5 ways to use AI in your leadership practice
AI isn’t the boss… but it can make you a better one.
AI isn’t just for tech bros and coders. And AI isn’t going away, so leaders: Use it to your advantage! Where you’re navigating complexity, decision fatigue, and data overload, it’s amazing to let AI take some of the load off.
First things first, if you don’t already have an account with ChatGPT, get that set up, stat.
Here’s how to do it:
Sign up for a free account at chat.openai.com and create an account with your email. You can use the free version or upgrade to the paid plan (which gives you access to the more advanced GPT-4).
Once you're logged in, just click “New Chat” — then type a question, idea, or task into the box at the bottom. Hit enter. That’s it!
You may find you can do everything you want with the free version. I like the paid version because it gives me greater privacy controls and folders to organize my projects and thoughts.
#1: Understand ethics and confidentiality with AI
Never input sensitive or confidential employee or company data into public AI tools — generally speaking, treat AI like a public forum.
Review and verify any output before acting on it — AI can be confidently wrong or reflect bias in subtle ways.
Use it to support your thinking, not to make big decisions for you. Your judgment, values, and lived experience still matter most.
Be honest with your team if you’re using AI to help with writing or ideas — transparency builds trust.
Respect intellectual property — don’t feed in proprietary content that you don’t have permission to use.
Keep learning – the rules and tools are changing fast, so just stay curious and cautious.
A couple settings you’ll want to take a look at:
Turn off “Chat history & training”
This prevents your chats from being used to train OpenAI’s models. Go to Settings → Data Controls → Chat History & Training → Off (You’ll still get full functionality, but your chats won’t be stored or used to improve the system.)
There’s a section that asks “What would you like ChatGPT to know about you?” – don’t include personal or sensitive company info.
To reduce over-agreeableness (ChatGPT thinks every idea is good, and we want it to challenge us!)
Under Custom Instructions > “How would you like ChatGPT to respond?” you can say: “Be more direct and challenge my thinking when needed — don’t just agree with me.”
Try GPT-4 Turbo with the “memory off” option
Memory (if available) is a persistent feature. If you don’t want it to build a profile of your past chats, you can disable memory in Settings > Personalization.
Once you have those settings where you want them, it’s time to put AI to work. Here are 5 ways to help you both gain back some time AND take your leadership practice to the next level!
1. Structure your check-ins and 1:1s
Your 1:1s are some of the most important leadership conversations you’ll have — but when your calendar is packed and your brain is full, it’s easy to show up unprepared. AI can help you gather your thoughts, stay focused on what matters, and bring a little more clarity and care into the room.
Prompt ideas:
Here are some points I want my employee to work on… can you help me with some questions and bullet points to get the conversation going?
Generate an outline for my 1:1 today with an employee. I want to make sure we cover X, Y, Z and we have 30 minutes. Give me something inspiring and encouraging to end on.
Give me five check-in questions that go beyond ‘How’s it going?’ — I want to invite real reflection.
Help me reframe this feedback so it sounds constructive & development-focused, not critical.
Suggest a few closing phrases I can use to express appreciation and encouragement before we wrap up.
2. Clarify your thinking
AI is a great thinking partner when you need to draft difficult emails, prep talking points, or summarize big decisions. The key here is to use precision in your prompts. Incorporate directions like:
“Play devil’s advocate”
“Point out flaws in this idea”
“Tell me what I might be missing”
This nudges the AI to challenge you, which is helpful for leadership reflection.
Prompt ideas:
What should I focus on improving over the next quarter? [Paste in recent feedback you’ve received]
Summarize these three ideas into a concise message I can use in a meeting.
I’m considering [strategic decision] and am leaning in [x direction]... what are some pros or cons, or what am I not thinking about?
Draft a few ways I could explain this complex idea in simple, inspiring language.
I’m feeling stuck on this — can you help me brainstorm possible angles or approaches?
3. Save time on repetitive work
Tools like Fireflies, Otter.ai, and ChatGPT can save you from getting bogged down in the busywork. As a leader, you can’t always be the notetaker – it’s more important for you to be fully present. You can upload PDFs, documents, pictures of whiteboards, and more right to your chat to give ChatGPT (nearly) all the context you have.
Prompt ideas:
Here’s the transcript from a team meeting — summarize the key discussion points and any action items.
Turn this messy brainstorm into a clear list of next steps.
Help me write a follow-up email summarizing this meeting and assigning tasks.
What were the main themes in these three check-ins? I want to look for patterns.
Bonus tools to try:
Fireflies.ai – Records, transcribes, and summarizes meetings across Zoom, Google Meet, etc.
Otter.ai – Great for live transcription and automatic note-taking.
Notion AI / ClickUp AI – If you’re already using project management tools, their AI add-ons can summarize tasks, meetings, and updates with one click.
4. Practice empathy
Hard conversations – giving feedback, navigating conflict, sharing tough news – are part of the job . But just because something’s difficult doesn’t mean you have to come across as cold or harsh. AI can help you find the words when you’re not sure how to start, especially when you want to balance honesty with care.
I’ve found this incredibly helpful when my emotions or opinions are making it hard for me to find soft footing – I can unload my frustrations to ChatGPT and let it make a message more constructive for me. Less emotional labor!
Prompt ideas:
Here’s something hard I need to communicate… can you help me soften this message so my employee feels cared for and inspired?
Rewrite this feedback in a way that sounds firm, but encouraging.
What’s a way to start this conversation that shows I’m open and not defensive?
Help me find more inclusive language for this update — I want it to resonate across different identities and experiences.
Can you roleplay with me a difficult conversation where someone is upset about being passed over for a promotion?
Of course, you don’t have to take every word it suggests. Working through the options helps you show up clearer, calmer, and more connected.
5. Build your emotional vocabulary
One of the most powerful things you can do as a leader is to name what someone might be feeling — and AI can help you find the right words. Most of us default to the same 2 or 3 emotions when we’re trying to describe how we (or someone else) is doing (“stressed,” “frustrated,” “fine”) — but when you can reflect back an emotion with more accuracy, people feel seen. I’ve been using AI to stretch my own emotional vocabulary, understand what I’m observing, and practice putting it into words with empathy.
Prompt ideas:
“What are some emotions someone might be feeling if they just got a difficult performance review?”
“My employee seems disengaged — what emotions could be underneath that behavior?”
“Can you give me a list of 15 emotions related to feeling undervalued at work?”
“Here’s what I saw in today’s meeting… help me label what I might be observing emotionally.”
AI won’t tell you what to feel — but it can help you notice more, understand better, and become a leader who speaks to what’s real.
Final thoughts
AI can be a powerful partner in your leadership practice, helping you think more clearly, save time, and lead with more intention. But like any tool, it works best when you take the lead.
To wrap this up, a couple things to watch out for as you start exploring:
AI is a tool, not a decision-maker. It can support your thinking, but it can’t replace your experience, your discernment, or your gut.
Confidentiality and ethics matter. Don’t plug anything sensitive into public tools – protect your people and your integrity.
Leadership still requires heart. Even with the smartest tech in your corner, what makes you a great leader is your ability to show up with wisdom, empathy, and care.
Start small. Stay curious. And remember – you don’t have to be any sort of expert to use AI well. You just have to lead like you. It’s just a tool in your leadership toolkit.
I’m curious about how you’re using AI already in your leadership practice and what some of your favorite uses are… Send me a DM or an email or comment on my LinkedIn post!
Lead the way,
