In a directors meeting the other day, someone said something that hit everyone at once:

“It’s a good time to come back to our values. It’s been busy. We need to get grounded again.”

You could hear the collective sigh of agreement.

Because when things get too busy, it shows. You feel it in the way people talk, decide, rush.

Busy takes over, and thinking goes out the window.

Not because leaders don’t know how to think, but because they are reacting to everything thrown at them. All day. Every day.

Years ago, I went through a comprehensive training with Ron Ritchhart on Cultures of Thinking and later attended Harvard’s Project Zero Summer Institute. The biggest lesson I walked away with?

Your culture isn’t what you say you believe. It’s whatever your behavior proves you believe.

And if i’m being honest, most leaders unintentionally show that speed matters more than clarity.

“Just get it done” becomes the vibe.

This is where AI has actually helped me slow down.

Not to do the work for me.

To force a pause.

Simple example:

If I’m about to send a decision or a tough email, I’ll drop it into AI and ask,

“What assumptions am I making here?”

Ten seconds later, it shows me the exact things I would have missed because I was rushing.

It’s not magic.

It’s a brake pedal.

If we want teams that think, not just react, we have to model that pause ourselves.

This is the first post in a short series on how leaders can use AI to create cultures where thinking actually happens.

My question to you:

Where in your work would a simple pause actually help you right now?

And who else would benefit from reading this? Have them subscribe to the blog!