What if AI is helping you make decisions faster, but not necessarily better?

Artificial intelligence is changing how leaders work, solve problems, and make decisions. But there's a risk we aren't talking about enough: AI can make not thinking feel exactly like thinking.

In this episode of the Deliberate Leaders Podcast, executive coach and Think First author Allison Dunn explores how to use AI as a thinking partner rather than a replacement for your own judgment.

Allison shares a personal story about a $250,000 coaching franchise decision and the one question her father asked that challenged everything she thought she knew. She also explains how AI can reinforce our existing beliefs, accelerate "thinking debt," and even make leaders more effective bottlenecks when they use technology to answer every question for their teams.

Most importantly, she introduces a practical framework for thinking before prompting, so you can make better decisions and develop stronger thinkers throughout your organization.

• AI can reinforce confirmation bias. A well-written answer isn't necessarily a well-examined decision.
• Context and accountability still belong to the leader. AI can help evaluate options, but you are responsible for the consequences.
• Thinking debt can accumulate at machine speed. Faster answers can create more problems when underlying assumptions go unchallenged.
• Better prompts begin with better thinking. Clarifying your decision and questioning your assumptions improves how you use AI.
• Don't automate your leadership bottleneck. Giving employees AI-generated answers doesn't develop their judgment or decision-making ability.
• Build a team that thinks with AI. Encourage employees to explain their reasoning, challenge assumptions, and evaluate AI's recommendations.

• Am I using AI to challenge my thinking or confirm what I already believe?
• What important context do I know that AI doesn't?
• Who will have to live with the consequences of this decision?
• What evidence would cause me to change my mind?
• Am I developing my team's judgment or simply giving them answers faster?

The next time you're facing a meaningful decision, think before you prompt.

Write down what you believe, identify the assumptions behind your position, and ask yourself what could change your mind.

Then ask AI to challenge your reasoning rather than support your conclusion.

And when someone on your team uses AI to make a recommendation, ask three questions:

What did you think before you asked AI? What did it challenge? And where did you disagree?

Because the goal isn't to have the fastest answer in the room. It's to build a room full of people who know how to think.

Think First. Lead Deliberately.

Think First: Stop Being the Bottleneck, Start Building Thinkers by Allison Dunn

https://deliberatedirections.com/think-first-allison-dunn/

Deliberate Directions | Executive Coaching & Leadership Development

https://www.deliberatedirections.com/

Think First

In this episode:

• Why “I don’t have time to think” usually means you don’t have time not to
• The ROI of 20 minutes a week, and one client’s 18x return
• The four hidden sources of cleanup work
• Why busyness feels like progress, and why sitting still feels like falling behind at first
• This week’s two-part assignment

This week’s assignment:

1. Block 20 minutes on your calendar, same day and time each week, ideally before email.
2. Track your cleanup bill for one week with a tally mark every time you redo, revisit, or untangle something better thinking would have prevented.

Think First

You've finally carved out time to think. Your calendar is clear, your phone is away, and you're ready to focus on the bigger picture.

But then comes the question: What should I actually be thinking about?

In this episode of the Deliberate Leaders Podcast, Allison Dunn explores a challenge many busy leaders face: creating space for strategic thinking is one thing, but knowing how to use that time effectively is another.

Building on the previous episodes about thinking debt and the value of a weekly 20-minute thinking practice, Allison explores how leaders can move beyond reacting to immediate demands and begin directing their attention toward the questions that matter most.

• Making time to think is only the beginning. Strategic thinking becomes more valuable when you approach it with intention.
• Start with a meaningful question. You don't need to solve every challenge in one sitting. Identify one issue worthy of deeper consideration.
• Look beyond the immediate problem. Recurring frustrations may point to underlying assumptions, patterns, or systems that need attention.
• Separate urgency from importance. The issues demanding your attention aren't always the ones most deserving of your thinking.
• Turn reflection into action. The purpose of strategic thinking isn't simply to generate ideas. It's to make better decisions about what happens next.

• What challenge keeps showing up in my business or leadership?
• Where am I spending time reacting instead of addressing the underlying issue?
• What important decision have I been postponing because I haven't made time to think it through?
• What question, if answered, could create the greatest positive impact?

This week, protect 20 minutes for intentional thinking. Rather than starting with your to-do list, identify one recurring challenge, important decision, or opportunity that deserves your full attention.

Ask yourself what you might be overlooking, what assumptions you're making, and what would change if you approached the situation differently.

You don't need to walk away with every answer. Sometimes the most valuable outcome is discovering a better question.

Think First. Lead Deliberately.

Explore more leadership insights and resources from Deliberate Directions at deliberatedirections.com.

Ready to strengthen your thinking and build a team that does the same? Explore Allison Dunn's book, Think First by Allison Dunn | Stop Being the Bottleneck

Think First