The AI-Driven Leader with Geoff Woods

2025-06-11

Let’s face it: AI is changing the game in ways we couldn’t have imagined just a few years ago. As leaders, we’re at a crossroads—do we learn how to use this new technology to our advantage, or do we risk falling behind? In this episode, I sit down with Geoff Woods, #1 bestselling author of The AI-Driven Leader and founder of AI Leadership, to explore how leaders can harness AI not just to automate tasks, but to think bigger, make smarter decisions, and unlock the full potential of their organizations. Geoff shares the journey that took him from asking the right questions in boardrooms to co-founding an executive network, The Collective, where 100+ leaders from around the world collaborate to use AI as a competi...

In this episode, I sit down with Geoff Woods, #1 bestselling author of The AI-Driven Leader and founder of AI Leadership, to explore how leaders can harness AI not just to automate tasks, but to think bigger, make smarter decisions, and unlock the full potential of their organizations.

Geoff shares the journey that took him from asking the right questions in boardrooms to co-founding an executive network, The Collective, where 100+ leaders from around the world collaborate to use AI as a competitive advantage. He pulls back the curtain on his “CRIT” framework (Context, Role, Interview, Task) for prompting AI to be more than a tool—it becomes a thought partner that sharpens your vision and reveals the path to 10x growth.

We dig into how Geoff overcame massive imposter syndrome when first stepping into AI leadership, the power of reverse engineering your future, and why he believes trying to “know everything about AI” is the surest way to lose. Plus, he shares a powerful story of how an AI-generated interview turned a real estate flipper’s 10K-per-deal hustle into a million-dollar multifamily investment in a single month.

At the heart of this conversation is a message every leader needs to hear: real transformation isn’t about learning AI for the sake of it—it’s about using it to build the business (and life) that will stand the test of time.

Meet Our Guest: Geoff Woods

Geoff Woods is a visionary business leader, bestselling author, and founder of AI Leadership. He’s the host of The AI-Driven Leader podcast and creator of The Collective, a vetted community of executives who are using AI to create future-ready businesses.

Geoff previously served as Chief Growth Officer of Jindal Steel and Power, where he helped grow the company’s market cap from $750 million to $12 billion in just four years. Earlier, he co-founded the consulting company behind The One Thing, advising businesses from $10 million to $60 billion in revenue.

His book, The AI-Driven Leader, offers a practical guide for leaders who want to harness AI strategically—not to do more busy work, but to think bigger, move faster, and lead in ways that truly matter.

What You’ll Learn in this Episode:

Why “knowing everything about AI” isn’t the goal—mastery of your strengths is
Geoff’s “CRIT” framework for using AI as a strategic thought partner
How The Collective helps leaders turn insights into action and real revenue
The danger of operational overwhelm vs. strategic clarity
Why every leader needs to rethink the business that could put them out of business
The surprising link between “The One Thing” mindset and AI leadership
How Geoff overcame impostor syndrome to become a global AI thought leader
Real-world stories of leaders using AI to 10x their businesses
How to tap into collective knowledge and stay ahead of rapid change

In this episode:

[00:00:00] Introduction and setting the stage for AI-powered leadership
[00:01:02] Geoff’s journey from asking questions to driving billion-dollar growth
[00:03:18] How asking better questions changed Geoff’s approach to AI
[00:08:45] Building The Collective: a global network of AI-driven leaders
[00:15:00] Using AI to pressure-test your business plan and rethink your North Star
[00:21:17] Why AI isn’t about replacing expertise—it’s about amplifying it
[00:26:23] The connection between The One Thing and Geoff’s AI philosophy
[00:32:31] How Geoff’s team uses AI to turn human strengths into superpowers
[00:37:48] Rethinking the business you’re in—and the one that could put you out of business
[00:40:39] The future of AI-driven insights and continuous strategic updates
[00:43:51] Where to find Geoff’s work and apply to join The Collective
[00:44:33] Final reflections on growth, leadership, and staying curious