Ambidexterity – Key Competence for Success in the Age of AI
For years, we have known that long-term success requires navigating the tension between innovation and efficiency. Efficiency keeps a business stable and competitive, while innovation ensures future relevance. But for decades, companies have struggled to integrate both—often treating them as competing forces rather than complementary ones.
Traditionally, organizations tried to separate these functions:
- Efficiency was the domain of core business operations, driven by optimization and cost reduction.
- Innovation was outsourced to R&D departments, innovation hubs, or corporate venture units—kept at a distance from day-to-day operations.
This divide worked for a while. But in today’s world of rapid technological advancements and AI-driven transformation, the rules have changed. AI and digitalization have added an entirely new dimension to this challenge. The tools we now have at our disposal are not just improving efficiency—they are actively reshaping business models, leadership, and decision-making.
Strategic impulses for lasting AI-driven change.
The e³-Framework:
exploit, explore,
empower
With the e³-Framework—exploit, explore, empower—organizations can turn AI-driven change into success by setting the right strategic impulses. It’s not just about adopting new technologies but strategically aligning efficiency, innovation, and leadership to thrive in a rapidly evolving world.
This approach forms the foundation of IMPULSEe³ – The Center for Technology, People, and Transformation, dedicated to research and practical strategies for navigating this shift. Grounded in the e³-Framework, the center explores how businesses can harness AI, empower people, and drive meaningful transformation.
exploit
Innovation alone isn’t enough—long-term success also requires operational excellence. AI and digital tools allow businesses to optimize processes, improve decision-making, and enhance efficiency without compromising adaptability. The key is to align innovation with business execution, ensuring that new ideas translate into tangible impact.
- AI automates processes, improving efficiency while freeing up resources for innovation.
- Adaptive business strategies replace rigid five-year plans, allowing companies to test, iterate, and pivot in real time.
Driving Efficiency and Execution
explore
Discovering New Opportunities
The rapid evolution of AI and digitalization is reshaping entire industries, opening up unprecedented opportunities for innovation. Companies that embrace exploration actively seek out new business models, emerging technologies, and shifting market dynamics. The question is not whether to innovate, but how to do so strategically while maintaining operational strength.
- AI enables companies to uncover new opportunities beyond traditional markets.
- Innovation is no longer confined to R&D departments—it must be embedded across the organization.
empower
Technology alone doesn’t drive transformation—people do. Companies must empower individuals and teams to navigate change, embrace new ways of working and lead in a more decentralized, collaborative manner. Leadership is no longer about top-down control, but about orchestrating collective intelligence and strategic impulses across the organization.
- AI reshapes decision-making, moving from rigid hierarchies to data-driven, decentralized leadership.
- Everyone leads—empowered employees become active contributors to transformation.
Rethinking Leadership in the Age of AI
The question is not: How do we become an ambidextrous organization, but rather how do we manage a capability we already have?
Because every organization is already ambidextrous – from young startups to established corporations.
- Exploration vs. Exploitation – Discovering new opportunities or optimizing existing ones?
- Innovation vs. Efficiency – Taking risks or perfecting processes?
- Future vs. Tradition – Thinking disruptively or preserving what works?
Traditional companies perfect their core business, optimize operations, and maximize efficiency. Yet without new impulses—without exploration—even the most successful organizations will eventually be overtaken.
Ambidexterity is not just about recognizing these tensions—it’s about actively shaping them.
Why
Dr. Elena
Krause-Söhner
is an Expert in
Amibidexterity?
Ambidexterity? Experienced, Researched, Applied.
Not from a textbook, but from real-world practice—gained in an industry that balances preservation and renewal every day: the paper processing industry.
As an executive at a hidden champion in the envelope sector, she drove digitalization, optimized processes, and developed digital business models—right at the intersection of market decline and new opportunities. She didn’t just experience the tension between innovation and efficiency firsthand—she also studied it scientifically, earning a PhD on the dynamics of ambidexterity.
Today, she helps organizations and leaders strategically master ambidexterity—through her e³-framework and the IMPULSEe³ Center, which integrates Exploration, Exploitation, and Empowerment to drive transformation.
AI & Ambidextrie in Action – Experience It in Keynotes & Workshops
Ambidexterity is not an abstract concept—it is the key to long-term business success. The crucial factor is not just the theory but the targeted implementation: How can ambidexterity be actively shaped?
With the right impulses and a clear understanding of how AI can drive both innovation and efficiency, previously untapped opportunities can be unlocked. Workshops and keynotes provide practical insights and tailored strategies, designed to address specific challenges and goals.