All Articles.png)
The tide has turned towards AI. You can choose to ride the wave, or you can be destroyed by the tsunami!
I have chosen to be curious about the doors AI can open for myself, my clients, and leaders everywhere. It is not a replacement for human leadership, but it can save us hours of time and spark new and exciting ideas.
My recent podcast episode with Sasha Dichter, CEO of 60 Decibels, reminded me of how AI can become our thinking partner and conversation buddy. Interacting with this tool in an intentional way can stretch our minds, strengthen our knowledge, and equip us to approach our decisions with more data and deeper reflection. Sasha suggested engaging in conversation with your AI tool of choice for an hour every day over a prolonged period: “If your job as CEO is to see over the next horizon, and you have a 90% expert who’s a world-class brainstorming partner, you can see how that accelerates [you].” This is a practical and measurable approach to activate your brain and learn more on a regular basis.
“Tell it who you want it to be,” Sasha suggested, using the example of engaging with AI as a physical therapist to understand injury recovery. This can be an interesting experiment—for instance, I could ask AI to take on the persona of Jim Collins and critique my new BHAG idea. As Seth Godin has cautioned us, we should remain aware that AI is still just a tool; it is not a person or a surrogate for a real professional or a historical figure. Never abdicate your decision-making to AI; rather, treat it as a powerful source to consult during the research process.
Having a Quality Conversation with AI
Realistically, we do not have the opportunity to talk through ideas with our teammates every single day, but tools like ChatGPT, Claude, CoPilot, and Grok are almost always at our fingertips.
We all know how to begin a human conversation. But how do you engage with AI? What should you even talk about? Consider the following prompts:
- What is a topic that you struggle to understand or do not know much about, but knowing more would help you live more joyfully and successfully?
- What is an area of your life or work where you could really use a coach? What do you need from that coach, and how often would you like to hear from them?
- What “crazy ideas” do you have that make you excited about life or about your business? Consider something that you want to explore by yourself before bringing it to other people.
These are just a few ideas to get your AI conversation going. The key is to keep it going. AI will give new output based on your input, so continue to ask questions, dig deeper, and be frank when the response does not sufficiently answer your question.
Many AI tools will provide links to sources, so explore these to validate the information provided and explore ideas straight from the source. It is tempting to take information at face value when it is presented with a clear and professional tone, but do not forget to use your skepticism as a guardrail and double-check the facts presented, especially when you will be using that information to make a decision.Engage Regularly and Explore Widely
The more you converse with AI, the more ideas you will have for questions to ask, and the deeper you will be able to go into the topics that are important to you. Reserve time on your calendar just for this purpose. If an hour a day is unattainable, try an hour a week or every two weeks.
Do not limit your conversation so much that you miss out on unexpected knowledge. Though you may start with a specific problem to solve or topic to explore, you may soon find yourself going down a new path! I encourage you to be curious and see where this thread may lead. Think about jumping from one Wikipedia page to another via hyperlinks; if you have done this, you know it is a great way to learn about topics beyond your purview. You can embark on similar explorations with AI, but in a more direct and efficient way.
You may stumble across a data point or idea that you had never before considered. What breakthroughs could be out there waiting for you? Maybe you will even learn, as we so often do, that the problem you were originally trying to solve is not the real problem at all.
A Partner in Learning
I’m grateful to Sasha for what he reminded me about the process of learning through intentional engagement. It reflects my own journey with AI: first, I started to crawl (as a brand new user), then I began to walk (as a familiar user), and now I am running (as a proficient user). I have learned so much that it is hard to envision life without AI as my research partner.
Do not let the fear of change steal opportunities to learn faster and grow better as a leader. Let AI take you further. Question it, challenge it, and share your own thoughts, just as you would do with a colleague or friend. Take what you have learned, validate it, and use your knowledge to empower your decision making.
Use this tool to help yourself create a more joyful and successful life.
