YoStella: Build a Better Business - Inspiration for Improving Your Brand, Marketing & People
Each year on Fat Tuesday, New Orleans throws a “Stella and Stanley” party. This annual event honors local boy and world-famous author Tennessee Williams and his masterpiece, A Streetcar Named Desire.
The movie version is notorious for the scene where Stanley, Marlon Brando in a tight white vest, yells “Stella-a-a-a-a-!” up the tenement stairs to his wife. “Stella” might be the most repeated movie line ever and Brando never needed to act again except, he said, for the money. Like a legendary actor, businesses need to cultivate their craft: building an amazing brand, elevating creativity, and growing authentic connections.
At StellaPop, we believe every business has a masterpiece in them.
YoStella: Build a Better Business - Inspiration for Improving Your Brand, Marketing & People
CEOs Are Using AI Wrong: It's a Mirror, Not Magic
The seductive promise of AI has created a troubling paradox in corporate leadership. While executives eagerly adopt these powerful tools, many are fundamentally misunderstanding their purpose – treating AI as a replacement for strategic thinking rather than an enhancement of human intelligence.
"AI isn't magic, it's a mirror," we explain, reflecting back exactly what we feed into it. This reality check exposes why so much AI-generated content feels eerily similar – safe, surface-level, and lacking authentic voice. When leaders outsource their thinking to algorithms instead of using AI to sharpen their own insights, they're not just creating bland content; they're eroding their brand's distinctiveness, team engagement, and consumer trust. Your audience can sense that missing human spark from a mile away.
The most dangerous aspect isn't just publishing mediocre content – it's the gradual displacement of expertise. What happens when seasoned professionals feel their unique perspectives are less valued than a well-crafted prompt? The collective brainpower of your organization begins to dim precisely when differentiation matters most. Meanwhile, AI's limitations around context, timing, and nuance create substantial risks, especially when outputs bypass crucial review processes in the name of efficiency.
The solution lies in reframing AI as an accelerator, not a replacement. It excels at summarizing information, processing data, and breaking through initial creative blocks – creating valuable space for humans to focus on deeper strategic thinking. Smart implementation requires empowering teams within clear boundaries, establishing explicit guardrails for AI usage, and developing department-specific frameworks that align with business objectives. In a world drowning in templated thinking, authentic voices don't just stand out – they win decisively. How will you ensure your voice remains unmistakably human in this increasingly AI-generated landscape?
OK, so let's unpack this, because there's this really intriguing statement going around right now CEOs are using AI wrong, Right, and look, before you think this is just you know, another anti-AI take. Let's be super clear.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:It's absolutely not.
Speaker 2:No, not at all.
Speaker 1:This deep dive is all about how leaders are leveraging or maybe misleveraging these really powerful tools. The core paradox we're going to explore today is, well, it's simple but pretty profound AI isn't magic, it's a mirror.
Speaker 2:Exactly, and what that mirror is reflecting back at us right now. Well, it isn't just generic content. It's reflecting the very prompts, the biases we feed into it. So we're seeing this wave of content that feels, I don't know, safe, surface level and just strangely familiar.
Speaker 1:You see it everywhere.
Speaker 2:Because its output is a direct reflection of our lack of original input. Really, our mission today is to really get into why this is happening. What's it actually costing businesses you know in real terms and, crucially, how can smart leaders actually get AI right and unlock its genuine potential?
Speaker 1:Right. So let's dive into the heart of the problem then, because it seems pretty widespread.
Speaker 2:It really is.
Speaker 1:We're seeing more and more leaders handing over their voices, their visions, their actual thoughts to these generative AI tools.
Speaker 2:Yeah, just outsourcing it.
Speaker 1:They're expecting, I suppose, traction, clarity, efficiency from it. The promise right, but what they're actually getting instead is traction clarity, efficiency.
Speaker 2:from it the promise right.
Speaker 1:But what they're actually getting instead is, well, a stream of generic posts, kind of disjointed messaging, and a brand that just ends up sounding like everyone else out there. It feels like such a missed opportunity for distinction.
Speaker 2:It really is because the real power of AI, it's not meant to replace human thought, it's supposed to enhance it.
Speaker 1:Enhance, not replace, okay.
Speaker 2:And what we're seeing? Are these really specific missteps in how it's being applied? Leaders are frankly outsourcing critical thinking instead of using AI to sharpen their own thinking.
Speaker 1:Using it as a shortcut.
Speaker 2:Exactly Using AI to just sound like a leader, rather than actually thinking like one. That's a key distinction to just sound like a leader rather than actually thinking like one. That's a key distinction, and they're substituting the deep expertise of their teams. You know the people who really know the subject for these generic kind of decontextualized outputs.
Speaker 1:Decontextualized outputs. Can you unpack that a bit. What does that look like in practice?
Speaker 2:Sure, it means content that might be technically accurate, factually OK, but it's completely stripped of the vital nuances.
Speaker 1:Nuances like.
Speaker 2:Understanding your specific market or your company's unique culture or a customer's subtle pain points. It's data without the soul, you could say.
Speaker 1:Got it. Data without soul. I like that.
Speaker 2:Think about those AI-written LinkedIn posts you see.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah.
Speaker 2:They might look polished, maybe even well-written on the surface, but they lack that personal touch right, that unique perspective that actually makes someone stop scrolling.
Speaker 1:They feel hollow.
Speaker 2:Exactly, and in this rush for speed, they're often skipping crucial checks. Brand voice, legal reviews, strategic alignment.
Speaker 1:Oof, yeah, skipping legal and strategy checks with AI outputs sounds risky.
Speaker 2:It's incredibly risky. And that really is the crux of it, isn't it? Because when that line blurs, when leaders start treating this powerful assistant like it's a strategic leader, the very essence of critical thinking starts to get diluted and the brand well, the brand inevitably pays the price for that. Ai was never meant to be the strategist. It's the assistant, the superpowered assistant maybe, but still the assistant Precisely. And this isn't just about you know, putting out some bad content Right, it goes deeper.
Speaker 2:What's happening is a much deeper erosion erosion of brand alignment, authentic energy and, ultimately, consumer trust. If we connect this to the bigger picture, the stakes are actually much higher than just a poorly worded post.
Speaker 1:And you mentioned teams. That point about disengagement really struck me. Can you elaborate on the sort of psychological impact this has? What happens inside a company when a really seasoned, creative professional feels like their unique perspective is just being sidelined for an algorithm?
Speaker 2:Yeah, or that the AI has become the default decision maker, right.
Speaker 1:Exactly.
Speaker 2:Well, it creates a really dangerous dynamic. When AI starts replacing genuine expertise, your writers, your marketers, your strategists, your subject matter experts, they start to feel displaced.
Speaker 1:Undervalued.
Speaker 2:Or worse, yeah, completely undervalued. Think about the collective brainpower you're losing there If your top content strategist starts feeling their unique insights, their experience is less valued than a well-crafted prompt. How long before they start holding back?
Speaker 1:Or just checking out.
Speaker 2:Or looking elsewhere Exactly, which brings up the strategic costs too. Ok, decisions start getting built on really shaky ground Because, look, ai can summarize incredibly well. It's fantastic at that. Yeah, for meeting notes reports, great, brilliant. But it doesn't know your specific market.
Speaker 1:It doesn't get the subtle nuances or your actual oversimplified thinking, it can create real roadblocks for momentum inside the business and the brand-wise damage then that's maybe harder to measure immediately but feels way more dangerous long-term.
Speaker 2:Much more dangerous. You lose your unique voice, you lose originality.
Speaker 1:You lose the why.
Speaker 2:You lose the very reason people connected with your brain in the first place. It's almost like every executive's LinkedIn feed is starting to sound like the same very polite but utterly indistinguishable corporate robot.
Speaker 1:Yeah, the polite corporate robot feed. You could almost sense the AI a mile away, can't you?
Speaker 2:You absolutely can, because if your content feels like it was written by AI, your audience knows. Your audience knows it. They can sense that missing human spark, that authenticity.
Speaker 1:Okay. So we've definitely explored where AI can go wrong and the very real costs associated with misusing it, but let's pivot now. Let's shift focus to the immense upside.
Speaker 2:Yes, definitely.
Speaker 1:Where does AI truly shine? Where does it become an invaluable asset? Because it is incredibly good at some specific things.
Speaker 2:Absolutely.
Speaker 1:And the trick, it seems, is knowing when to let it support you without letting it speak for you.
Speaker 2:That's perfectly put Leveraging its strengths without surrendering your own.
Speaker 1:So where does it really excel?
Speaker 2:Okay. The real power emerges when we look at concrete examples of AI as an accelerator.
Speaker 1:Accelerator, not replacement.
Speaker 2:Exactly. It can summarize dense information from meetings, long reports, extensive research, in a fraction of the time a human would take.
Speaker 1:Huge time saver.
Speaker 2:Huge. It's excellent for drafting internal communications if they're based on structured inputs. You give it the points. It drafts the memo.
Speaker 1:Okay, internal comms summaries. What else?
Speaker 2:Organizing things like resumes or vendor lists. It can do that kind of sorting and initial filtering very quickly.
Speaker 1:Right data processing tasks.
Speaker 2:And even brainstorming or outlining early stage ideas. It can be a good starting point, a way to break the blank page, fear, A thought partner almost In a limited way. Yes, and beyond that, it's a powerhouse for speeding up those repetitive or admin-heavy documentation tasks that nobody loves doing, freeing people up for higher value work. That's the goal. When used well, AI is an accelerator, not a replacement. It can create that valuable space for your team to go deeper, to innovate, to be more strategic.
Speaker 1:Instead of just churning out surface level stuff no-transcript.
Speaker 2:This only happens with clear strategic intention from leadership.
Speaker 1:It requires conscious effort and planning.
Speaker 2:It really does, and that's a vital point. This isn't about being anti-AI Not at all. It's about being anti-lazy thinking.
Speaker 1:Oh, okay, anti-lazy thinking. I like that framing.
Speaker 2:The solution lies in how CEOs and leaders lean into AI like a strategist would, thoughtfully, purposefully.
Speaker 1:Right, it's about smart implementation.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:Not just grabbing the nearest shiny object for convenience, precisely. I couldn't agree more and based on that, it feels like there are maybe three key ways to really get AI right in your organization. Okay, first, it seems crucial to empower your team to experiment, but with structure.
Speaker 2:Yes, structure is key.
Speaker 1:Don't just ban AI that's probably counterproductive. Now, instead, encourage your teams to test it, push its limits, stress, test the outputs, but always through the clear lens of your brand, your overall strategy and, importantly, your customer.
Speaker 2:So innovation within boundaries.
Speaker 1:Exactly Ensures innovation without, just you know, deviating wildly.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Second, you absolutely need to create clear AI guardrails.
Speaker 2:Super important.
Speaker 1:A lot of leaders assume their teams just intuitively get AI's limitations, but without clear guardrails, you're not just risking bad content, you're risking, like you said, a fundamental erosion of decision making rigor.
Speaker 2:You are. You need to define when it's okay to use AI and, critically, when it's not.
Speaker 1:And establish review layers right.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Especially for anything external facing.
Speaker 2:Absolutely, because AI doesn't understand tone or timing or context the way your experienced people do.
Speaker 1:Can you give an example of where that lack of context could be dangerous?
Speaker 2:Sure, Think about crisis communication. An AI might generate a technically correct statement based on facts. You feed it, but it completely lacks the human empathy, the situational awareness needed for high stakes messaging. It could inadvertently escalate an issue, sound tone deaf or miss the underlying human element completely.
Speaker 1:Right, huge risk there, okay, so empower with structure, create clear guardrails. What's the third key?
Speaker 2:That makes sense.
Speaker 1:And third, it seems vital to develop a framework for AI usage by department.
Speaker 2:Ah, tailoring it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, what does smart AI use look like? In HR versus operations, versus marketing, treat AI, like any other powerful tool, one that needs training, clear boundaries and real alignment with how your business actually works day to day.
Speaker 2:That's practical. So to kind of pull that together AI is not your brand strategist. Nope, it's not your social media manager, definitely not, and it is absolutely not your brand's differentiator. Some of these issues we've discussed sound familiar.
Speaker 1:Like your content's sounding fine, but just not you.
Speaker 2:Exactly, or you're publishing regularly, ticking the boxes, but gaining zero real traction.
Speaker 1:Or struggling to find language that really sets your offer apart.
Speaker 2:Or even if your team is relying more on prompts than on their own perspective and expertise.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:Then AI isn't really your root problem. Your underlying strategy is likely the issue. Ai is just magnifying the gaps.
Speaker 1:Ah, the mirror again Reflecting the strategic gaps.
Speaker 2:Precisely.
Speaker 1:And here's the crucial takeaway, then maybe the core message In this sea of increasingly templated thought leadership, real clarity and truly original thinking don't just stand out anymore.
Speaker 2:They win, they win.
Speaker 1:So, as we wrap up this deep dive, the core insight seems really clear AI it's an incredibly powerful assistant, a tool that can absolutely accelerate processes and genuinely empower your team.
Speaker 2:Absolutely can.
Speaker 1:But it falters and it can even cause real harm when it's mistaken for a strategist or when it's used to replace that fundamental human ingenuity and critical thinking.
Speaker 2:Well said. And that leads us to the final thought. For you, the listener, given that real clarity and original thinking don't just stand out, they win. How can you ensure that your voice, or your company's voice, remains unmistakably human, truly authentic, in this increasingly AI-generated world?
