Time to read: 8 minutes
Hi there,
A few weeks ago I ran a corporate masterclass for a Swiss energy company and 300 people registered, dialing in from at least six countries. Not one of them signed up to learn an AI tool.
They came for something less fancy. To learn, and most importantly build their personal brand as corporate leaders. Because, it is a fact. The gap between a high performer and the next promotion is rarely a competence gap. The work is already good. The hours are already in. What is missing is that the people who decide on the next role do not have a clear enough picture of the person doing the work.
Herminia Ibarra, who has spent years studying how careers actually advance, shows that progression depends on more than output. It depends on whether the people who decide have a clear picture of you.
A really clear picture. Because you cannot be promoted, sponsored or recommended by people who do not see you.
The whole masterclass was built on one idea. Nobody in that room is a full-time personal brand builder, and nobody wants to be. So we used AI to do the heavy lifting, the writing, the structuring, the prep, so that staying visible does not have to become a second job.
At the masterclass we also did a quick exercise on making your LinkedIn profile work harder for you. Many of you say you do not have a recent profile photo. So here is the tip I shared.
You can turn a casual selfie into a professional LinkedIn headshot while keeping your real face. Paste the prompt below into ChatGPT, or another image tool, together with your own photo. Pick a selfie where your face is visible, no caps etc.
Start of prompt
Transform the photo I have uploaded into a polished, professional corporate headshot.
MOST IMPORTANT RULE -- KEEP MY EXACT FACE:
Do not change my face in any way. Preserve my exact facial features, face shape, skin tone, eye colour and shape, nose, mouth, eyebrows, hairline, hairstyle, and apparent age. The person in the result must be clearly and unmistakably me. Do not beautify, slim, smooth, or "improve" my features. Only change the things listed below.
WHAT TO CHANGE:
- Framing: head-and-shoulders crop, face centred, looking directly at the camera
- Attire: professional business attire -- a well-fitted dark business blazer over a simple top. Formal, corporate, and appropriate for a senior workplace setting
- Background: a softly blurred, bright, modern office, neutral and uncluttered, with gentle bokeh
- Lighting: soft, even, natural daylight on the face, no harsh shadows
- Expression: keep my natural smile, warm and approachable. If I am not smiling in the original, add a subtle, genuine smile.
- Head position: If my head position is not straight in the original, make it straight.
- Quality: sharp focus on the face, realistic professional photography, not over-edited or artificial
OUTPUT: one realistic photo, square or vertical, suitable for a LinkedIn profile picture.
End of prompt
What I Actually Do Before, During And After A Meeting
On to meetings. So many of you ask how I keep up with them, so here is what I actually do. On Monday 15 June I ran a live session with the amazing Anna Stando in her series AI for the Real World, on using AI for your meetings. Zero slides, and one real (anonymised) client meeting walked through from start to finish. Here is the short version for anyone who could not make it.
Before the meeting.
- I do not open a blank chat window. I use the research mode in the AI tool, the one that takes five or six minutes and comes back with real sources, not the instant chatbot reply. I give it the person, the company and the one angle I actually care about, and it hands me the press, the leadership interviews and the annual report sections that matter.
- Then I drop all of it into NotebookLM, a free Google tool, and ask it for a ten-minute podcast. I listen to my own briefing on a walk. It is the closest thing I have to a research assistant who never sleeps.
During the meeting.
- Almost nothing, and that is the point. I transcribe, with consent (I use Tactiq, I ask out loud, and I keep a line in my Calendly so nobody is surprised), then I put the keyboard down and listen.
After the meeting.
- This is the part I never skip. I hand the transcript to my AI tool and ask one question. Who does what, and what did we actually agree? We have all sat in meetings where, an hour later, nobody could say who owned what. That one check has saved me more than once.
- I put the transcription of the client call back into NotebookLM and I am ready to build a super personalized proposal, with interactive audio and video elements embedded.
And some things you just do not hand to AI. Real listening. Hearing what is not being said. Watching the room. Deciding in the moment. You are the one who is accountable for what gets agreed. AI gives you a head start. The human part stays yours.
That masterclass at the top is one of the talks I run with leadership teams. On being visible, and the part only the human in the room can do.
If you want your people to feel ready for this, not anxious, the talks are here:
Book Tünde as a speaker at your next event
How Can We Work Together?
- Worried your team is not keeping pace with AI? My AI LEADERSHIP COACHING for leaders and teams builds shared direction, confident decision-making, and AI judgment that shows up in the daily work. Start with the 5-min readiness assessment: CLICK HERE
I worked with the Implico team recently on this. And what a journey it has been! More to come in two weeks.
- Preparing for DIRECTOR OR PARTNER PROMOTION at a Big 4 or tier-1 consulting firm? I have been there. I coach senior managers, directors and newly elected partners through it, including the visibility work this newsletter is about. Download the director-partner promotion roadmap CLICK HERE
- Not sure if coaching is your thing yet? Sign up for a 30-min complimentary coaching call (waitlist applies). CLICK HERE
Did You Miss Our Last Newsletters?
Inboxes can get a little crazy, right? Just in case you missed them, here are the links to our previous newsletters:
- Newsletter #035: I use AI badly. You? → LINK HERE
- Newsletter #034: What AI Cannot Do for Your Promotion. → LINK HERE
- Newsletter #033: The rooms AI is not in. → LINK HERE
Thanks for reading. Just drop a quick reply if you have any feedback.
Wishing you a great week ahead.
Until next time,
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