Have you ever considered that managing AI effectively might be strikingly...

Have you ever considered that managing AI effectively might be strikingly similar to managing a team of employees? People who have previously employed others and succeeded as bosses with excellent communication skills will find the greatest advantage in mastering AI. At its core, effectively using AI is remarkably similar to managing people—both involve clear communication, detailed instructions, and careful oversight.

Here are key traits of good bosses that directly enhance AI management:

Clear communication of expectations

Providing specific, concise directions

Offering constructive feedback

Tailoring communication style to strengths and limitations

Understanding context and anticipating issues

Recognizing and respecting the limits of their employees

Creating systems that maximize productivity within those limits

Imagine utilizing AI to automate routine tasks such as drafting emails, summarizing lengthy reports, or generating marketing content. Skilled managers can easily guide AI to deliver exactly what’s needed, streamlining operations and enhancing productivity. Or consider using AI as an analytical assistant to identify market trends, forecast sales, or optimize scheduling—areas where a manager’s intuitive oversight can significantly improve AI’s outputs.

Automate Everything Boring

Some years ago, I had a young friend who inherited a business making liqueur. The business had been run the same way for about 300 years, and the equipment in the factory looked equally ancient. Everything was manual, production was slow, and profits were marginal. My friend, who had dropped out of school at Grade 9 because he struggled to concentrate, suddenly found himself thriving in this environment due to his high-energy, multidisciplinary mindset.

Over 18 months, he borrowed money from friends and family and completely automated the factory. He rebuilt the interior into a clean, easy-to-maintain space and automated every step, from production to bottling to packaging. All he had to do was feed the machines and receive completed boxes of liqueur ready for shipping. He increased production by 100 times without adding to his workload. Within a year and a half, he repaid his debts, and the business flourished. Because automation allowed him to focus entirely on quality and innovation, he now produces the best liqueurs I’ve ever tasted. His flexible automated system enables him to make numerous varieties, selling them at higher prices and higher profit margins than competitors.

This story illustrates a broader principle that applies directly to AI today. Just like my friend automated heavy, repetitive manual tasks, AI can automate heavy, repetitive intellectual tasks—such as marketing. Instead of manually writing countless individualized marketing messages, a marketer can use AI to customize campaigns for thousands of clients simultaneously. This dramatically amplifies productivity, reduces costs, and increases profitability—but only if businesses adapt to the new realities brought by AI.

Ready to put your managerial skills to the test and unlock the full potential of AI? Start by experimenting with clear and precise prompts in your next AI interaction and observe how effectively your leadership skills translate into powerful AI results.