"You’re better than ChatGPT," she said. "And ChatGPT is pretty good."
Last week, during a mock interview session, a coachee threw this line at me, and it stuck. It was flattering, sure, but it also sparked deeper reflection. AI comes up constantly in my coaching conversations with leaders and business owners. Whether it’s a heated debate in a WhatsApp group or brainstorming solutions to business bottlenecks, AI is reshaping how we think about work.
A good friend recently admitted she’s “shocked” by how many people are already integrating AI into their day-to-day lives. As a therapist and business owner, her concerns around confidentiality and privacy are valid. Meanwhile, some coachees wrestle with fear—fear that AI will make their roles obsolete.
Here's my take:
AI is a tool to augment, not automate, the human touch. When used thoughtfully, it doesn’t replace trust, creativity, or intuition—it frees us to lean into them even more. It's a (giant) step forward in the right direction. Think of it like the arrival of the vacuum cleaner—no one lamented losing the broom. Instead, time was saved, and human effort was redirected to higher-value tasks. The same can happen now if we embrace AI as a tool to elevate our work, not doubt, fear or erase it.
As Pooja Jain, an AI advisor for business leaders, aptly puts it: “AI transformation is 20% about technology and 80% about people. Leaders who focus on building AI-ready cultures will see exponentially better returns on their AI investments.”
This perspective highlights a crucial reality—AI’s effectiveness isn’t just about deploying the latest tools but about embedding them into a culture that empowers people. For leaders, this means adopting a mindset that balances technological advancement with human-centric leadership.
How I—and My Coachees—Are Using AI Right Now - Some Sample AI Tools that make life easier..
Here’s how AI is working for me and my clients:
Streamlining the Mundane to Focus on the Meaningful
Fireflies.ai: Captures and transcribes coaching sessions so I can focus on deep listening and reflection without worrying about notes. A coachee who’s a busy startup founder uses the same tool to summarize her team meetings.
Descript: Edits video and audio content for workshops in minutes, not hours. One coachee, a leader at a SaaS company, uses it to create team training videos quickly and effectively.
Building Efficiency in Customer and Employee Engagement
One of my clients, a founder, is developing an AI chatbot to handle repetitive customer queries, freeing her team to focus on strategic priorities.
Another client, a leader navigating layoffs, uses AI-driven surveys to analyze engagement and identify team morale trends. It’s not a silver bullet, but it’s helping them focus resources on areas where trust needs rebuilding.
Powering Strategic Insights
ChatGPT & Claude: Perfect brainstorming partners. I use them to refine my content ideas, experiment with email drafts, and break through writer’s block. One of my coachees, an e-commerce founder, uses ChatGPT to map out customer personas and draft product descriptions.
Canva with Magic Design: Turns design tasks into a breeze. A startup client creating investor presentations swears by it.
Future-Proofing Leadership and Teams
A SaaS leader I coach is leveraging predictive AI to forecast customer churn and preemptively act on it, reducing losses by 15% over two quarters.
Another coachee, a team manager at a fintech firm, is exploring how generative AI can help train new hires more effectively.
Layoffs, Fear, and Reinvention
The tech layoffs of the past year are a constant undercurrent in these conversations. According to The Economist, the tech sector shed over 200,000 jobs in the past year alone, with companies turning to AI to fill the gaps. Forbes recently reported that 60% of executives plan to increase AI investment, but 35% of employees fear it will replace their roles.
Here’s the reality:
AI isn’t going to fix broken cultures or rebuild trust lost in a layoff. But leaders who embrace it as a way to reinvest time and energy into their people—not as a crutch—are the ones turning crises into opportunities.
The Leadership Edge in an AI-Driven World
AI can handle the repetitive, the predictable, and the measurable. But here’s what it can’t do:
Build relationships and trust.
Navigate the nuances of tough conversations.
Create cultures of psychological safety.
Empower teams to innovate beyond the obvious.
Those are distinctly human leadership skills. Leaders who use AI as an augmentation tool—whether it’s streamlining operations or identifying trends—can free themselves to focus on what only humans can do: inspire, connect, and lead with empathy.
Leadership Lessons for the Age of AI
If you’re navigating this evolving AI landscape, here are some lessons I’ve learned:
Start Small: Experiment with tools like ChatGPT or Fireflies. Test them for what they can (and can’t) do.
Don’t Automate Relationships: Use AI for efficiency, but never replace the human touch in leading and managing people.
Stay Curious and Open: The AI world is changing fast. Be willing to explore and adapt.
The Bottom Line
AI isn’t a replacement—it’s a resource. When used intentionally, it can amplify what makes you a great leader while freeing up time for what really matters. As one coachee put it: “AI makes me faster, but it doesn’t replace my judgment.” True story.
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Hi! I'm Merve. 👋 I help leaders build high performing teams, amplify their business impact, and advance their careers.
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