What Smart Leaders Do With AI | The Fluent Edge Ep. 7

Full Transcript:

[: 00:00:00

Sean (Intro):

Most leaders treat AI like a tool—like Excel on steroids. But the smartest ones? They've started treating AI like a thought partner, a strategist, a teammate who never sleeps, never forgets, and doesn’t need a bonus.

Sean:

Welcome to The Fluent Edge Podcast, for advanced English speakers.

Dr. Howie Jacobson:

I’m Dr. Howie Jacobson, executive coach, author, and mindset strategist.

Sean:

And I’m Sean Watson, your English communication coach and Accent Clarity Specialist.

Dr. Howie Jacobson:

Together, we connect language and leadership so you can speak better, lead smarter, and thrive globally.

[: 00:01:00

Dr. Howie Jacobson:

So Sean, when we started this podcast, you inundated me—in a good way—with AI tools. You’d send me polished documents that would've taken me four months to write. You made websites in ten minutes. You really became my guide into the world of AI as something more than just a glorified Google. So I want to pick your brain today on how AI can help us become better thinkers and better leaders.

Let’s start here: how did you first realize that AI could be a game changer?

Sean:

The first “aha” moment for me was realizing I could scale what I do. As a solopreneur, I needed a way to keep my coaching personalized but more efficient. AI let me generate insights and material much faster—still high quality, but without burning out.

[: 00:02:00

Dr. Howie Jacobson:

So level one of AI mastery is just scaling yourself. But now, you’re clearly working at higher levels—using AI to think better and challenge your thinking. How has your use of AI evolved?

Sean:

It’s been exponential. One key thing I’ve learned is the importance of prompting—especially using the CRIT model I read about in The AI-Driven Leader by Jeff Woods. That stands for Context, Role, Interview, Task.

Start with detailed context. Not just “Give me a marketing plan,” but “Give me a 3-month marketing plan for Gen Z, with 2 staff, under $5,000/month.”

Then assign a role—like “act as my CFO” or “act as a skeptical investor.”

Next, allow the AI to interview you to uncover blind spots.

Finally, give it a specific task.

[: 00:03:00

Sean (continued):

This structure gives you results that are clear, customized, and actually useful. Without that structure, prompts are vague, and the output is mediocre.

Dr. Howie Jacobson:

So level two is giving smarter instructions. But what you’re doing—creating GPTs, letting AI ask you questions—that’s level three. You’re using AI to make you smarter.

One quote from Jeff Woods really stood out to me: “You can’t read the label from inside the box.” AI lets us see what we can’t on our own.

Sean:

Exactly. I often ask AI to confirm it understands me before starting. I’ll even write: “Tell me if you understand 90% of what I just said.” And I treat it like an invisible team member—always there, always ready.

[: 00:04:00

Dr. Howie Jacobson:

And you’re pairing this with VoiceNotes, right? You record natural prompts and let AI clean it up?

Sean:

Yes, that stream-of-consciousness dictation creates a natural flow. It feels like a conversation. AI transcribes, cleans it up, and the partnership feels real.

Boston Consulting Group actually did a study showing that AI increased work quality by 40%, speed by 25%, and task completion by 12%.

Dr. Howie Jacobson:

Do you have a favorite prompt you use often?

[: 00:05:00

Sean:

Absolutely. One is my ESL lesson creator GPT. I just specify the English level—say, C1—and it generates a complete lesson plan: warm-up questions, quotes, vocabulary with IPA, reading passages, comprehension activities, discussion questions, even optional writing tasks.

If a student says they want to transfer from HR to a new field, I can generate a tailored lesson in our discovery call.

[: 00:06:00

Dr. Howie Jacobson:

That’s like software prototyping. You’re iterating quickly. And even if the result is wrong at first, it shows you where to improve the prompt.

Sean:

Exactly. And once I have a solid prompt, I’ll ask, “Is there anything else I could add to make this even better?” It often gives great suggestions I hadn’t considered.

Dr. Howie Jacobson:

So leaders could do the same—create a GPT that plays devil’s advocate. Challenge your ideas. Add some humor. Help you stay human.

Sean:

Yes. Instead of reacting emotionally to conflict, use AI to simulate objections and analyze risks without ego.

[: 00:07:00

Dr. Howie Jacobson:

That’s huge. I’m thinking of building a GPT for Nonviolent Communication. If someone yells at me, I could transcribe it and have AI extract the feelings and needs, like Marshall Rosenberg teaches.

Sean:

That’s brilliant. Actually, Sanofi—the pharma company—has 23,000 employees and encourages AI experimentation across teams. Even with competitors! It’s about normalizing innovation and playing with possibility.

Dr. Howie Jacobson:

So it’s not just about clear goals—but creative play, too. Like learning a new instrument—try things without knowing the outcome first.

[: 00:08:00

Sean:

Exactly. For leaders just starting out, I suggest creating an AI Stack Dashboard:

Pick 3 tools per quarter (writing, data, thinking)

Review monthly: Does it save time? Improve decisions?

Assign ownership across the team

It becomes a habit of measured experimentation.

Dr. Howie Jacobson:

Anything else before we wrap?

Sean:

Yes—I’ve created a downloadable CRIT-based prompt pack for leaders.

Here’s one example:

Context: You're prepping a strategic offsite. Growth is flat, competition rising, acquisition costs up.

Role: Act as a strategic advisor in scenario planning and facilitation.

Interview: Ask questions to uncover blind spots—like overlooked capabilities or market shifts.

Task: Propose 3 bold growth paths. Include assumptions, triggers, risks, and discussion points.

Constraints: No industry assumptions unless specified. Use 4–6 bullets max. Flag speculation.

[: 00:09:00

This is how you train your AI to think and serve like a top strategist. And I’ve included 8–9 examples like this in the downloadable toolkit.

Dr. Howie Jacobson:

Amazing. I’m eager to try them.

Sean:

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, and share The Fluent Edge with friends or colleagues working on their English or leadership skills.

We both have coaching spots open—Howie helps professionals lead with purpose and avoid burnout. Book a free call via the description link.

Dr. Howie Jacobson:

And if you’re working on communication clarity, global presence, or accent confidence, book a free call with Sean. You’ll find everything in the episode description.

Sean & Dr. Howie (Outro):

Keep thinking clearly, communicating boldly, and leading with your voice.

Stay sharp, stay human, and stay fluent.