Unlocking Executive Potential: How Leaders Use ChatGPT for Strategic Clarity

In a world where executive time is the scarcest resource, every tool that enhances clarity, reflection, and strategic speed deserves a closer look.

This isn't a story about using ChatGPT to write social captions or summarize PDFs. It's about using it as an executive copilot—to think better, faster. As someone leading product and strategy at MadKudu, I've spent the past year refining how I use ChatGPT—not for automation, but for amplification.

And here's the truth: we're still early. As OpenAI admits, we've only just reached "level 2" on the autonomy ladder. The models are reasoning a little but are far from being real strategic partners. That's fine. The key is using them on the right tasks, in the right way.

Let me show you how.

The 2x2 That Changed My Workflow

I use a simple mental model to decide when (and how) to bring ChatGPT into my executive workflow. It's a two-by-two matrix:

	Low Reasoning	High Reasoning
Low Context	Voice mode: best practices, checklists	⚠️ Word salad territory
High Context	Upload docs: reviews, ops planning	❌ Don't force it—it'll fail

TL;DR: ChatGPT is great at eliciting what you already know. Not inventing answers you don't.

3 High-Leverage Use Cases (That Aren't Obvious)

These are the three ways I rely on ChatGPT weekly as an executive. None of them involve writing code or launching campaigns.

1. 🎙 Documenting Best Practices (Voice Mode)

You know what's worse than writing SOPs? Thinking you need to write them perfectly on the first try.

Instead, I open voice mode and tell ChatGPT:
"Ask me questions about how I prepare for PTO coverage."
It will start prompting me:

"What needs to happen if X breaks?"
"Have you told the team about Y?"

I speak my answers out loud. Then I ask it to summarize. Is the output perfect? Not even close. But now I have a draft I can shape—and I didn't spend hours staring at a blank doc.

💡 Pro tip: Interrupt ChatGPT early if it starts giving you answers. Your job is to think. Its job is to ask.

2. 📄 Performance Reviews (Upload + Prompt)

Performance reviews are high-context but not always high-reasoning. That's a sweet spot.

Here's how I do it:

Upload OKRs, notes, goals, and past reviews.
Start a session with ChatGPT:
"Help me prep Sarah's review—use the format we've used last time."
Answer its questions.
Step away.
Come back a day later and finish it.

I often change my mind between the two sessions—and that's a feature, not a bug.

3. 🧘‍♂️ One-on-Ones With Yourself

Executives don't get much time to think. The irony is: the answers are usually in your head—you just need help pulling them out.

So I do weekly self-one-on-ones. Often while walking.

Sometimes I'll say:

"Here's my top priority this week. Challenge it."
ChatGPT plays Devil's Advocate and pushes back.

It doesn't give me the answer. It helps me ask better questions.

It's not a therapist. It's a Socratic sparring partner.

Advanced Tactics That Actually Work

If you're ready to go deeper, here are five tips that made all the difference for me:

Create a Custom GPT: Include your KPIs, OKRs, and team structure. It gives the AI a working memory to build on.
Stick to One Thread Per Quarter: Especially for self-reflection. ChatGPT's memory is weak across threads—don't reset it.
Prompt Like You Mean It: Voice mode is forgiving, but clarity still matters. It's a conversation, not a magic trick.
Keep It Humble: If it sounds too good, it probably is. It will hallucinate—your job is to catch it.
Use the Socratic Lens: Think of ChatGPT as a "midwife of ideas." Your job is to think. Its job is to provoke.

Final Thought

If you expect ChatGPT to think for you, you'll be disappointed. If you use it to think with you, it's game-changing.

The future executive won't be the one who "uses AI." It'll be the one who knows how to think with it—on walks, during reviews, and in quiet moments when decisions are taking shape.

So don't wait. Start talking.