There are two things everyone can’t stop talking about: AI and Wicked.
The parallel is intriguing.
Going back to the original Wizard of Oz, Dorothy and her friends finally arrive in the Emerald City and meet the Great and Powerful Oz: a larger-than-life, all-powerful, all-knowing, apparently supernatural oracle who speaks with conviction and authority.
They put in their “prompt” and ask it what to do to solve their respective problems.
Their knees are literally shaking as they run out the door to do his bidding.
When they come back, having completed the task, it’s Dorothy’s dog, Toto, who discovers the ugly truth.
Toto pulls back the literal curtain to reveal a scared little man—very human—who sheepishly confesses that he is actually the brains behind the operation, but lacked the confidence in himself to convey his ideas to others, face to face, in a way that would gain their trust, respect, and buy-in.
He believed he needed the facade of the wizard in order to appear more powerful and get people to listen to what he had to say.
Sound like anyone you know?
These days, leaders are using AI on all kinds of platforms to do the reading, analysis, synthesizing, coding, organizing, drafting, design, and even recommendation-making, all with the goal of being 10, 20, or 100 times more accurate, effective and/or productive.
Sure, AI can help. It can do your analysis, help you organize ideas, improve clarity, and save time, etc.
What it canNOT do is replace YOU as a leader.
That matters now more than ever.
AI Can Make You Sound Polished, But Not Necessarily Persuasive
One of the biggest risks of relying too heavily on AI-generated language is that it can make you sound clear, but not compelling.
Why?
Yes, the words may be accurate, the logic may be clean, and it may sound more eloquent than if you had written it yourself.
But that’s only half the battle around getting people to trust you, believe you, and want to follow you.
People don’t follow perfectly written ideas. They follow people they trust.
If the words don’t sound like you in print, there’s immediate doubt in the disconnect.
Worse, if it doesn’t sound like you when the words are coming out of your own mouth, because a hyper-polished bot wrote your script, the inauthenticity is palpable.
It actually reminds me of another play – Cyrano de Bergerac, originally penned in 1897. In this scene from the wonderful 1987 movie remake, Roxanne, CB (Steve Martin) is trying to feed the tongue-tied Chris some “sweet nothings” to help him woo his crush, Roxanne.
The point of the movie clip speaks for itself. (Unlike Chris.)
Great words aren’t enough. Trust is built through congruent presence.
Why Executive Presence Matters More Than Ever
This is where so many of us get stuck in the Land of Oz.
Too many leaders rely on the digital “wizard” to sound brilliant, polished, and confident in writing.
But when it’s time to peel back the curtain and speak for themselves in the meeting, presentation, interview, or pitch, who do the listeners meet?
Do they get to hear the confidence and authority of the Great and Powerful Oz,” or do they find themselves face to face with the scared little man behind the curtain?
In high-stakes moments, presence and delivery outweigh scripting. When questions come, stakeholders push back, or the room shifts emotionally, people get behind the person they trust to lead, not the report that was generated.
There is no substitute for executive presence, and you cannot outsource that to AI.
The Human Behind the Curtain Still Has to Lead
Sooner or later, you still have to stand there yourself and
- make the argument
- answer the questions
- engage the stakeholders
- make a real human connection.
In that moment, people are not evaluating the perfect sophistication of the draft. They’re evaluating you, and they’re asking themselves questions like:
- Do you project confidence and authority under pressure?
- Are you clear and compelling when you don’t have the luxury of a script?
- Can you formulate your own thoughts and speak for yourself?
- Do you sound like you believe your own message?
That’s what leadership communication is really about.
How to Use AI the Right Way
Before you deliver those talking points, don’t just recite what I call “Bot-Script.”
Think about how to connect with your listener on a human level.
Ask yourself:
Would I actually say it this way out loud?
Does that sound like something that would naturally come out of my mouth?
If not, rewrite it.
Adapt the message to your natural voice. Own your message. Don’t hide behind “perfect” phrasing and expect that to be enough.
Focus on Delivery, Not Just Content
The one thing AI cannot do for you is authentic, effective, influential delivery.
Of course, some of you may be thinking, “yeah, but neither can I!”
Then it’s absolutely time to hone that skill set. AI can help you build a smarter message, but only you can make that message land.
Practice your tone, pacing, and emphasis. Practice how you want people to feel when they hear you.
Ultimately, it comes down to mastering the three C’s of vocal executive presence:
- Command the room
- Connect with the audience
- Close the deal.
That’s what creates buy-in. That’s what builds trust. That’s what turns ideas into influence.
Final Thought: Don’t Let the Projection Outperform the Person
At the end of The Wizard of Oz, once the wizard stopped hiding behind the booming voice and the giant projection, something important changed.
He earned their trust, and his own confidence increased as a result.
That’s when they followed him as a leader.
(Yes, it’s true that the one thing he apparently didn’t know how to do was work a hot air balloon, which was a bit of a bummer for Dorothy, but that’s not the point.)
The point is that influence did not come from the illusion. It came from his conviction and ability to create connection.
In the end, leadership is not about sounding impressive from a distance.
It’s about showing that what people see and hear outside authentically represents who you are inside. And that’s a leader they want to follow.
