AI IN LEADERSHIP AND COLLABORATION – A TOOL, NOT A MIRACLE CURE
“So… what do you think about ChatGPT?” – I hear this question in almost every training session and workshop these days. Sometimes it comes up during a coffee break, sometimes right in the middle of a discussion on leadership challenges. AI is simply there—whether it appears on the official agenda or someone throws the question in spontaneously.
What strikes me is this: most leaders have tried AI at least once. But only a few have a clear idea of where AI actually helps them in their day-to-day work—and where it doesn’t. Between “it kind of works” and “this really helps me” lies a huge gap.
This article is about exactly that gap: the distance between possibility and practice.
What actually works?
Where is AI worth using?
And where is it better to stay away?
Where AI truly saves time in the leadership day-to-day
The most valuable AI use cases appear where work is time-consuming but necessary. A few real-life examples:
Creating presentations: A department head recently told me she needed a presentation for a board meeting. Instead of spending hours figuring out the storyline, she fed her key data into an AI tool and generated several outline options. She built the final slides herself, of course—but the structure was done in 15 minutes. Her comment: “I used to spend half a day just getting the storyline right.”
Drafting proposals: A colleague in sales now uses AI regularly for proposal writing. He enters the key parameters—scope, customer needs, special requirements—and gets a first draft. He then tailors it to the client. What he appreciates most: the AI suggests value arguments he wouldn’t have thought of.
“It’s like a brainstorming partner that never gets tired.”
Analyzing RFPs: A public-sector team I worked with often deals with 50–100 page tender documents. They now use AI to sift through the material and identify the essentials: What are the knockout criteria? Where is there room for interpretation? What deadlines matter most?
They still do the substantive evaluation themselves, but the first pass now takes minutes instead of hours.
Building complex Excel files: A project manager needed an Excel resource planning sheet with nested IF formulas and VLOOKUP. Instead of searching online or asking IT for help, she described the problem to the AI and received the formulas—including explanations. Her takeaway: “I’m not an Excel expert, but I can now build things I used to outsource.”
Structuring meeting notes: After long meetings, some leaders use AI to turn handwritten notes or bullet lists into structured minutes. The AI identifies tasks, responsibilities, and deadlines—the leader reviews and finalizes. One team lead told me: “I used to procrastinate on writing minutes. Now they’re done in ten minutes.”
What AI is not—and why that matters
Across all these examples, one thing stands out:
AI does not replace expertise, judgment, or the personal touch. It creates drafts, structures content, runs searches—but it does not carry responsibility.
A sales director summed it up nicely:
“AI is like a good assistant. It prepares—but I’m the one who signs.”
The key success factor is this:
AI only works well when you can evaluate the output. If you understand the topic, you’ll know what is useful—and what is not. Blindly accepting AI-generated results is, in my view, a no-go.
AI as a reflection partner – more than efficiency
Beyond operational tasks, there is another area where AI creates real value:
as a sparring partner for reflection and preparation in leadership situations.
This is not about faster results—it’s about better decisions.
A leader recently shared:
“I need to prepare for a difficult performance conversation. Normally I’d ask a colleague or coach—but at 7 p.m., nobody is available.”
This is where a different type of AI usage comes in—not a productivity tool, but a reflection tool.
The Coverdale AI Coach – Reflection with structure
While the examples above focus on efficiency, our Coverdale AI Coach was developed with a different goal:
as a true leadership tool for reflection, skill development, and preparing for complex situations. Not as a tech gadget, but as a digital sparring partner rooted in proven leadership methodology.
The key difference from standard AI tools:
It was explicitly trained on the Coverdale approach and the experience of real leadership coaches.
This means the AI Coach:
- responds with empathy,
- asks the right questions,
- uses Coverdale models as reference points,
- and provides both practical guidance and structured reflection—depending on what the situation requires.
Typical use cases include:
- Preparing for feedback or performance conversations
- Handling team conflicts
- Improving time management and prioritization
- Reflecting on challenging leadership moments
A concrete example shows how versatile the AI Coach is in practice: A team leader is preparing for a difficult conversation with an employee whose performance has declined over the past few weeks.
In a first step, she reflects on the situation with the AI Coach: What exactly has she observed? What assumptions is she making? What might be behind the behavior? The AI Coach asks targeted questions and helps her develop a constructive way to open the conversation – one that doesn’t sound accusatory but instead creates space for dialogue.
Then it becomes practical: The AI Coach slips into the role of the employee and simulates the conversation. The leader can try out different formulations, respond to different reactions, and experience how her opening actually lands. This simulation is like a dress rehearsal – you’re allowed to stumble before it really counts.
At the end, the AI Coach gives feedback on the conversation: What was constructive? Where were there formulations that could be misunderstood? Which aspects were addressed well, and where is there still room for improvement?
Of course, the actual conversation is conducted personally by the team leader – but she goes into it much clearer, more structured, and more confident than would have been possible without this preparation.
Another important aspect: Conversations with the AI Coach can be saved and continued later. This makes it possible to work on a topic over a longer period of time – for example, to reflect on a conflict over several weeks or to accompany the implementation of measures after a training session.
The AI Coach is part of the Coverdale App RALPH, which already includes 15 e-learning modules on topics such as communication, conflict resolution, and leading remotely. It forms the bridge between knowing and doing: You learn something in a module and can immediately try it out with the AI Coach for your own real-world practice.
Data protection is a key element. The Coverdale AI Coach complies with all GDPR requirements. Conversation content is never used to train AI models, and all data remains within the EU.
What leaders are saying
The first responses since the pilot launch are very clear: Leaders particularly value three things. First, the clarity that emerges when they have to put their thoughts into words. Second, the speed – no need to find a time slot, no waiting. And third, the neutrality: The AI Coach doesn’t judge; it provides feedback and consistently stays focused on solutions and reflection.
One team leader summed it up this way: “I use the AI Coach like a reflection journal – only it asks questions back and helps me sort my thoughts.”
Curious to try it?
If this has piqued your curiosity, try it out. The Coverdale AI Coach is available for both pilot projects and company-wide implementations. We can also tailor it to your organizational context, for example by integrating your leadership principles or internal processes. Get in touch with us for a personal demo and trial access.
The essential point is this: AI in leadership works when it doesn’t try to replace people, but supports human thinking. Not as an oracle, but as a mirror. Not as an answer machine, but as a question partner.
Think about where things currently feel most challenging in your leadership day-to-day. Where would a sparring partner help you? Where do you need more clarity? That is exactly where a well-trained AI Coach can make a difference – any time, confidentially, and grounded in real practice.
Recent Comments