BOOK: “The AI-Driven Leader” by Geoff Woods

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The AI-Driven Leader: Harnessing AI to Make Faster, Smarter DecisionsThe AI-Driven Leader: Harnessing AI to Make Faster, Smarter Decisions by Geoff Woods
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Publisher site – Simon & Schuster

As the title suggests, this is a book about how leaders can use artificial intelligence (AI) to better perform their jobs, jobs which include many aspects – not the least of which is to facilitate greater adoption of AI by their company or organization. The author’s central premise is that AI offers tremendous potential but is often underutilized because leaders have too many near term items on their plate to muck about with it. This creates a paradox in which most leaders see the benefits and would like to see greater AI adoption, but few take the time to advance that goal.

Not being a leader, I got the most out of the book’s discussion of what kinds of prompts can be used to meet various objectives in order to move AI beyond just a personable search engine that (to some degree) shows its work. However, it is intriguing to see how AI may shape various organizations as leadership changes its approach to it.

The author uses a great deal of strategic repetition to pound a few key ideas into the reader’s mind. I found this to be beneficial, but I can imagine some may find the repetition tedious.

Like it or lump it, there’s no getting around the impact of AI on our world. This is a worthwhile read to gain some insight into how that impact may play out.

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DAILY PHOTO: Tallinna Jaani kirik on a Blue Sky Day

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Photograph of St. John's Church of Tallinn (Tallinna Jaani kirik) that's located on Freedom Square (Vabaduse väljak.)

PROMPT: Word or Phrase

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Daily writing prompt
What’s a word or phrase that annoys you?
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“Popularity contest,” as in “This isn’t going to win me any popularity contests, but…” You know what’s not popular? Popularity contests. I’ve never heard of one. What you are really saying is, “I’m about to be a jackass, and I just want you to know that I’m aware I’m being a jackass.” Just own your jackassery all ready. You can’t soften the blow of being a jackass.

DAILY PHOTO: Helsinki from the Ferry

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Photograph of the Helsinki waterfront taken from the ferry to Suomenlinna with seagulls in tow.

PROMPT: Perfect Road Trip

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Daily writing prompt
How do you plan the perfect road trip?
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As loosely and flexibly as your stress tolerance will bear.

Grazing Deer [Senryū]

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grazing deer
 pays hikers no heed:
  too noisy for threat.

Moose Limerick

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A tour bus sticker of mating moose
 led a tourist to say, "What the deuce?"
   "I just cannot deal
   with a tour bestial,
 and the memories that it might induce."

Frankfurt Limerick

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Photograph of Old St. Nicholas Church in Frankfurt am Main's town square at dusk.
A streetwalker from Old Town Frankfurt
 had a proclivity for getting hurt.
   'Twasn't violent clientele.
   She tripped and she fell 
 where heel met cobble met tight skirt.

DAILY PHOTO: A Grand Cafe, Frankfurt

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Photograph of a restaurant in Frankfurt am Main's City Centre (Altstadt.)

PROMPT: Stronger

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Daily writing prompt
What’s a moment that made you realize you were stronger than you thought?
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Many times. In many ways. Not always good. One time in a packed conference room for a mandatory graduate seminar, I realized I’d forgot to wear deodorant on an Indian summer day in Georgia, and — thus — smelled stronger than I’d thought. (Maybe, I’d put on the deodorant, but it — being as exhausted as I — hadn’t the will to stay in the fight.) Of course, when I first caught a whiff, my internal monologue was like, “Oh man, who skipped the shower!” But after a couple pit sniffs made as surreptitiously as I could manage, there was no lying to myself further. (No lying about the smell, and no lying to myself that pretending to wipe my lip on my collar was really any less gross than just owning the sniffing my own pit.) I — on that occasion — was the stinky kid.