Does This Sound Familiar?
The Philosophy That Shaped My Book
Years ago, a beloved teacher taught me a lesson that has been invaluable throughout my career: “there is no desire greater than to alter someone else’s draft.” That insight is the foundation of my philosophy.
Armed with this philosophy, early in my career, I created my Visual Dartboarding™ approach to turn passive presentations into active co-creation sessions. Instead of pitching a polished idea, I started sharing rough drafts early—inviting others to shape the outcome with me.
I brought this "Show, Don't Tell" philosophy into my AI work, where the stakes are high and the concepts are complex. A powerful example was when, instead of using slides, we brought a holographic AI agent prototype into a boardroom, wearing the client's team jersey.
We didn’t tell them what AI could do.
We showed them what was possible, as the holographic agent interacted with simulated fans on game day, right before their eyes.
Funding was unlocked. Belief was born. That’s the power of showing, not telling.
Why Now?
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AI isn’t failing because it’s too technical.
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It’s failing because we’re not showing what success looks like.
It’s time to flip the script.
So, whether you’re prepping for a board presentation, launching an AI pilot, or leading transformation in your org, this book gives you the tools, language, and visual strategies to lead differently and win support faster.
Who this book is for
This is for you if you're:
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A CEO, CIO, CFO, COO, innovation lead, or board director
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Presenting strategy, trying to align stakeholders, or launching pilots
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Feeling stuck, stalled, or just not getting the traction you need
You don’t need to code. You don’t need to be an engineer.
You need a visual toolkit and a new way to lead.
This book gives you both.
What You’ll Learn
This is not a tech manual. It’s a leadership strategy playbook for executives, change agents, and boardroom decision-makers who need to turn AI from a buzzword into business value.
Inside, I’ll show you my proven system for turning potential into performance. You will learn how to:
Applied AI Guiding Principles
Build unstoppable momentum with the
AI Performance Flywheel, a four-phase system that takes your initiatives from:
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Foundation to
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Execution,
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Scale, and
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Innovation
Five AI Success Pillars
Ground your strategy in my research-backed
Five AI Success Pillars:
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Business Value Creation
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Customer-Centricity
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Collaborative Teams
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Cultural Shifts
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Data as a Strategic Asset
Visualization Decision Framework
Master my Visual Dartboarding™ collaborative problem-solving approach and Visualization Tool Decision Framework, a practical toolkit to help you select the right visual for the right audience—from ROI heatmaps for your CFO, to workflow diagrams for your team.
About the Author
Dr. Lisa Palmer is an Applied AI Executive Advisor, global keynote speaker, and the founder of an AI venture blending cutting-edge AI software with human expertise.
Her unique value lies in having been a technology buyer, seller, advisor, and researcher, giving her a 360-degree perspective on how to turn AI into practical, profitable, people-friendly results.
Check out the Book FAQ below
Testimonials
"Finally, a playbook that shows how to unlock AI’s power with business leaders, not just engineers, and demystifies the path from vision to real value."
― Mary Shea, PhD, Former Principal Analyst at Forrester, Co-Founder & Chief Growth Officer at Meerkat
"Critical resource for business leaders--this book fills in all the gaps between LLMs and making money!"
— Chris Germann, Advisor to CMOs, Independent Consultant, Former Gartner VP - CIO Research Program
"Every services partner chasing AI deals needs a blueprint like this for turning strategy into action and pipeline into revenue."
— Justin Slagle, Former Microsoft Director - Global Systems Integrators, Founder & CEO - The Partner Masters
"If you want to turn skeptics into champions, show them exactly how AI changes the game for your business."
— Greg Nichols, President of Technology Partners, AI Investor
"Her step-by-step methodology is the essential AI guide for driving collaborative, secure innovation, fast."
— Rob Bence, VP of Technology & Cybersecurity - Tepper Sports and Entertainment, Owners of the Carolina Panthers
"Dr. Lisa delivers the field guide for leaders ready to secure the future by pairing advanced technology with courageous human leadership."
— Julie Vida, Retired Naval Commander, Cybersecurity Board Director, Former Splunk Chief Strategy Advisor
We are thrilled to announce that Northeastern State University will be using Show AI—Don’t Tell It in “special topics in cybersecurity” curriculum AND their new AI degree program.
Thank You for your support and Bold AI Leadership!
Order Your Copy Now!
Book Format and Specs: Hardback – 286 pages | ISBN-13: 978-139433691 | Publishing date: September 30, 2025 | Publisher: Wiley
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
General Information
Q1: What is the title of this book and who is the author?
The title of the book is Show AI—Don’t Tell It: Build Buy-In with Visual Storytelling. The author is Dr. Lisa Palmer.
Q2: Who is the target audience for this book?
This book is intended for senior business leaders who are expected to lead AI initiatives, including CEOs, CFOs, CIOs, COOs, and board members. It is specifically aimed at those who need to guide strategy and build buy-in without needing a PhD in data science.
Q3: What is the main purpose of this book?
The book equips C-suite executives and business leaders with a pragmatic, proven system for turning AI initiatives into measurable business outcomes. It serves as a leadership playbook rooted in real-world experience, grounded in the belief that transformation occurs only when people feel, see, and trust AI. It focuses on how to align teams, secure funding, gain traction, and scale impact.
Q4: What is the core framework introduced in the book?
The core framework is the Bold AI Leadership Model. This model is built on three critical components:
1. Mindset: The four Applied AI Guiding Principles.
2. Strategy: The five research-backed AI Success Pillars.
3. Action: The visualization tools for strategic and iterative action.
Core Principles and Models
Q5: What is the "Show Not Tell" approach?
"Show Not Tell" is the key to making AI real inside the enterprise. It is a strategic leadership approach that uses visualization tools to translate strategy into business language, demonstrate ROI through early wins, turn resistance into momentum, and align technical and non-technical teams. It emphasizes demonstrating AI's value visibly rather than just explaining technical details.
Q6: What is the purpose of the Bold AI Leadership Mindset?
The mindset forms the foundational layer of the Bold AI Leadership Model, built upon four guiding principles designed to address fundamental organizational challenges in AI adoption:
1. Business Value: Establishing the essential focus on delivering tangible, measurable results driven by pragmatic innovation.
2. Speed with Rigor: Emphasizing the need for both agility and structure to achieve sustainable success in dynamic markets.
3. Simplicity: Crucial for building trust and widespread adoption by making AI approachable, accessible, and understandable.
4. Human-Centricity: Prioritizing human capabilities and ensuring that AI augments humans, rather than replacing them.
Q7: What are the Five AI Success Pillars (Strategic Priorities)?
These five research-backed pillars provide a structured approach to aligning AI initiatives with enterprise priorities:
1. Business Value Creation: To solve real problems with measurable ROI.
2. Customer-Centricity: To focus AI efforts on experience, insight, and loyalty.
3. Collaborative Teams: To unite technical and business talent.
4. Cultural Shifts: To foster trust, literacy, and readiness.
5. Data as a Strategic Asset: To ensure quality, structure, and accessibility power the AI.
Q8: How do the Mindset principles and the Success Pillars work together?
The Mindset (Part 1) introduces the beliefs and behaviors necessary for strategic AI leadership. The Pillars (Part 2) provide the strategic map—a structured foundation—to ensure AI initiatives are focused and aligned with business priorities, keeping them from stalling or failing to scale.
Q9: What is the AI Performance Flywheel?
The AI Performance Flywheel is a repeatable system designed to build and sustain momentum, turning AI potential into business results continually. It consists of four interconnected phases:
1. Foundation Momentum: Converting skepticism into trust.
2. Execution Momentum: Scaling initial wins into operational improvements.
3. Scale Momentum: Turning departmental successes into enterprise-wide change.
4. Innovation Momentum: Creating competitive sustainability.
Visualization and Execution
Q10: Why is visualization a critical component of Bold AI Leadership?
Visualization is emphasized as a catalyst for change that helps leaders execute strategy and drive results. Leaders must show, not tell, AI's value to secure buy-in, as it transforms abstract concepts into tangible experiences that teams can see, relate to, and trust. Visualization breaks down complexity and fuels the momentum phases of the Flywheel.
Q11: What is "Visual Dartboarding"?
Visual Dartboarding is a technique developed to accelerate decision-making and stakeholder alignment. It involves creating a visual draft of a plan, model, or concept and inviting stakeholders to react to and refine it, transforming abstract discussions into productive collaboration and co-ownership. This approach emphasizes that an imperfect sketch is better than a blank page, encouraging engagement from the start.
Q12: How does the book address resistance to AI adoption?
The book addresses resistance by focusing on Execution Momentum, which requires leaders to dismantle barriers using stakeholder-specific visualization strategies. Different groups (e.g., executives, IT teams, frontline staff) require tailored visuals and messaging that resonate with their unique concerns, such as ROI skepticism or fear of job displacement.
Author Background
Q13: What is Dr. Lisa Palmer’s professional background?
Dr. Lisa Palmer is a 25-year tech veteran and former Microsoft, Gartner, and Splunk executive. She currently leads an Applied AI advisory firm (Dr. Lisa AI) and a disruption company (NCX). Her background includes experience as an IT practitioner and CIO, a trusted executive advisor, a technology seller, and a doctoral researcher. Her 2023 doctorate was in Applied AI and resulted in the widely adopted Five Pillars of AI Success framework.
