Ever asked AI for help and felt like it tossed you a bland bowl of word soup? Or maybe the result was so far off you questioned whether it even “read your mind” at all? Here’s a twist: what if the problem isn’t AI—but the way you’re using it?
Not in a “you’re doing it wrong” kind of way.
More like, what if your leadership fingerprints are all over your prompts? The way you speak to AI, the details you skip, the feedback you never give—all of that says a lot about how you lead, how you delegate, and how you collaborate.
If your AI results feel chaotic, inconsistent, or just wildly underwhelming, this is your quiet invitation to look inward, not outward. Stop asking, “Why isn’t this working?” and start wondering, “What am I really handing over?”
AI Is a Mirror—Not a Mind Reader
Let’s get one thing straight: AI is not your fairy godmother. It’s not clairvoyant. It doesn’t know your business inside and out, and it definitely doesn’t wake up in the morning hoping to exceed your expectations.
It’s a tool. A mirror. A blank slate with memory. When someone says, “It gave me nonsense,” my first question is always:
What exactly did you hand it?
You’d be surprised how often the input is something like “make me a strategy” or “write a newsletter.” No context. No audience. No tone. No purpose. Just a floating command—and the result is exactly what you’d expect: generic fluff in a techy trench coat.
That’s not AI failing you. That’s a leadership gap on a keyboard.
Imagine this with an actual team member: you walk into the room, toss out, “Hey, build me a plan,” and walk away. No explanation. No goal. No background.
What do you think you’re going to get?
Confusion. Hesitation. Wasted time. And probably something you’ll redo from scratch.
The Truth About Prompts: They’re Habits in Disguise
Here’s the bold truth: the way you talk to AI might be the way you talk to people—especially when you’re in a rush.
Short. Vague. Rushed. Maybe even impatient.
Not a moral failing. Just revealing.
Prompts aren’t just instructions—they’re habits. They carry assumptions, shortcuts, unfinished thoughts. And if you’re willing to really look, they reveal how you delegate, how you communicate under pressure, and how much clarity you’re used to offering others.
I’ve seen it all:
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- Fix this.
- Make it better.
- Create something amazing.
Those might sound efficient, but they’re empty. To you, they might carry a whole backstory. But to AI—or to your intern—they’re just floating fragments.
Vague inputs create vague outputs.
Not because your tools (or people) aren’t smart enough. But because no one can follow what you never actually said.
Prompting Is Leadership Practice
So what does good prompting really look like?
Let’s compare:
DON’T: Write me a LinkedIn post.
DO: I want to write a LinkedIn post for solo entrepreneurs who feel overwhelmed by tech. The goal is to invite them to download my new AI checklist. I want the tone to feel grounded and hopeful—not hypey. Can you help me brainstorm three natural opening lines?
See the difference?
Now you’re not just assigning a task. You’re opening a collaboration. You’re building direction—not just offloading pressure.
That’s leadership.
Prompting well is a practice in:
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- Clarity
- Decision-making
- Communication
- Intentional delegation
And it makes everything better: your AI outputs, your team relationships, and your ability to scale without burning out.
How to Prompt Like a Leader
If your prompts are falling flat, don’t reach for a fancier tool. Reach for more honest clarity. Here’s how:
1. Know What You Actually Want
Ask yourself:
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- Who is this for?
- What are we trying to say?
- Why does it matter right now?
- What does “better” even mean to me?
Until you name those things, no one—not your assistant, not ChatGPT, not your future head of marketing—can deliver on it.
2. Be Clear, Not Controlling
You don’t need to micromanage. You just need to guide with purpose. A few key details go a long way:
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- Audience
- Tone
- Goal
- Context
3. Treat Feedback as Fuel
If the first result misses the mark, don’t ghost the tool and start over.
Pause. Reframe. Offer feedback:
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- “This felt too formal—can we try again in a more conversational tone?”
- “This missed the core problem our audience faces—can we re-center around that?”
AI (and people) can’t grow unless you teach them.
4. Watch Your Tone
AI picks up on how you speak to it. If your tone is snarky, cold, or rushed, guess what? The output might mirror that. Try approaching AI like a partner—not a vending machine—and see what shifts.
Final Thoughts and Next Steps
Every rushed, vague prompt is a missed opportunity for clarity.
But every intentional one? That’s leadership in action. That’s how you begin to communicate in a way that people (and tools) can actually follow. That’s how you grow your business with the tech—not in spite of it.
And hey—if this hit home for you, share it. You probably know someone who’s rage-typing into ChatGPT at midnight, wondering why the tech just doesn’t “get them.”
Let’s help more entrepreneurs realize it’s not broken. It’s just a mirror. And the more clearly we lead, the clearer the reflection becomes.
You don’t need perfect prompts. You need honest ones. Prompt like a leader—and watch everything change.
If you found this helpful, check out How to Unlock Your Voice with ChatGPT to start implementing AI to your business. Or get my free prompt framework to boost your prompting game with this simple, plug-and-play template!
