From problem solving to capability building: How AI is reshaping the way we lead

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From problem solving to capability building: How AI is reshaping the way we lead

November 17, 2025

Nick Colisto

Sr. Vice President and Chief Information Officer, Corporate

LinkedIn Profile

From problem solving to capability building: How AI is reshaping the way we lead

For most of my career, technology has been about solving problems.

We used systems to automate manual tasks, streamline operations and close gaps. ERP, CRM, cloud – all of it was designed to fix something: inefficiency, inconsistency or lack of visibility.

However, artificial intelligence represents a shift in mindset as much as it does in capability. Traditional technology helps you solve problems. AI helps you discover what you’re capable of solving.

That’s a profound change and one that challenges us as leaders to rethink how we define success in the age of intelligent systems.

From “what’s broken” to “what’s possible”

When I meet with teams, the first question they tend to ask is: What problem are we trying to solve? It’s the foundation of every technology-enabled project. But AI pushes us to ask something different: What might we be able to solve now that we couldn’t before?

AI expands the frontier of possibility. It doesn’t just optimize, it reveals. It can expose patterns humans miss, test thousands of scenarios in seconds or generate options we might never have imagined.

That means our role as leaders isn’t only to identify problems, it’s to unlock potential. AI isn’t replacing human potential; it’s amplifying it. But only if we create the conditions for curiosity, experimentation and trust.

This mindset is shaping our approach to digital transformation at Avery Dennison. Across our global organization, we’re using AI to not only streamline processes but also uncover new opportunities for growth, sustainability and customer value. The most exciting advances often come when teams move beyond fixing inefficiencies to discovering what new possibilities technology can reveal.

The human multiplier

The more I experiment with AI tools, the clearer it becomes that the technology mirrors the quality of the human behind it. It rewards clarity of thought, precision of intent and the courage to iterate.

AI makes our thinking visible. It reflects our assumptions back to us and asks, in its own way, “Is this really what you meant?”

That’s where collaboration becomes transformational. The best results come not from delegating to AI but from dialoguing with it – questioning, refining and building upon its suggestions. The process can sharpen our judgment and stretch our imagination.

The greatest breakthroughs may not come from solving the hardest problems, but from discovering entirely new ones worth solving.

Leading in the age of co-intelligence

As leaders, our responsibility is shifting. It’s no longer just about deploying technology to deliver efficiency. It’s about developing people to work with intelligence, not just through it.

We need to help our teams build new muscles: asking better questions, interpreting results and knowing when to lean on intuition. We need to teach discernment as much as technical skill.

And most importantly, we need to model it ourselves. Because when leaders demonstrate curiosity rather than certainty, when they treat AI as a collaborator rather than a competitor, it sends a powerful signal: that intelligence, whether human or artificial, is a tool for exploration, not just execution.

The next evolution

At Avery Dennison, we see this shift every day as AI becomes a partner across our employee, customer, factory, and product experiences. From predictive analytics in manufacturing to generative tools that enhance creativity and decision-making, AI is expanding what’s possible by amplifying human potential. The real innovation happens when our teams combine human insight with machine intelligence to imagine better ways of working, creating and serving.

AI will keep evolving. But the real transformation will come from how we evolve alongside it.

The greatest breakthroughs may not come from solving the hardest problems, but from discovering entirely new ones worth solving.

And that’s what excites me most about this moment.

Technology used to help us fix what was broken. Now, it’s helping us uncover what’s possible — and at Avery Dennison, that spirit of possibility is at the heart of our digital journey.

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