Don’t Be LaiZY: Summing up Cautious Comments on using Ai in Networking, Validation, and Brand Development

It’s a new age. Ai has become a game-changer in how professionals (like me) approach providing value, networking, brand development, and task management. Discussions surrounding Ai continue to evolve, and so do the opinions about its appropriate use. I wanted to explore key themes and insights from a recent debate on Ai’s role in these domains, along with personal reflections on how Ai has transformed my workflow—not by replacing effort but by enhancing progress and creativity.
Still, there are fears, and many of them are not unfounded. It reminds me of what the Borg Queen in Star Trek: First Contact:

“We will add your biological and technological distinctiveness to our own. Your culture will adapt to service us. Resistance is futile.”
​
Resistance is alive and well.

I Paretoed The Cautions Peers Were Stating Regarding Using Ai To Support A Social Leadership Footprint

I conducted a quick and dirty study** to establish a rough quantification. I drew a sample of 702 LinkedIn Post comments that voiced distinct concerns. My topic areas were related to the risks associated with using Ai to help build or maintain a thought leadership role: social networking, community validation, relationships, and brand development. Here’s an attributes breakdown of the contributor sentiments ranked by prevalence:

1. The Risk of Ai Authorship – 40% – The concern is the over-reliance on Ai to generate content entirely, turning professionals into passive participants rather than active creators. This approach risks losing originality and turning unique voices into generic outputs.
2. Concerns About Authenticity – 25% – Over-reliance on Ai leads to cookie-cutter content, making it harder to build trust and genuine connections.
3. Originality and Identity Risks – 15% –⠀Excessive automation can dilute individuality, eroding the unique voice of brands or professionals.
4. Overuse and Misuse – 10% – Using Ai for shortcuts often sacrifices creativity and depth, resulting in impersonal and uninspired outcomes.
5. Ethical and Philosophical Concerns – 10% – Delegating creativity and decision-making to Ai raises concerns about devaluing human effort and critical thinking.

​**Recognize there is implied bias, of course; the analysis is influenced by selection and perspective biases, being focused on LinkedIn users, willing to comment, following the subject and who express concerns. It observes the cautious side, prioritizing creativity and authenticity while underrepresenting other perspectives on Ai’s scalability and efficiency in other work areas.

---

Let Me Tell You About Ai in Action And Changes To My Creative Flow

​Ai has radically changed how I apply myself—not by reducing effort but by channelling my energies. This has quickened iteration, focus, and editing. My approach to work is highly iterative: I reach conclusions, build on them, and refine them through dozens, if not hundreds, of iterations. Here’s how Ai fits into my process:

1. Jump-Starting Creativity: Starting from a blank slate can be intimidating, but Ai helps me push past that quickly. Whether it’s drafting, formatting, or summarizing large data sets, Ai provides the initial push to get things moving (and saves me from staring at a blank screen).
2. Processing and Organizing Information: By summarizing and validating data, Ai really speeds organizing of raw thoughts so they can be developed and understood. It helps me focus on conclusions and strategy rather than organization mechanics.
3. Iterative Development: While the average task still takes hours, Ai enables me to iterate faster. The final pass is always my voice, ideas, and judgements—Ai never replaces my creative control.
4. Maintaining Authenticity: When it comes to correspondence or engagement, I don’t use Ai. I’d rather be authentic, even if I’m rough around the edges. Building trust and meaningful relationships requires a personal touch.

---

Top Tips To Prepare Leaders

• Use Ai Intentionally with Ownership: Ai is a powerful tool for organizing thoughts, streamlining workflows, and automating repetitive tasks. However, its role should complement your expertise, not substitute it.
• Protect Your Leadership Brand with Authenticity: Overusing Ai risks making your content indistinguishable from others. Focus on preserving your unique voice and perspective.
• Avoid Shortcuts - Channel Energy, Don’t Hold Back: Quality engagement and creative output still require effort. Ai can assist with structure, but meaningful work demands a human touch.
• Iterate Faster, Not LaiZIER: Leverage Ai to speed up development cycles while ensuring the final product reflects your insights and values.
• Treat Ai Like Staff Member: Treat tools like ChatGPT, Microsoft’s Ai, or other GPT engines as staff members. Get good at making requests, clarifying expectations, and being open to surprises they might bring. Trust the process but validate the results, as the saying goes. (Yes, I know I'm anthropomorphizing, but communication skills apply.)

---

For thought leaders, Ai is not about being lazy; it’s about being efficient and strategic. Ai can supercharge progress and creativity for those willing to put in the work. The challenge lies in using it responsibly and intentionally to enhance, not replace, the human element that drives authentic connections and meaningful outcomes.
As we build a working relationship with new Ai tools, Let’s not expect Ai to represent our values and manage trusting relationships. (I sometimes worry the future could involve Ai writing and reading everything, leaving humans passive and out of the equation entirely— I have that mental picture of the characters from Wall-E!)

Aim to simplify life without compromising authority.
PS: Does anyone else say “please” and “sorry” when writing prompts to Ai, or is that just me? (could be a Canadian thing)
My plan: Stay authentic, Stay innovative, and Don’t be LaiZY.