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Two forces above all are rewriting the rules of risk and opportunity: the explosive proliferation of Artificial Intelligence and the pervasive, systemic nature of cybersecurity risk. The Intelligence Analyst:  The strategist who researches the organization from the outside, identifies

Palantir is trusted by: National defense agencies Global intelligence communities Fortune 100s with high-risk

As AI becomes woven into the fabric of everyday work, employees are asking: “Where do I fit in now?” Fear of AI rarely comes from the technology itself. It comes from the belief that someone, or something, will take away a person’s agency, relevance, or dignity. If leaders don’t address that psychological gap directly, no amount of training or tools will ease the anxiety. This is why the stories leaders tell right now matter more than the tools they deploy. Stories shape meaning. And meaning shapes behavior. In this moment of technological acceleration, employees need narratives that restore a sense of control and reinforce that AI is here to support, not replace, the human beings who make an organization extraordinary. Below are powerful, executive-ready stories leaders can use to build trust, reduce fear, and position AI as a force multiplier. “AI Is the Autopilot, Not the Pilot.” Modern aircraft are marvels of automation. Autopilot can handle more than 90% of a flight. Yet, no passenger boards a plane thinking, “Good thing we don’t have a pilot.” We trust the system precisely because a trained human is in the cockpit. AI is no different. It handles routine tasks exceptionally well, but humans remain accountable for judgment, nuance, and decisions. For employees, leaders should reiterate: “You’re not being replaced. You’re becoming the pilot.” “Think of AI Like GPS: You’re Still Driving.” A GPS system offers recommended routes based on traffic, weather, and real-time data. But the human driver stays in full control. You ignore the directions when you know better, and you choose the destination. AI in the workplace mirrors this dynamic. It suggests, accelerates, and guides, all while the employee remains the driver. For employees, leaders should reiterate:   “You stay in control of decisions and direction.” “Doctors Using AI Aren’t Less Valuable, They’re More Capable.” Medical imaging AI can identify anomalies in scans with incredible accuracy. Yet no hospital is replacing radiologists; they’re equipping them.  AI adds a level of precision humans can’t achieve alone. But only humans can interpret results, make diagnoses, and comfort patients. For employees, leaders should reiterate:   “Your expertise becomes more  valuable when paired with AI.” “Power Tools Didn’t Replace Builders. They Empowered Them.” A carpenter with a power drill isn’t less of a carpenter, they’re a more efficient one. Power tools transform what’s possible. AI is the modern equivalent. If a task can be automated, it frees a person to operate at a higher level of skill and creativity. For employees, leaders should reiterate: “You’re not losing tasks. You’re gaining impact.” “Spell-Check Didn’t Replace Editors, It Made Better Writers.” When spell-check first appeared, professional editors were among the most vocal skeptics. Many worried that if software could catch errors automatically, their value would be reduced. Spell-check did not eliminate editing jobs. Instead, it eliminated the mechanical parts of editing—freeing editors to apply deeper value. For employees, leaders should reiterate: “Technology takes away the trivial so humans can focus on the meaningful.” “AI As Anti-Lock Brakes.” Automatic brake systems (ABS) don’t take over your car, they keep you from losing control. AI often works the same way: it catches errors, prevents mistakes, and safeguards decision-making. AI is a safety feature. It prevents more problems than it creates. For employees, leaders should reiterate: “AI helps you avoid errors—it doesn’t override your judgment.” “In an ER, Machines Monitor and Humans Respond.” Hospitals rely on monitors to track patient vitals. But nurses and physicians interpret the signals, decide the interventions, and act with empathy. AI does the monitoring; humans do the meaning-making. For employees, leaders should reiterate: “You remain essential to context and care.” Why These Stories Matter To lead people through technological transformation, leaders must address five core fears AI often triggers: Fear of Loss of Control: Stories like autopilot and GPS restore agency. Fear of Being Replaced: Power tools show human value increases. Fear of Not Being Capable: Medical imaging emphasizes partnership, not competition. Fear of Surveillance: ABS reinforces that AI protects, not polices. Fear of Rapid Change: Spell-check shows that we’ve adapted before, and thrived. If there’s one message employees need from leadership right now, it’s this: “AI will not replace you. A person using AI might. And we’re committed to making that person you .” Leaders who use the right metaphors, the right stories, and the right commitments will transform anxiety into agency, and agency into acceleration. Copyright © 2025 by Arete Coach™ LLC. All rights reserved.

What happens when a prompt isn’t just a request—but a map, a compass, and a vision? Our ability to express intent—clearly, creatively, and semantically—has become the new high-performance language of leadership in AI prompt craft. Recently, I went on what I call a Prompt Safari: a multi-step, iterative journey through high-stakes prompting powered by curiosity, strategy, and the poetic precision of words. The journey and discovery patterns I share here are real. However, in respect of client confidentiality, the use case has been veiled. While the methods, prompts, and models are authentic, the audience and application have been adapted. This article is written not to reveal the work—but to share the structure, mindset, and lessons learned so that others may benefit. Let me tell you the story—and show you how you can do the same. This article was originally published on LinkedIn by Severin Sorensen and has been approved for placement on Arete Coach. Scroll to continue reading or click here to read the original article. What Gets Measured Improves: A Prompt Review Framework Prompting isn’t magic. It’s a skill. And like any craft, the more we assess and refine, the sharper it becomes. At the end of each day, I ask AI for a rating of how I did with my prompts, requesting feedback on what I did well, what could be better, and how I can improve to reach excellence every time. This self-review loop reinforces clarity, deepens my awareness, and sharpens my craft one interaction at a time. To help myself and others grow, working with AI, I developed a simple scoring framework that anyone can apply: Prompt Review Criteria (5.0 Scale) Rate each prompt across the following five dimensions using a 5.0 scale. Use this guide to evaluate and improve your prompt craft—or to teach others how to elevate theirs. Five core dimensions to evaluate and improve your prompt craft. Use this guide as a self-assessment tool—or to coach others toward precision, clarity, and strategic AI interaction. Setting Out on the Journey: From Intent to Precision My original goal was to build a dynamic contact-sourcing system—for elite construction and project managers who oversee complex residential and commercial builds. These were high-value candidates who might be a fit for leadership roles or strategic introductions across multiple markets. But in the world of AI, what starts as a search becomes a symphony. I began by defining the parameters—project scope, location, sector (residential/commercial), experience level, certifications, and even management style. But then came the prompts that refined the strategy: "Can your identify distinquishable markers of excellence in candidate backgrounds?" "Can you rank candidate readiness to be contacted or recruited?" "Are there semantic tells—like 'generational project experience' or 'boutique builder'—that show future potential?" "How can we score readiness to leave or openness to collaboration based on firm language, size, or affiliations?" From this, we built a new score: the Green Shoot Readiness Score (GSR) — a signal model for candidate prospecting readiness. Teaching the Machine, Training the Mind We didn't stop at finding names. We designed a custom GPT template that accepts a location (e.g., city or zip code) and returns 50 curated candidate profiles with signals like: Construction specialization Career journey progression Management history and longevity Collaboration openness Presence in industry groups or elite firms Then it asked: Are we on the right track? — and adjusted based on user feedback before scaling up to complete our candidate pipeline. Prompting became architecture. Each instruction became part of a larger system. The results were magical—worksheets of high-potential candidates from any geography were generated within moments. The paradigm of traditional sourcing was broken. Candidate access was now available at the asking. The task was done, but I was not done. I paused and flipped the mirror: I asked the AI to score my own prompts using the review framework above. What emerged was a feedback loop of excellence—and that loop is available to anyone willing to engage with intent. Examples to Learn From: Prompts Reviewed & Improved Let’s apply the framework. Below are actual prompt styles from this safari, generalized for learning and adapted to the talent-sourcing use case. Use these 5 dimensions to review your prompts or teach others to improve theirs. There were many more prompts in this journey, each one offering new insights, iterations, and learning moments. But you get the picture: Prompt. Iterate. Refine. Reflect. Improve. Use these examples not as a script, but as inspiration—models to shape and sharpen your own prompting journey. Why I Say “Explore With Wonderment” People sometimes ask why I use phrases like: Explore with wonderment — Opens creativity in AI collaboration With deep curiosity — Invites thoughtful, layered exploration Enter with a beginner’s mind — Invites a layered stepwise learning journey approach Framework + Format + Function — Core structure in high-value prompts Here's the answer: These words frame the conversation. They invite AI to operate in a more creative, collaborative space. They set the stage for curiosity—and in turn, better results. Prompting isn’t about commanding a machine. It’s about designing the conditions for insight to emerge. From My Journey to Yours The truth is, this wasn’t a story about me being a great prompter. It’s a story about how you can become one. Use these frameworks. Refine your intent. Let curiosity lead the way. Start with: What am I trying to learn, uncover, or build? How can I express that clearly, with a structured format? What would a strategist—not a technician—ask? What would excellence look like in this profession? What have I not asked, that a subject matter expert might ask? How could AI take this prompt directive and improve it? Because the best prompt engineers are not code experts. They’re semantic architects of thought. Closing Thought If you’re using AI in your business, don’t just give it a task—give it a journey. Craft prompts with purpose. Layer your intent. Ask better questions. Build feedback loops. Reflect. Iterate. Refine. You’re not just automating. You’re designing insight. You’re architecting understanding. And the real magic? It’s not in the model. It’s in the moment when you bring structure, strategy, and language together with clarity. Explore with wonderment. Discover with intent. Words shape thought. Structure shapes behavior. Wonderment unlocks wisdom. And why does this work? Because you're not just whispering to AI — you're orchestrating its impact. Copyright © 2025 by Arete Coach LLC. All rights reserved.

Artificial Intelligence is the culmination of that promise, an efficiency engine capable of summarizing

Manus AI is a recently launched artificial intelligence system developed by a Chinese startup called Claude 3.5 Sonnet acts as the "brain," providing intelligence and decision-making, while the multi-agent potential overhype, early performance issues, and concerns about data privacy given China’s National Intelligence Focus on Human Skills: As AI automates more tasks, the demand for uniquely human skills like emotional intelligence

School of Management on the future of work , is that an executive's value is shifting from computational intelligence

With The AI Whisperer 2nd Edition continually hitting bestseller status in recent weeks, one thing is clear: business leaders and professionals recognize that AI is essential. Yet, despite this growing awareness, many still struggle with how to effectively integrate AI into their workflows. The challenge isn’t knowing AI exists—it’s knowing how to use it strategically. To bridge this gap, we set out to explore a practical, hands-on approach to leveraging AI for high-value tasks. This article stems from a collaborative research session led by Severin Sorensen and Carol Steinberg (Vistage Chair, Philadelphia) during a Vistage Group CE 4104 workshop. Our goal was simple: to showcase a real-world example of how AI can transform complex research into actionable, digestible insights. Using The AI Whisperer methodology, we walked through a structured process that maximized AI’s potential—from refining our research question to generating a compelling thought leadership piece. The result? The following AI-generated analysis on workplace culture, produced through a streamlined AI-driven workflow. If you’ve been on the fence about incorporating AI into your work, this example demonstrates just how powerful it can be. The Process In our research session, we explored how AI can streamline complex tasks—turning deep research into a polished, thought-provoking piece in a fraction of the time. Using a multi-step approach, we combined the strengths of different AI tools to refine our research question, gather credible sources, synthesize insights, and shape them into a LinkedIn-ready format. Below is the step-by-step breakdown of how we did it. Refined the Research Question  – We started with an initial inquiry and leveraged Gemini 2.0 to refine and enhance the question for deeper exploration. Conducted AI-Powered Research  – We then used Gemini 1.5 Deep Researcher to gather 81 references and generate a well-structured scholarly article. Transformed Insights for LinkedIn  – Finally, we utilized ChatGPT-4o to distill and rewrite the findings into a LinkedIn-ready format. Visualized with AI  – The accompanying image was generated using Midjourney. The Output In today’s rapidly shifting economic and social landscape, businesses face mounting challenges—from inflation and global instability to talent attrition and evolving workforce expectations. Amidst these complexities, one critical factor often determines an organization's long-term success: its workplace culture. For the first time in history, five distinct generations—Traditionalists, Baby Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z—coexist in the workforce. While some view this convergence as a challenge, forward-thinking organizations recognize it as an opportunity to build a thriving, inclusive culture that drives engagement, innovation, and ultimately, financial growth. The Financial Impact of Workplace Culture A strong company culture isn’t just a feel-good initiative—it’s a revenue driver. Studies show that companies with high-trust, inclusive cultures experience: Higher Revenue Growth: Companies on the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For® list outperform the market by a factor of 3.68 (Great Place to Work, 2021). Increased Profitability: Organizations that foster employee engagement report 23% higher profitability (Gallup, 2023). Improved Retention: Businesses with strong workplace cultures see lower turnover, reducing costly recruitment and training expenses (Gallup, 2023). Enhanced Innovation: Inclusive teams are 35% more likely to develop breakthrough ideas (Hunt, 2015). Each generation brings unique strengths to the workplace: Traditionalists and Baby Boomers offer institutional knowledge and a strong work ethic. Gen X leaders balance strategic vision with adaptability.  Millennials drive collaboration and digital transformation. Gen Z injects fresh perspectives, technological fluency, and a deep commitment to values-driven work. Strategies to Engage a Multigenerational Workforce To harness the power of generational diversity, businesses must implement targeted strategies that foster cohesion and innovation: Embrace Flexible Leadership: Adapt leadership styles to bridge hierarchical and collaborative approaches, ensuring all employees feel valued. Enhance Communication Across Generations: Use a mix of face-to-face meetings, digital platforms, and storytelling to engage employees effectively. Leverage Cross-Generational Mentorship: Encourage knowledge-sharing between seasoned professionals and younger employees to build mutual understanding and collaboration. Offer Personalized Development Paths: Cater to different learning styles and career aspirations through training programs and professional growth opportunities. Prioritize Inclusive Policies & Benefits : From remote work options to value-based initiatives like sustainability efforts, ensure policies align with diverse employee expectations. Building a Culture that Attracts & Retains Top Talent Younger generations prioritize purpose-driven work, inclusivity, and flexibility. Organizations that fail to adapt risk losing their most promising talent. A well-defined, authentic culture not only attracts top candidates but also retains them by fostering a sense of belonging and career fulfillment. The Bottom Line Investing in a strong multigenerational workplace culture isn’t just the right thing to do—it’s a business imperative. Companies that embrace generational diversity, nurture inclusive leadership, and create meaningful employee experiences will emerge as industry leaders, experiencing sustained financial success in the years to come. References Great Place to Work. (2021). Best Companies to Work For - Top Workplaces in the US | Great Place to Work. Great Place to Work®. https://www.greatplacetowork.com/best-companies-to-work-for Gallup. (2023, January 7). How Employee Engagement Drives Growth. Gallup. https://www.gallup.com/workplace/236927/employee-engagement-drives-growth.aspx Hunt, D. V., Layton, D., & Prince, S. (2015, January 1). Why diversity matters. McKinsey & Company. https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/why-diversity-matters Copyright © 2025 by Arete Coach LLC. All rights reserved.

The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer a speculative discussion; it’s a tangible force

From Data Entry to Decision Intelligence AI-powered tools like   Vic.ai  and   Booke.ai  categorize transactions of CFOs, Controllers, and finance teams is no longer just about managing numbers—it’s about managing intelligence

my own work, but a co-created synthesis: a human-led, rigorously verified analysis sharpened through intelligent Computers & Education: Artificial Intelligence, 5 , 100145.  

The Root Causes of Failure for Artificial Intelligence Projects and How They Can Succeed: Avoiding the