Every era in sports and technology has its defining shifts — moments when something new changes the game for good. Smartphones, the rise of analytics, the explosion of social media — each of these innovations didn’t just improve operations or marketing, they fundamentally reshaped how we work and live. We’re now in the middle of another moment, and perhaps the biggest: Artificial intelligence. As if the job of a sports executive wasn’t already complex enough, we’re now being asked to integrate a fast-evolving technology into our work, our teams and our culture. For some, it’s a spark full of possibility. For others, it’s overwhelming, unclear, and downright scary.

That’s where AI fluency becomes essential. Not fluency in code or algorithms, but fluency in leadership: knowing how to engage with AI in a way that’s strategic, thoughtful and human.

AI fluency is quickly becoming a baseline leadership skill that can no longer wait. Let’s start with what it’s not: You don’t need to be a technology wizard, an engineer or really understand anything about how the algorithms work. What you do need is a working knowledge of how to use AI tools in ways that enhance your leadership, not replace it. That includes recognizing where AI can add value and where human judgment still matters most. It means understanding how to prompt it well and knowing when to bring your own........

© Sports Business Journal