Breaking Up to Level Up: Why the Modern Leader Must Rethink Old Habits to Embrace AI
- Jennifer Trakhtenberg
- 3 days ago
- 4 min read
Earning recognition for your drive, discipline, and deep commitment to excellence is impressive. You have likely built a meaningful career by outworking, outthinking, and enduring to achieve results.
For many, success has come through extra hours, relentless resourcefulness, and the kind of elbow grease that consistently outperforms peers. We have advanced our careers with the instilled premise that to accelerate, one must pay their dues, find innovative solutions, and deliver with consistency. Over time, those efforts, the late nights, the strategic rewrites, the quick-thinking ideas—became our signature. They shaped how we were perceived by others and how we defined ourselves, taking pride in making it happen. However, here is the friction:
In today’s rapidly shifting world of work, what got us here may no longer get us there. Candidly, that challenge will necessitate a uniquely different skill set and approach!
Incorporating AI and automation into how we work is no longer optional, it’s imperative. And yet for many high achievers, that transition feels deeply uncomfortable. It can seem like a shortcut, or worse, like cheating to rely on a system to do the research, writing, or heavy lifting that we once labored through ourselves. Letting go of effort as identity feels unsteady and disorienting. The good news? We can call on that same grit and channel it differently for exponentially greater impact.
Adapting quickly and enthusiastically will define what you can accomplish next, and it’s uncapped. Energized by tackling a thought puzzle and inspired by great workplace opportunities, we can seize the moment as a progressive leader and tour guide in this dynamic, evolving space.
The boldest move we can make is to first intentionally challenge our own approach.
It may feel counterintuitive to 'break up' with the habits that got us this far. But by doing so, we open ourselves to a new kind of excellence—one that’s efficient, innovative, and fully future-ready.
Here are some meaningful mindset shifts and practical habits that can help:
Seek New Thought Leaders to Expand Your Thinking Make space for voices outside your usual sphere through articles, posts, social groups, and podcasts. Follow thinkers who are leaning into ethical AI, productivity transformation, or emerging technologies in various functions and different industries. Fresh inputs lead to new pathways.
Interact with AI Like You're Mentoring an Intern Don’t expect perfection. Similar to working with an emerging team member, guide the tool, give context, and iterate. Treat it as part of your professional talent bench.
Treat the Tool as a Thought Partner or Coach Use AI to surface questions, objections, reactions, and risks you haven’t considered. Let it help you see around corners to blind spots you didn’t even know were there.
Build a Daily Practice Any time you think, "This is taking longer than it should,” pause and ask, “Could AI help with this?” The habit of self-inquiry is what makes adoption stick.
Reframe the Shortcut Narrative This isn’t about cutting corners—it’s about elevating results. Reclaim efficiency as a leadership trait, not a compromise.
Audit Your Time and Assign It Value Look closely at your calendar and track where AI has freed up time. Then consciously reallocate it toward strategy, mentorship, philanthropy, or innovation.
Find Your Culture Champions Surround yourself with others successfully experimenting and adopting. It’s easier and more fun to learn together and be nudged in the right direction. Plus, it creates focus and accountability.
Start the Conversation Name your usage out loud: "I used AI to jump-start this outline…” or “This framework came from a few prompts I tested…” You’ll signal openness and invite others into the experimenting sandbox.
Take Pride in Efficiency, Not Just Effort Outcomes matter more than output. The most effective leaders today are those who know when to seek help rather than trying to muscle through it alone.
Use AI as a 6-Hat Thinking Partner Use the tool to test decisions through various lenses, such as those of a customer, critic, cheerleader, champion, and more. It helps stretch your thinking beyond your initial instincts.
Change the Language, Change the Mindset Intentional references shift how we perceive its value. Call it a thought partner, a ghostwriter, a collaborator, a different lens. Words frame beliefs, and beliefs shape behavior.
Dream Bigger with “What If” Prompts Try starting with, "I wonder if I could…” or "I wish there was a way to…” Let AI help you chase the ideas that once felt too complex or too far-fetched.
Let AI Be Your Co-Author Use it daily to conceptualize ideas, draft concepts, and refine your language. You are still steering the car; incorporate as a turbo boost.
The Future Belongs to the Curious—Introducing technology into the equation doesn’t mean abandoning your standards or losing your edge. It means redefining what excellence looks like in a new era.
For ambitious, high-performing professionals who have earned every inch of progress, embracing AI doesn’t diminish your value—it multiplies it.
Let’s lead curiously, courageously, and with that same zest for impact that got us here in the first place.
It’s time to break up with old habits and level up, together.
Written by Jennifer Trakhtenberg