This week in the world’s #1 newsletter on leadership communication:

• Will AI Make You a Better Leader?​
• On the Show: The 3 Secrets to Ultraproductive Communication ​
• Book Recommendation: When One Chapter Comes to an End ​

Will AI Make You a Better Leader?

Hi Reader,

I recently spoke about automation and leadership in London, and the question I was asked is extremely relevant for all of us: Is automation a friend or foe?

My answer: I expect it to be a foe for many and a friend for some.

We’re moving into a world where leaders manage people, AI agents and people who manage AI agents. I do believe that it requires all of us to evolve fast, and I will soon share ideas of how you can best prepare for this new role.

But let’s face it, most leaders won’t do it fast enough. That’s your opportunity, and just two skills will determine how well you do:

1/ Communication: Double down on your human edge

As work gets automated and technical skills get commoditized, your ability to create clarity, build trust and get people behind an idea becomes even more valuable.

But where are you today?

Here is a quick test. I see three levels of speakers:

→ The rambler thinks while speaking, goes from point to point and loses the audience.

→ The robot sticks to a script, tries to control every word and bores the audience.

→ The raconteur has a clear point, connects with the audience and makes people care.

The goal is level three. Start by asking: What do I want people to know, feel and do? Then find a story that helps them understand why it matters.

2/ AI: Tackle your hardest problems

Using AI to write emails or organise your calendar is nice. But also a bit 2024. It’s time to shift to a different mindset.

Ask yourself: What is the hardest problem I face, and how can AI help me solve it?

That question pushes you beyond saving time to someone who creates and leads at a higher level.

How do you know where you stand?

Ask yourself: Are you in the top 10% in your profession at communication and AI?

If not, what will you do this weekend to move closer? (this week’s episode The 3 Secrets to Ultraproductive Communication is a great start – see below)

You don’t need to master everything. But these two skills deserve your full attention. And you can count on me to be in your corner.

Me speaking at the Quad Livery event in a 400 year old venue.

ON THE SHOW

The 3 Secrets to Ultraproductive Communication

▶️ Episode 346 on YouTube, Spotify or Apple.

Most productivity advice tells you to cut back. Fewer meetings. Fewer messages. Mute everything. But if you lead people, communication isn't a distraction from the job. It is the job.

Dr Christian Poensgen doesn’t make communication or collaboration out to be the enemy. He acknowledges that “CEOs even spend up to 85 or 90% communicating, which is great."

So if communicating isn't the problem, what is? Christian Poensgen, co-author of Ultraproductive (out next week – already one of my books of the year) did his PhD on the interplay between stress and performance, and has spent ten years researching how to do your best work without burning out.

He shares the three secrets to ultraproductive communication and an ultraproductive life. And it’s not what you expect.

​​​

BOOK RECOMMENDATION

When One Chapter Comes to an End

Often I recommend books to you that are about to come out, like Ultraproductive last week. That’s because the authors are kind enough to send me an advance copy (they know I am a book nerd), or they share it before we chat on the Speak Like a CEO podcast.

If you’d like a sneak preview as well, my friend Ronnie Kinsey will soon release Intervals of Service, and you can pre-order your copy here.

Ronnie touches on a topical dilemma many of us face. We spend years learning how to succeed, yet few of us are prepared for what happens when our role, organization, business, or career comes to an end.

This happened to me 16 years ago when I had to leave my chief communicator role at a listed, high-profile company. I wish I had been more prepared for that moment, or that Ronnie’s book had existed at the time.

Because Intervals of Service introduces a way to understand careers as a series of intervals rather than one continuous climb. Some intervals are chosen. Some choose us.

In my case, this is exactly what happened. My career went down a notch as I regrouped, then took off even more when I set up my own business.

If you want a taste of Ronnie’s work, check out his LinkedIn where he has a quarter of a million followers.

Have an inspired weekend,

Oliver

Eo Ipso Communications GmbH

c/o Mindspace

Uhlandstraße 32, 10719 Berlin

​Unsubscribe · Preferences​