By Christina Nielsen, June 2026
A prompt is the instruction you give an AI tool. It can be as simple as a question or as detailed as a comprehensive brief that includes context, desired format, and specific constraints.
The best results rarely come from a single prompt. Instead, the greatest value comes from an iterative approach, where AI generates drafts and perspectives while you evaluate, refine, and build on the output. This collaborative way of working is often referred to as cyborg prompting.
The challenge is that most people still use AI like a search engine. They ask short, broad questions and receive equally generic answers. It’s the equivalent of asking a consultant for “something about strategy” and expecting a tailored recommendation.
The solution is structured prompting. By providing the AI with clear context, objectives, and direction, you enable it to produce output that is far more relevant, actionable, and valuable.
AI tools know nothing about your organization, your industry, or your specific situation unless you tell them.
"You are a strategic advisor to a mid-sized Danish manufacturing company with 450 employees. The company is considering integrating AI into its quality control processes. Prepare a concise briefing paper (maximum 500 words) for the board of directors outlining the opportunities, key risks, and recommended next steps."
Assigning the AI a specific role can significantly improve the quality and relevance of its responses.
Examples of roles:
"You are an experienced HR Director in a Danish company."
"You are a communications advisor specializing in internal change communication."
"You are a critical thought partner who challenges my assumptions."
Tell the AI how you want the response to be structured.
"Respond in bullet points with no more than five key points."
"Structure the response as an email to my leadership team."
"Create a table outlining the pros and cons."
"Write a draft of no more than 300 words in a professional yet accessible tone."
The best prompts also tell the AI what not to do.
Your first prompt is rarely your best. Use follow-up prompts to refine and improve the output.
"Make the tone more formal."
"Add a section on potential risks."
"Cut the text in half and focus only on the three most important takeaways."
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Learn how to use AI tools effectively in your day-to-day leadership on the Introduction to AI, Chatbots and Prompting course Combining practical exercises with essential theory, the course is designed specifically for leaders.
"I am the CEO of a Danish retail company with 1,200 employees. We are experiencing declining foot traffic in our physical stores while online sales continue to grow. Prepare a SWOT analysis of our current situation, focusing on how AI could strengthen our competitive position. Present the analysis in a clear, easy-to-read table."
"I'm preparing for a performance review with an experienced employee who consistently delivers strong results but struggles to collaborate with new colleagues. Suggest five open-ended questions that will help me better understand the situation without making the employee feel defensive. The tone should be supportive, respectful, and curious."
"We have decided to implement a new AI tool for our customer service team. Many employees are concerned that it could replace their jobs. Draft an internal email from senior leadership explaining the decision, addressing these concerns openly and honestly, and outlining what will happen over the next three months. Keep it under 400 words. The tone should be clear, empathetic, and transparent."
"Here are our quarterly results [insert data]. Analyze the figures and identify three patterns I should discuss with my leadership team. Take a critical perspective—I’m not looking for praise, but for honest observations and constructive insights."
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Speaker and Dare Disrupt co-founder Anders Hvid shares insights into the opportunities and challenges of AI, how organizations can adopt a strategic approach to AI, and the key considerations leaders should make to create business value and free up time through the effective use of AI technologies.
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Provide context about your organization, industry, and specific situation. The more relevant information you give, the better the output.
Use AI as a thought partner. Ask it to challenge your assumptions, play devil’s advocate, and offer alternative perspectives.
Always verify the facts. AI can produce responses that sound convincing but contain inaccuracies.
Experiment with different prompts. The same task can often be solved more effectively with a different prompt.
Save your best prompts. Build a personal prompt library of templates that consistently work well for you.
Never enter confidential information unless you are certain it complies with your organization's AI policies.
Never trust the output blindly. You remain responsible for anything you share or act upon.
Don't use AI to avoid critical thinking. AI is a tool to enhance your judgment—not replace it.
Don't copy AI-generated text directly into important external communications without reviewing and adapting it.
Never include prompts containing sensitive personal information about employees, customers, or confidential business data.
It's not about becoming a prompting expert or a "prompt engineer." It's about learning to use AI tools in a way that genuinely strengthens your leadership and helps you make better decisions.
Set aside 30 minutes to experiment with the examples that are most relevant to your day-to-day work. Try the following:
Choose one specific task from your upcoming week.
Write a detailed prompt that includes context, a defined role, the desired format, and any constraints.
Evaluate the output. What worked well, and what could be improved?
Refine the prompt and run it again.
Save the final version for future use.
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