While many fear the impact of artificial intelligence on their jobs, CEOs are embracing it as an essential tool for success. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella reveals how AI has become an integral part of his workflow, sharing the exact prompts he uses to summarize meetings, track projects, and prepare for difficult conversations.
Article contents:
- Introduction: AI from a threat to an empowerment tool
- How does Nadella use AI?
- The 5 prompts that “supercharge” your workflow
- How other CEOs use artificial intelligence
- Tips to become better at using prompts
- Conclusion: Adopting the tool is the key to the future
Introduction: AI from a threat to an empowerment tool
At a time when concerns are growing about AI’s ability to replace entry-level jobs, top business leaders are enthusiastically embracing this technology. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella says that GPT-5 on Copilot has become part of his “daily workflow” and added a “new layer of intelligence” to his productivity. In a rare move, Nadella shared the five key prompts he personally uses on LinkedIn.
How does Nadella use AI?
The leader of the $3.7 trillion tech giant uses generative AI to generate meeting summaries, project updates, productivity monitoring, and more. These prompts are not just simple queries, but complex operations that combine information from multiple sources to deliver actionable insights.
The 5 prompts that “supercharge” your workflow
Here are the five prompts Nadella said can “supercharge your daily workflow”:
- To prepare for meetings: “Based on my previous interactions with [/person], give me 5 things likely to be top of mind for them in our upcoming meeting.”
- For project updates: “Write a project update based on emails, chats, and all meetings in [/thread]: KPIs vs. goals, wins/losses, risks, competitor moves, plus potential tough questions and answers.”
- To track projects: “Are we on track to launch [product] in November? Check engineering progress, pilot results, and risks. Give me a probability percentage.”
- For time analysis: “Review my calendar and email from the past month and create 5 to 7 categories for the projects I spend most of my time on, with the percentage of time spent and short descriptions.”
- For quick preparation: “Review [/specify email] + prep me for the next meeting in [/thread], based on past manager and team discussions.”
How other CEOs use artificial intelligence
Nadella is not alone. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang uses Perplexity and ChatGPT as a “tutor every day” to learn new areas. Meanwhile, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman uses ChatGPT to process emails and summarize documents, joking that it helped him learn how to take care of his baby.
Tips to become better at using prompts
To get the best results from artificial intelligence, Anthropic recommends the “Golden Rule of Clear Prompts”: “Show your prompt to a colleague… if they are confused, Claude is probably confused too.” If you don’t get what you want the first time, clarify or be more specific. You can also ask the AI itself to teach you how to communicate with it better.
Conclusion: Adopting the tool is the key to the future
Satya Nadella sharing his personal prompts illustrates a major shift: artificial intelligence is no longer just a tool for entry-level employees, but a strategic partner for leaders. The advice is clear: whether you are at the beginning of your career or at its peak, learning how to effectively “talk” to AI is no longer optional, but an essential skill for success in the modern business world.
