Cognitive Sovereignty Self-Audit for Executive Coaches

1. When a new client arrives for their first session, how do you prepare your opening questions?

I run their LinkedIn profile and recent speeches through ChatGPT to generate a personality hypothesis before we meet I use an AI personality assessment tool to give me themes to explore, then I plan my questions around those themes I review what the client shared in their intake form and prepare three or four opening directions, but I stay ready to shift based on what I notice in the room I enter most sessions with genuine curiosity and minimal preparation, trusting that the conversation will reveal what matters to this person

2. A client describes a difficult decision they are facing. How do you typically respond in that moment?

I pause the session to ask Claude or ChatGPT for decision-making frameworks, then offer the most relevant model back to the client I have AI frameworks already in mind and I guide the client toward the one that seems to fit their situation I ask questions that help them think through their own reasoning, and I offer a relevant model only if they seem stuck I stay curious about their values and instincts first, trusting that they often already know what they need to do

3. How often do you notice yourself reaching for an AI tool to make sense of a coaching observation you have made?

Regularly. I use tools like BetterUp or Humu to validate or interpret what I am seeing before I bring it to the client Sometimes. If I am uncertain about a pattern I notice, I check an AI assessment or article to confirm my thinking Rarely. I sit with my observations for a while before introducing them, and I only check external sources if the client directly asks for research Almost never. I trust my read of the person and the room, and I name what I notice directly in the coaching conversation

4. When a client receives feedback from a 360 assessment or AI-scored leadership report, what is your role?

I accept the AI scores as the primary truth and help the client understand what they mean and what to do about them I review the scores carefully, then I work with the client to apply what the tool suggests is most important for their development I help the client explore what the scores mean for their self-image, and I also check my own observations against the data I treat the scores as one input, and I spend most of our time helping the client understand the interpersonal dynamics that no tool can fully capture

5. A client struggles with executive presence. How do you help them work with this challenge?

I pull up a ChatGPT description of executive presence and the behaviours that demonstrate it, then we work through a checklist I reference established models of executive presence and we map their current behaviours against those standards I ask them what presence means in their organisation's culture and what they have already noticed about leaders people trust, then we explore how their natural style fits I notice how they show up with me in the room, I reflect what I observe, and we use that live feedback as the starting point

6. Between sessions, do you process what happened in your coaching conversations through AI tools?

Yes, I regularly summarise sessions with Claude or ChatGPT to extract themes and plan next steps Occasionally. If a session felt unclear or I am stuck on what to do next, I run the situation through an AI tool Rarely. I usually sit with the session alone first, and I only use external resources if I feel genuinely uncertain about my next move No. I reflect on my own and I trust my intuition about the client's progress and what they are ready for

7. When you notice something unusual in a client's behaviour or mood, how do you respond?

I search for psychological or behavioural explanations using an AI tool to name what might be happening I check my knowledge of common patterns and I consider what frameworks might apply before I ask the client directly I hold the observation for a moment, and then I ask the client a simple, direct question about what I noticed I name what I see in real time, with genuine curiosity and no framework attached

8. How do you stay sharp in your own coaching intuition?

I rely on AI summaries and insights about coaching trends and client patterns to keep my practice current I read coaching articles and research, and I supplement those with AI tools to stay informed about new approaches I practice with real clients, I get supervision or peer feedback regularly, and I study coaching theory and practice I trust the hundreds of conversations I have had and the patterns I know from experience, and I remain a student of human behaviour without outsourcing my learning to tools

Cognitive Sovereignty Self-Audit for Executive Coaches

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