Beyond the AI trust gap: A leader’s Playbook
Featured in ZDNet Business, June 2025
Co-authored with Vala Afshar, Chief Digital Officer of Salesforce, and contributing writer for ZDNet Business
The Challenge: Executives are building AI governance behind closed doors, only to wonder why adoption stalls and trust erodes.
The Solution: Move beyond internal alignment and adopt a "Boundless Operating Model" that breaks down silos and builds trust both internally and externally.
Why AI Governance Alone Isn't Enough
Picture this: AI ideas conceived in executive meetings become top-down mandates. Employees are unsure whether to speak up, take the lead, or wait and see. Sound familiar?
"Let's flip the script on AI Governance, leave the traditional thinking of 'rules' and 'conditions' to focus on building collaboration, learning from each team, sharing use cases openly… which leads to trust." — Vala Afshar
The Boundless Framework: 7 Principles for AI Success
Drawing from Henry King and Vala Afshar's upcoming book "Boundless," here's how to transform AI from mandate to ecosystem:
Connection → Open AI discussions across teams
Integration → Break down silos, collaborate on use cases
Decentralization → Build governance that teams feel part of
Mobility → Communicate AI insights to customers and partners
Continuity → Speed response through human connections
Autonomy → Empower AI-driven decisions at team level
Holistic Success → Transform culture, brand, and ecosystem
Real Results: A Cybersecurity Success Story
A Chief Product Officer used a Customer Advisory Board to make a multimillion-dollar decision: build AI in-house or partner?
The moment of truth: When asked directly, the largest customer declared: "Build it. We will buy it, and you can displace your competitors."
The outcome: Customer trust became "turbo confidence," leading to a new funding round and their first Gartner Magic Quadrant invitation.
The Competitive Advantage
When customers help design your AI strategy, they don't just buy your solution—they become part of your story. They evangelize because they co-designed something they believe in.
The bottom line: In a world where AI capabilities will quickly become commoditized, companies that win will be those that earned trust first.
Want the Full Playbook?
This is just a glimpse of our comprehensive framework for building AI trust at scale.
👉 Read the complete article on ZDNet
Discover the detailed 7-principle framework, additional case studies, and actionable strategies for transforming your organization's approach to AI adoption.
What's your biggest challenge in building AI trust within your organization? Share your thoughts in the comments below.