In an era where artificial intelligence dominates headlines and digital transformation mindset feels like a constant demand, organizations worldwide are asking the wrong question. Instead of wondering “How do we keep up with change?” the real question should be: “How do we actively shape what’s possible?“
The answer lies not in the latest platform, algorithm, or AI breakthrough, but in developing a transformation mindset. This fundamental shift in thinking forms the core message of our ILI Digital CEO Dr. Serhan Ili‘s TEDxKarlsruhe Talk on October 4th, 2025, where he explores how the right transformation mindset can unlock unprecedented possibilities for organizations ready to move beyond reactive change management.
Turning Limitations into Opportunities: Dr. Serhan Ili’s Story
Change has become the only constant in today’s business landscape. Yet while many view change as an overwhelming challenge with limited resources, history teaches us that true breakthroughs rarely emerge from abundance alone. They happen when people and organizations look past limitations and shift from a mindset of scarcity to one of possibility.
This shift isn’t merely about optimism, it’s about fundamentally redefining how we approach problems, opportunities, and the future itself. When teams develop what experts call a “sense for opportunities,” they begin to see potential where others see problems, finding raw material for innovation in apparent obstacles.
Even Dr. Serhan Ili has his own personal story of how he turned obstacles into his first successes, long before founding ILI Digital.
Consider this: Serhan, as a ten-year-old boy, wanted a BMX bike like his peers but received an old, rusty women’s bicycle instead. Rather than accepting disappointment, his father helped him transform it, sawing off parts, welding new components, creating something entirely unique. On top of that, after the bicycle was ready, young Serhan created his first business model, letting friends and acquaintances ride it for a few German Marks. Serhan didn’t just get a bike; he learned that we don’t have to accept what we’re handed.
This very personal story of Dr. Serhan’s childhood shows how he learned to take matters into his own hands to shape his own path and success! This illustrates a crucial principle: The greatest upgrade isn’t always a thing – it’s a mindset.
Translating the Concept: The Co-Intelligence Revolution
Today’s organizations face their own “rusty bike moment” with artificial intelligence. A situation that can feel limiting or intimidating at first. Many employees and companies naturally worry about being replaced by AI, but just like young Serhan transformed his old, rusty bicycle into a unique creation, this challenge holds an enormous opportunity for transformation.
In this case, what the business world needs isn’t just artificial intelligence to break boundaries – it’s co-intelligence: the seamless collaboration between human creativity and machine capability, between intuition and computation, between purpose and technological power.
AI isn’t here to replace us. It’s here to team up with us – Let’s make it yours.
This partnership only works, however, when organizations bring the right mindset to the table. Companies that view AI as a threat will always be playing defense. Those that see it as a creative partner will design the future.
Three Essential Mindset Shifts for Thriving Organizations
With all this knowledge and our work with organizations across industries, ILI identified three critical mindset shifts that separate companies that merely survive change from those that truly thrive in it.
1. From Passive Acceptance to Active Reshaping
Stop asking “How do we adapt to what’s happening to us?” Start asking “How do we actively shape what’s possible?” This shift transforms organizations from passengers in change to architects of their future.
2. From Individual Capability to Collective Co-Intelligence
The future belongs to organizations that can seamlessly blend human insight with AI capability. Success isn’t about having the smartest individuals, it’s about creating the most intelligent systems where human creativity amplifies technological power.
3. From Fear of the Unknown to Openness for What’s Possible
The future isn’t something that arrives. It’s something that asks to be created. Organizations that embrace this perspective stop waiting for permission to innovate and start actively shaping transformation.
From Practice to Cultural Transformation
Cultivating this transformation mindset requires moving beyond philosophical concepts to concrete organizational practices. When teams face limitations, successful organizations ask: “If this constraint didn’t exist, what would we build?” followed by “How might we build a version of that within our constraints?” This reframing reveals overlooked possibilities and begins shifting organizational dialogue from limitation to potential.
The most profound changes occur when companies experiment with co-intelligence in daily operations, using AI tools not to replace human judgment, but to amplify it. Combined with “future-loving” language that replaces “We can’t because…” with “We could if…”, these practices create cascading cultural changes that transform entire organizations.
The result? Companies discover their greatest competitive advantage isn’t their technology stack or data, it’s their ability to see possibilities that others miss. This “sense for opportunities” becomes a cultural asset that multiplies across every department and decision, turning mindset transformation from an individual exercise into collective organizational capability.
Companies discover their greatest competitive advantage isn’t their technology stack or data—it’s their ability to see possibilities that others miss.
The Choice Every Organization Faces Today
Every organization today stands at its own transformational crossroads. They can see current challenges as inadequate resources, outdated systems, or insurmountable obstacles.
Or they can see raw potential waiting to be reshaped.
The tools of transformation like AI, data & automation are already here. They will change everything.
The question isn’t whether transformation will happen, but whether organizations will be passengers in that change or active designers of it.
The next breakthrough will emerge from leaders who choose to think differently, who see partnership where others see competition, and who find opportunity in uncertainty.
It will come from organizations that embrace transformation mindset and break the boundaries.
Organizations ready to develop their sense for opportunities often find that the right mindset isn’t just individual. It’s collective, and it forms the foundation of every successful transformation.
When teams learn to see challenges as raw material for innovation, they don’t just adapt to change, they actively shape it.
What are the three key mindset shifts for organizations to thrive in transformation?
The three key mindset shifts are moving from passive acceptance to active reshaping, from individual capability to collective co-intelligence, and from fear of the unknown to openness for possibilities.
Why is co-intelligence important, and how does it differ from AI alone?
Co-intelligence is important because it fosters seamless collaboration between human creativity and machine capabilities, emphasizing partnership rather than replacement; unlike AI alone, it leverages the unique strengths of both humans and technology for innovative results.
Read our article about Opportunity Intelligence ↗
What is the core mindset needed for organizational transformation?
The core mindset essential for organizational transformation is a shift from viewing change as a challenge to seeing it as an opportunity to actively shape possibilities through a sense for opportunities and a growth-oriented outlook.
