the Learn-It-All™ podcast 116: What Leaders Need To Know About AI in 2025 | Geoff Woods
Transforming Your Leadership with AI: Beyond Writing Better Emails
Are you struggling to leverage AI meaningfully in your organization while your competitors surge ahead? What if you could use AI to make million-dollar strategic decisions instead of just writing better emails?
In this compelling episode of The Learn-It-All Podcast , Geoff Woods, author of The AI-Driven Leader, shares how leaders can transform their relationship with AI from a simple assistant to a powerful strategic thought partner. Drawing from his experience leading AI initiatives at a global steel company and interviewing 200 executives, Woods reveals practical frameworks for using AI to enhance strategic thinking, make better decisions, and drive organizational growth. He demonstrates through real case studies how leaders can use AI to solve complex business challenges - from restructuring international debt to cutting millions in operating costs in minutes rather than months.
This Episode Covers:
- Why most leaders are using AI for low-value tasks when they could be applying it to strategic decision-making that drives 80% of results
- A practical framework for crafting effective AI prompts using Context, Role, Interview, and Task (CRIT)
- How one CEO used AI to find a solution to save his company from bankruptcy by understanding Japanese cultural nuances in ways a human consultant might have missed
- The stark reality from Woods' research: while 100% of executives say AI is the future, less than 5% have taken meaningful action
- Why hiding AI use creates a toxic culture, and how leaders can foster an environment where AI enhancement is celebrated
- A powerful case study of how Boston Consulting Group consultants achieved 40% higher quality work in 25% less time using AI
- The critical distinction between being a thought leader who directs AI versus abdicating leadership to AI
- How to use AI to bulletproof strategic plans and challenge business assumptions that could be holding you back
Episode Highlights:
(00:00) Introduction to Geoff Woods – Damon introduces Geoff, highlighting his leadership expertise and focus on AI-driven strategy.
(01:30) Shifting the Mindset About AI – Geoff discusses how leaders can redefine their relationship with AI as a thought partner.
(05:00) Lessons from Technological Disruption – Geoff shares parallels between historical disruptions and the AI revolution.
(09:00) Building Strategic AI Prompts – Geoff introduces his “context, role, interview, task” framework to get meaningful results from AI.
(12:33) The Role of Leaders in Driving AI Adoption – Geoff emphasizes why leaders must champion AI adoption to future-proof their organizations.
(17:00) Creating an AI Board of Advisors – Geoff explains how to customize AI tools to complement leadership styles and business needs.
(21:30) Real-World Applications of AI – Geoff provides examples of how AI is being used to solve complex business challenges.
(33:18) Preparing for the Future – Damon and Geoff discuss how organizations can integrate AI into their strategies to remain competitive.
About Geoff:
Geoff Woods is a pioneering force in AI-driven business leadership and organizational transformation. As the former Chief Growth Officer of Jindal Steel & Power, a 100,000-person global organization, he drove market cap growth from $750M to $12B in just four years by implementing strategic AI initiatives. Earlier in his career, Woods partnered with bestselling author Gary Keller to build and scale The ONE Thing's business operations, where he advised companies ranging from $10M to $60B in revenue. After witnessing AI's transformative potential in late 2022, he founded AI Leadership, where he now helps executives leverage AI for strategic decision-making rather than just tactical efficiency. His expertise is captured in his book The AI-Driven Leader, which distills insights from his extensive work with hundreds of executives implementing AI-driven leadership practices.
Resources Referenced:
Geoff Woods on LinkedIn
The AI-Driven Leader: Harnessing AI to Make Faster, Smarter Decisions by Geoff Woods
AIleadership.com - Free crash course on AI prompting
10x Is Easier Than 2x: How World-Class Entrepreneurs Achieve More by Doing Less by Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy
Weekly newsletter at AIleadership.com
Podcast Contact Information:
Website: www.learnit.com
Email: podcast@learnit.com
Follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram for more updates.