Embracing AI, why forward-looking leaders don’t fear it, they leverage it.

Last week’s issue: Behaviours over Numbers

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Welcome back to House of Leadership.
We explore what it really takes to grow and lead in high-performance environments. It’s not just about metrics, it’s about visibility, habits, leverage, and building teams that scale. Whether you’re climbing the ladder or coaching others to the top, this is your weekly playbook.

👉 This week: Embracing AI, why forward-looking leaders don’t fear it, they leverage it.

There’s a quiet divide forming in leadership circles:

• On one side: those who feel threatened or overwhelmed by AI.

• On the other: those quietly building leverage with it every single day.

The difference?
One group is playing defense. The other is building the future.

Let’s talk about how to lead with AI, not against it.

AI won’t replace you, but a leader who uses AI will

You’ve probably heard the quote. It’s true.

AI isn’t about replacing critical thinking, deep expertise, or empathy. It’s about amplifying those things. It’s a force multiplier if you let it be.

Leaders who embrace AI early gain an edge in:

• Making sharper, faster decisions

• Communicating more clearly and consistently

• Automating repeatable tasks so they can focus on people, culture, and strategy

• Coaching at scale, with insights and precision

AI won’t make you less human, it frees you to be more human where it matters most.

The wrong fear: “AI is going to take my job.”

The right fear: “I’m wasting time doing work AI could already do.”

If you’re spending your time rewriting the same email three times…
…formatting reports by hand…
…spending 40 minutes writing feedback when AI could help you do it in 5…

You’re missing the point of leadership in 2025.

Your value isn’t in output volume. It’s in judgement, insight, connection, and direction.
AI gives you more space to operate there if you let it.

What great leaders are doing with AI right now

Here’s how smart, pragmatic leaders are already embedding AI into their workflows:

🧠 Thinking partner: Using tools like Claude or ChatGPT to explore strategy, draft responses, or gut-check positioning before meetings.

🛠️ Workflow optimizer: Creating SOPs, process docs, or onboarding materials with AI instead of from scratch.

📝 Comms assistant: Drafting performance reviews, stakeholder updates, follow-ups, and internal memos — then refining with your own leadership voice.

📊 Data summarizer: Using AI to review customer surveys, case summaries, and even Salesforce exports to surface key patterns or themes.

👥 Coaching aid: Practicing feedback conversations or difficult messaging with an AI to refine tone and anticipate reactions.

This isn’t about being perfect. It’s about building muscle memory now, so you're fluent when it matters most.

A quick story from my world

One of my contacts used to spend hours each month writing team performance reviews, carefully tweaking language to balance praise, candour, and developmental next steps.

We worked together to build an AI-assisted process:

1. She fed a few examples into Claude, along with a simple rubric.

2. She used it to draft first versions, then layered in her voice and judgment.

3. Her time per review dropped from 90 minutes to 20.

The kicker?
Her team said the feedback was more helpful, not less.
Because she was able to focus on the message, not the mechanics.

But what about accuracy, security, and tone?

You should treat AI like a co-pilot, not an autopilot.

That means:

✅ Always reviewing and editing outputs
✅ Never sharing sensitive or confidential data
✅ Adding the human layer: tone, values, and business context

This isn’t about blind automation. It’s about amplified intentionality.

Not using AI yet? Start here.

Pick one of these 3 simple use cases to build trust and traction:

1. Draft smarter: Use ChatGPT or Claude to draft emails, summaries, or meeting follow-ups. You’ll cut time by 30-50%.

2. Plan faster: Ask it to help you outline a presentation, workshop, or initiative roadmap. Start with a skeleton and build from there.

3. Reflect deeper: Use AI to journal or work through a leadership dilemma. Think of it like a sounding board — without the calendar conflict.

Try one this week. That’s it.

The best time to start was last year. The second-best time is now.

🔒 Up next, in the Premium section…

I’m sharing my AI-for-Leaders Playbook, including:

🧰 My weekly AI workflow: how I save 4–6 hours per week with Claude + ChatGPT
🧠 Smart prompts for coaching, writing reviews, stakeholder updates, and more
📤 Templates for AI-powered emails that sound like you, not a robot
🛑 AI red flags: what to avoid so you don’t damage trust with your team or customers
📅 A 30-day AI upskilling path for busy leaders (10 min/day)

If you want to lead like it’s 2025, not 2015, this is the edge.

👉 [Upgrade to Premium to access the full playbook and start leading with AI »]

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