AI for Leaders

An open-source executive guide to AI strategy, regulation, governance, and risk

By Kyi Thar, Nishat I Mowla, Sarder Fakhrul Abedin, and Mikael Gidlund

AI is no longer an IT topic. It is a leadership topic.

This book helps SME owners, research leaders, cooperative leaders, executives, directors, policymakers, and public leaders make better decisions about AI — without requiring a technical background.

Start reading → View on GitHub

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🚧 Work in Progress
This book is an actively evolving, open-source resource. Some chapters are still being refined and expanded to improve clarity, practical relevance, and usability for leaders. Feedback, suggestions, and contributions are welcome.

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What you’ll get from this book

• Clarity: what AI is (and isn’t), and what’s changing now
• Direction: where AI creates value (and where it doesn’t)
• Control: governance, accountability, and vendor oversight
• Compliance: laws, regulations, and financial exposure
• Leadership: how to lead people through AI-driven change

Recommended reading path

1. Preface
2. Acknowledgements
3. Executive Summary

Part I — Understanding the AI Landscape

1. What AI Means for Leaders
2. The Global AI Shift
3. AI Law, Regulation, and Financial Exposure

Part II — AI Strategy and Value Creation

1. Where AI Creates Organizational Value
2. Build, Buy, or Partner
3. Data as a Strategic Asset
4. Designing an AI Roadmap

Part III — AI Governance, Risk, and Leadership

1. Establishing an AI Governance Framework
2. Managing AI Risk
3. Compliance and Audit Readiness
4. Information Governance, Privacy, and IP in AI Use
5. AI Security and Operational Resilience
6. Crisis Leadership for AI Failures
7. Leading Organizational Transformation

Part IV — The Future of AI-Driven Organizations

1. Human-AI Collaboration and Autonomous Systems
2. Managing Agentic Systems and AI Actions
3. AI in Smart Industry and Critical Infrastructure
4. Sovereignty, Cross-Border Dependence, and Strategic Control
5. Trust as a Competitive Advantage
6. AI Across Leadership Contexts
7. The Executive Five-Year Agenda

Appendices

1. Appendix A: AI Governance Checklist for Boards
2. Appendix B: AI Risk Assessment Template
3. Appendix C: Vendor Evaluation Framework
4. Appendix D: Regulatory Comparison Table
5. Appendix E: Glossary of Key Terms
6. Appendix F: AI Research Governance Checklist
7. Appendix G: Executive AI Dashboard and Metrics
8. Bibliography

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Funding Support

VINNOVA – Sweden’s Innovation Agency

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