From AI Leadership towards “Personal Leadership in the AI World”

Introduction: From AI Leadership to Personal Leadership

For 3 years, I have been deeply immersed in the world of AI Leadership, exploring its transformative impact on businesses, industries, and society. Through my work, shared insights, and reflections on AI advancements (AI Leadership), I sought to understand how we, as humans, could harness AI’s potential while maintaining ethical, strategic, and innovative control. However, as AI continued to evolve at an unprecedented pace, I realized that leadership in this new era required something beyond strategic implementation—it required a shift inward. A shift to Personal Leadership in the AI World.

Thus, I have transitioned from focusing solely on AI Leadership to emphasizing Personal Leadership in the AI World. In this rapidly changing landscape, where AI surpasses human capabilities in many areas, our true edge lies in self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and deep personal development. This is where my journey with shadow work, inspired by Carl Jung, comes in—a practice that AI cannot replicate but can support in unexpected ways.

With this shift in perspective,

I find myself reflecting on the past year—one filled with excitement, rapid advancements, and a deepening understanding of AI’s evolving role in our lives. In those twelve months, the world of AI has evolved faster than many of us ever expected. As headlines continue to celebrate (or fear) new breakthroughs, an important question arises: **What does it mean to be human when AI can surpass us in so many tasks we once considered uniquely ours?**

That question sparked a deeper exploration of who we are beneath the surface—beyond what any algorithm can replicate. It’s exactly this line of thought that led me to shadow work, a transformative practice rooted in Carl Jung’s psychology. While AI might excel at data crunching and creative output, it can’t yet confront our hidden fears, biases, or desires. That’s where our humanity has a chance to shine.

So, in this new era of my writing, I’d love to share how AI has revolutionized my productivity and helped me discover a path toward deeper self-awareness and personal leadership. By blending the power of AI-driven journaling with shadow work, I’ve found a method that reminds me daily that our truest potential lives inside—where machines can’t go.

Stay tuned as I unpack the journey, the tools, and the insights I’ve gained. Whether you’re just curious about AI or ready to dive into your own hidden corners, I invite you to explore with me what it means to lead from within—especially now, when the world around us is changing faster than ever. Let’s redefine “personal leadership” in an AI-driven world, together.

What You Can Expect in Part 1

This first part explores the core ideas of **Personal Leadership in the AI World**, focusing on:

– What it means to be human in an era where AI outperforms us in many tasks.
– My personal journey with journaling and shadow work, including how I discovered these practices.
– A brief introduction to Carl Jung’s shadow work and its relevance in the AI age.
– How AI can serve as a tool for shadow work, along with practical ways to get started.
– Essential privacy considerations and why AI should not be treated as a therapist.
– The importance of embracing our shadows as a pathway to deeper self-awareness and leadership.

Part 2

In **Part 2**, we will explore shadow work in broader contexts and deeper insights, including challenges, alternative approaches, and its applications across various fields.

The Story

Rather than focusing solely on AI’s capabilities and its broader leadership implications, I now want to explore how AI has personally shaped my journey—how it has helped me transition from external leadership to an inward path of self-discovery and growth.

A little less than a year ago, we were in a wonderful place called Sterrekopje in South Africa. While discussing the big things in life with my love, she mentioned a book called *The Artist’s Way* (it must be the 111th book she’s suggested!). The book focuses on an artist’s journey when creativity feels stuck.

I’m not an artist in the traditional sense, but aren’t we all artists in some way? I saw some artistry in how I was experimenting with AI. So, I started reading, and from the very first pages, journaling was clearly the way to go. It took me one day to find the perfect digital solution for that habit: Notion, which has become my go-to for all my writing, documentation, archiving, to-dos, and so much more.

Today, I am on day 333 of journaling without missing a single day. Sometimes, I write long entries like the one you’re reading now (thank you!), and sometimes, I write just a few lines when I feel I have nothing to say. (Those are rare.)

A New “You Should”

Some months later—precisely six months ago—another “You should” popped up: “You should do shadow work.”

I’d been interested in psychology for a long time, even taking an open university course and exploring Carl Jung’s famous shadow work. But it didn’t inspire me to do shadow work myself—until my love launched her “You should.” As with *The Artist’s Way*, her nudge sent me on a most surprising journey.

Being a tech addict, I naturally turned to my AI friends first, gathering everything I could on the topic. On September 5, I began my first official day of shadow work. Much like my journaling habit, I’ve rarely missed a day since.

Transition to the Bigger Picture

This experience—experimenting with AI in my personal life and diving into the depths of Jungian psychology—led me to a realization about our future relationship with technology.

My Point

I’m convinced that AI will surpass us in virtually every discipline we humans hold dear—our most valued competencies and even our creativity—likely within the coming months or years. Some argue that AI “only copies” and does not create anything fundamentally new. However, the pace of innovation tells a different story. Take the GNoMe project, for instance: while humans have identified approximately 48,000 types of crystals over the span of our entire existence, this AI-driven project recently discovered 2.2 million new types—380,000 of which are stable. This is not mere imitation; it is a staggering expansion of discovery at a speed and scale far beyond human reach.

If humans are destined to be second in intelligence rankings, then who will we be? What will it mean to be human once AI has taken over so many of our core competencies?

This is where Jung’s idea of the shadow has become crucial to me. In an AI era, personal development work—especially shadow work—offers a whole new lens through which to understand ourselves and our world. It highlights the aspects of being human that AI can’t duplicate: self-awareness, emotional depth, and the courage to face our own hidden truths. Yet, while AI cannot experience these qualities itself, it can be a powerful tool in helping us work through them and deepen our personal development in a most surprising way.

A Quick Primer on Jung’s Shadow Work

Let’s have AI itself explain the basics of shadow work:

Shadow work is a term Carl Jung popularized to describe the process of discovering and integrating the parts of ourselves that we usually keep hidden or push away—our “shadow.” According to Jung’s theory, the shadow contains qualities and impulses that might feel uncomfortable or unacceptable to us, such as fears, biases, desires, or memories we’d rather ignore. Because these aspects are often unconscious, they can still shape our thoughts and behaviors without our realizing it.

Engaging in shadow work means shining a light on these hidden elements so we can see them clearly, understand them, and accept them as parts of our whole selves… The ultimate goal of Jung’s shadow work is **individuation**—becoming as complete and authentic as possible.

Why Shadow Work Matters (Especially Now)

– Deeper Emotional Intelligence: Knowing your hidden fears and motivations helps you navigate relationships more compassionately.
– Authentic Self-Leadership: Confronting our shadows fosters genuine confidence instead of a façade.
– Human Distinctiveness in an AI Age: While AI can master tasks, it can’t delve into your personal psyche or understand the emotional impact of your lived experiences.

Shadow Work and AI

I’ve been journaling for 333 days and practicing shadow work for six months, which has profoundly altered my life. I can say both have profoundly changed my life—a lot like Switzerland, with marvellous high peaks and lovely valleys but also with treacherous, deep abysses that were quite challenging to navigate. It was in these dark abysses that I found the most significant growth opportunities. In those dark abysses, where I confronted uncomfortable truths, I learned the most about who I really am.

Two Ways to Get Started

The Long Personal Road

This was my path. I researched Carl Jung’s writings, watched YouTube videos, read summaries like *Jung: A Very Short Introduction* by Anthony Stevens, and gradually built my understanding.

Finally, I introduced myself to ChatGPT as someone curious about Jung’s shadow work and began a daily practice. This thorough approach lets you discover the deeper layers: shadow, anima/animus, ego, self, and more.

The Shortcut

About two months ago, while giving an AI training, I mentioned my shadow work. Several participants, including psychologists, became intrigued.

I created a GPT model based on what I’d found online and in books, combined with my personal experiences. Feel free to explore it at ShadowGPT or the Dutch version SchaduwGPT. Just remember to adjust your privacy settings.

A Small Example

“One small example: I always arrive early to every meeting, telling myself it’s about respect and good planning. But shadow work revealed a deeper truth—it isn’t just about time management; it’s about control. If I’m early, I can never be the one who causes delays. AI-assisted reflection helped me see that my fear of being ‘late’ wasn’t purely about punctuality—it was about proving I’m reliable and in control.”

This might seem like a mild revelation, but it illustrates how what we assume are “good habits” can also be rooted in deeper insecurities or fears.

Caution: Double-Check Privacy and Remember AI Is Not a Therapist

– Privacy: Always review your platform’s privacy settings. Turn off “Improve the model for everyone” in your Data Controls if you prefer maximum confidentiality.
– AI ≠ Therapist: While AI can provide prompts and reflections, it’s not a substitute for a trained mental health professional. Think of it as a tool that taps into humanity’s collective knowledge rather than a thinking, feeling entity.

Conclusion: Embracing Our Shadows in an AI-Driven World

We stand at a turning point where AI is rapidly reshaping every field. Soon, it may well outpace human ability in tasks we once prized as uniquely ours. Rather than seeing this as a threat, I see it as an invitation to look inward—exploring what makes us truly human and how we can grow from within.

Shadow work, inspired by Jung, has shown me how shining a light on the hidden corners of our psyche can lead to newfound clarity, resilience, and self-acceptance. AI can be a powerful co-creator in this process—supporting us with structured prompts, reflection, and consistency—if we choose to use it mindfully. And as AI continues to excel, personal leadership will hinge on this deeper self-awareness that technology alone can never replicate.

Tomorrow, I’ll share a follow-up post with a few personal examples of how I uncovered my own “shadows” and found new paths forward. By opening the door to your own shadow, you might discover a greater capacity for creativity, empathy, and genuine confidence—in work, relationships, and all aspects of life. After all, the era of AI doesn’t diminish what makes us human; it challenges us to delve deeper into who we truly are.

Your Personal Leadership in the AI World

I’d love to hear your thoughts: Have you used AI for personal development? If so, has that included techniques like shadow work? Reply to this newsletter or reach out however you prefer, and let’s keep the conversation going.

Thank you for reading. Let’s continue exploring what Personal Leadership truly means in a world where AI might soon surpass us in everything but our own self-discovery.

Yours in Self-Discovery & AI,
Luc
Personal Leadership in the AI World