots in materials science, computer science, and business, Mahesh brings a rare combination of technical depth and strategic vision - making complex technologies like generative AI both accessible and actionable for business leaders.
At Uber, Mahesh plays a pivotal role in defining the company's AI/ ML product strategy, with a focus on next- generation automation and intelligent customer experiences. A trusted advisor to startups and a seasoned public speaker, he has represented global organizations at conferences, executive briefings, and customer summits. He is a passionate advocate for responsible innovation and believes AI should augment - not replace - human potential. In AI-First Leader, he translates decades of cross-disciplinary experience into clear, practical guidance for navigating the evolving AI landscape.
He has held leadership roles at Cisco, VMware, and high-growth startups, where he launched innovative products, scaled teams across geographies, and authored multiple foundational patents in virtualization, storage, and AI. Bhavesh brings a rare blend of deep technical expertise and executive vision - bridging complex AI architectures with strategic business value. As an advisor to AI startups and a champion of responsible innovation, Bhavesh is passionate about democratizing AI for enterprises. In AI-First Leader, he distills his experience into actionable frameworks and casebased insights to help decision- makers lead with confidence, navigate AI's risks, and unlock its full potential.
Mahesh Kumar is a seasoned product executive with over 20 years of experience at the intersection of AI, cloud, and enterprise software. He has held leadership roles at Veritas, VMware, and Uber, helping to shape multibillion-dollar product portfolios, forge strategic partnerships, and deliver transformative solutions at global scale. With academic roots in materials science, computer science, and business, Mahesh brings a rare combination of technical depth and strategic vision - making complex technologies like generative AI both accessible and actionable for business leaders.
At Uber, Mahesh plays a pivotal role in defining the company's AI/ ML product strategy, with a focus on next- generation automation and intelligent customer experiences. A trusted advisor to startups and a seasoned public speaker, he has represented global organizations at conferences, executive briefings, and customer summits. He is a passionate advocate for responsible innovation and believes AI should augment - not replace - human potential. In AI-First Leader, he translates decades of cross-disciplinary experience into clear, practical guidance for navigating the evolving AI landscape.
Content
Section I: AI Essentials: What Every Leader Must Know 1. The AI Imperative 2. AI's Evolution and Strategic Impact 3. Machine Learning for Leaders 4. Generative AI Architectures Section II: AI at Work: Optimizing, Deploying, and Scaling AI Systems 5. Optimizing Generative AI 6. AI Agents and Autonomy 7. Infrastructure, Security and Reliability Section III: AI Advantage: Driving Transformation, ROI, and Responsible Innovation 8. Generative AI Across Sectors 9. AI ROI Frameworks 10. Leading AI Transformations 11. Responsible AI Afterword:The Future is Ours to Build