Write Like a Leader: The Smart AI Business Writing Playbook for Executives
- Marc Roche
- Jul 14
- 3 min read
Updated: Aug 1
Discover MIT’s “cognitive debt,” why AI‐only drafting kills memory & originality, and a 4-step workflow to write like a leader — Business Writing AI prompts included.
This isn’t just theory — it’s the method behind Write Like a CEO: Say Less, Win More, the executive playbook for writing sharp, strategic messages in an AI world. If you lead teams or advise clients, this book gives you the prompts, tactics, and psychological edge to write like a pro — and think like a leader.
Why Smart Leaders Don’t Outsource the Thinking
A fresh MIT Media Lab study tracked writers’ brain activity while they drafted essays with and without ChatGPT. The heavy-AI group’s neural connectivity plunged from 79 active links to just 42—and 83 percent of them couldn’t recall a single line they’d “written” four minutes later. MIT calls the drop-off cognitive debt: you save time now, but you pay later in memory, originality, and authority.
What Cognitive Debt Looks Like at Work
Soulless, generic emails that could have come from anyone
Lost message (“That’s not my voice…”) when you reread the draft
Weaker follow-up conversations because you don’t fully grasp the content AI produced
If you lead teams—or advise clients—you can’t afford to sound forgettable. Your words carry policy, strategy, tone, and legal risk.
The Leader’s Four-Step AI Workflow
(Use this checklist instead of a one-click “Write my email” prompt.)
Step | What You Do (Brain → AI) | Why It Protects Your Authority |
1. Draft the core idea in 3 bullets | Forces you to clarify objective, audience, desired action | Brain stays engaged; you own the message |
2. Feed the bullets to AI | “Expand into a concise 150-word memo; keep tone decisive, first-person.” | AI handles structure & filler language |
3. Interrogate the output | Ask: What’s missing? Where’s the risk? | Re-engages critical thinking; spots liability |
4. Personalize one line | Add a personal anecdote, inside metric, or legal citation | Final stamp of authenticity; boosts recall |
🔗 Need ready-made board-level prompts? Browse the free packs inside our CEO AI Library.
5 Quick Prompts Top Leaders Can Actually Use for AI-enhanced Business Writing
Copy-paste, then customize step 3+4 above.
Vision Email – “Rewrite these bullets as a 120-word rallying call; grade-8 reading level.”
Bad-News Notice – “Draft a plain-English apology that balances empathy and legal risk; 100-125 words.”
Board Slide Summary – “Condense this 300-word report to three punchy slide bullets with metrics.”
Contract-Risk Note – “Explain this indemnity clause to a non-lawyer CFO in <90 words.”
Weekly Team Recap – “Summarize actions, next steps, and one motivational quote in a warm tone.”
Keep Your Edge: Three Rules of Leadership Writing with AI
Think First, Then Prompt – Let AI polish, never generate from scratch.
Limit Copy-and-Paste – Editing on-screen fires more neural circuits than blind acceptance.
Blend One Personal Touch – A metric, story, or joke only you would add.
Follow these rules and you’ll stand out in every inbox, Slack thread, or courtroom filing—even while tapping AI for speed.
Next Step
Ready to practice? Download the Business and Legal Communication Starter Packs when you sign up for our free training emails, or dive straight into the premium side of the CEO AI Vault for full executive prompt kits.
Great leaders don’t outsource the thinking — they harness AI without losing their voice, clarity, or strategic edge.
Write Like a CEO: Say Less, Win More is your next step: a smart, compact guide packed with frameworks, prompts, and real-world messaging tactics for executives, lawyers, and future leaders who want to communicate with power and precision.
Get your copy now on Amazon — and level up your leadership communication today.
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