Thinker-Doer Revisited (Post Steve Jobs)

The days of separating thinkers and doers are ending. There's just no reason for it anymore. The AI-enabled leader of today can be, and arguably already is, a "thinker-doer"—a hybrid who not only has a vision, but then can more actively help build it. The veil between thinkers and doers is as thin as it's ever been because of Gen AI.

• I can code and I'm not a developer.

• I can create theatrical quality video and I'm not a cinematographer

• I can speak any language and I only speak English

• I can think as if I've read 300-million books and, well, I'm embarrassed to compare

In my world (and I'm not talking about my company, not yet), there are still too many clinging to the outdated model of “thinkers” delegating to “doers.” There's a few of you left in the broadcasting elite--time to get a grip: your ascents are no longer respites from doing.

In a world transforming so rapidly by AI, leaders have unprecedented access to tools that bridge vision and action. There's hardly an excuse for "thinkers" to fully detach from at least some of the work that can turn their own ideas into reality. Faster.

The thinker-only leader—the type who asks someone else to Google something for them—has no place to hide in innovative companies where inefficiency is a liability.

AI has leveled the playing field, giving leaders the ability to quickly move from concept to execution. A thinker-doer can theorize, prototype and iterate. They can road test ideas and model with AI as a thought partner, then engage others with direction and strategy.

Now to my own Company, as I work with a lot of thinker-doers. Hooray! Many use new AI tools. Others sketch their ideas on a white board, notepad or napkin. Those are legacy thinker-doers and, I think, they too were born to succeed in the AI age. Their minds already work in terms of schematics, gants, demos and prototypes. They simply need to put some of that energy into a prompt and iterate.

In this AI-driven age, leadership can be more than about knowing what to do—it can also be about sometimes doing it yourself. If for no other reason, because it's easy.

You can do it on your iPhone.