The Human+AI Formula: Mastering the New Consulting Paradigm

I hope you and your family are having a wonderful holiday season. Tabbi and I have been spending lots of time with our two very busy sons and their gorgeous wives.

And we recently learned we will finally be grandparents in May!

It's a reflective time of year and, while I'm grateful for it every day, I'm especially reminded that there is nothing more valuable in this life than the relationships we have with those we love and trust.

Nothing.

Often times I only regret that there isn't more time and space in this life to get to know people like yourself much better and enjoy this journey together.

For now I'll have to settle with sharing my thoughts and experiences with you here, in this resource letter each week.

We'll be making a few changes coming up in the new year, so watch for those. I'll point them out and share what I'm doing and why, so you can benefit from the changes by incorporating them in your business too, if you like.

What I have to share with you this week is a question a client asked, that you might be asking yourself, too:

"With AI getting so good, will business owners still need consultants?"

The answer is a resounding yes, but things will be different for sure.

You'll need to work on mastering the synergy between your irreplaceable human capabilities—creativity, critical thinking, and empathy, to name a few—and AI's incredible strengths.

To help you experience a breakthrough with AI, here's what I have for you in this issue:

🛠️  The Human+AI Formula: How to master the new consulting paradigm and  stay relevant as a business consultant in the age of AI

Over two millennia ago, Aristotle identified core human abilities that remain uniquely powerful today.

These include genuine creativity, critical thinking, and social connectivity—capabilities that modern AI researchers still struggle to replicate. When combined with AI, they create something revolutionary.

But here's what we have to watch out for:

As AI becomes more capable, we risk falling into what AI futurist Pascal Bornet calls "AI obesity"—an over-reliance on artificial intelligence that weakens our uniquely human abilities. Think of it like muscles atrophying from lack of use.

The key isn't choosing between human and artificial intelligence—it's mastering the synergy between them.

Here's how to do it:

The Capability-Enhancement Test 

If a task doesn't leverage your uniquely human abilities, let AI handle it. This isn't about avoiding work—it's about focusing your energy on what humans do best:

✅  Complex problem-solving that requires multi-context thinking
✅  Emotional intelligence and relationship building
✅  Creative synthesis of seemingly unrelated concepts
✅  Ethical judgment and value-based decision-making
✅  Strategic intuition built from deep experience

The Power of Human+AI Combinations

Let’s explore how combining your strengths with AI’s capabilities can produce transformative results:

🗪  Your contextual understanding + AI's data analysis

➔ Delivers insights that neither could achieve alone

🗪  Your emotional intelligence + AI's pattern recognition

➔ Creates deeper, more nuanced client relationships

🗪  Your ethical judgment + AI's scenario modeling

➔ Produces better, more human-centered decisions

🗪  Your creative problem-solving + AI's computational speed

➔ Generates innovative solutions at scale

🗪  Your strategic intuition + AI's forecasting capabilities

➔ Builds more robust, forward-thinking strategies

Case Study: Understanding Your Ideal Client Avatar

One of my clients recently leveraged AI to better understand his ideal client avatar—and the results were dramatic. Using a carefully crafted prompt sequence I provided, he gained deeper insights into his audience than ever before. These insights helped him:

🎯  Pinpoint his clients' pain points and desires with clarity
🎯  Tailor his messaging to speak directly to their needs
🎯  Write compelling marketing copy that resonated on a whole new level 

The outcome? His marketing campaigns saw dramatically better results, with higher engagement and conversions. This is the power of combining strategic human thinking with AI’s ability to analyze and generate precise data.

Warning Signs of AI Obesity 

Here’s what to watch out for to avoid over-reliance on AI:

❌  Relying on AI for tasks that require human empathy
❌  Using AI to avoid developing critical thinking skills
❌  Letting AI make judgment calls that need human wisdom
❌  Accepting AI outputs without strategic evaluation

Recognizing these warning signs is the first step. The next is creating a clear plan to maximize your Human+AI advantage.

🚨 Your Action Plan This Week

1. Audit your current tasks:

☐  List everything you do in a typical week.
☐  Mark tasks that require uniquely human abilities.
☐  Identify opportunities for AI enhancement (not replacement).

2. Create your Human+AI playbook:

✦  What only you can do
✦  What AI can enhance
✦  What AI can handle entirely

Bottom Line 

You've got to get on the AI train or you'll find yourself tied to the tracks very soon.

The future isn’t about resisting or over-relying on AI—it’s about mastering the art of partnership. Combine what makes you uniquely human with the unparalleled power of AI, and you’ll not only stay relevant—you’ll thrive.

Remember: Your competitive advantage lies not in competing with AI, but in amplifying your irreplaceable human capabilities with technological tools.

Let's create breakthroughs together, 

Dale

P.S.: When you're ready, here are more ways I can help you...