Tag: Generative AI

‘The Focused AI Captain’: A Leader’s Guide to Successful AI Transformation

‘The Focused AI Captain’ by FocusFirst founder René Esteban. Photo: Amazon

Book Spotlight: The Focused AI Captain

How to Navigate the Storm, Empower Your Crew, and Deliver Real Value

By René Esteban

Master the Art of Leading AI Transformations for Lasting Business Success

Only 5% of enterprise AI initiatives succeed. Are you ready to be among the elite few who truly transform their organizations?

In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, businesses face a common enemy—AI initiatives that fail to deliver real impact. Millions are spent on pilots that never scale. But the true obstacle isn’t the technology itself; it’s how organizations are structured, aligned, and led. (Amazon, 2026)

In The Focused AI Captain, René Esteban, CEO of FocusFirst, reveals why most AI transformations stall and what leaders must do differently to succeed. Grounded in real-world enterprise experience, this book provides a clear, practical roadmap to turn AI ambition into measurable business results.

What You Will Learn

Inside, you will discover how to:

  • Master the 10-20-70 Rule: Allocate resources effectively and maximize AI ROI.
  • Apply the 3D Framework: Learn to Diagnose challenges, set Direction, and Deliver results.
  • Bridge the Trust Gap: Turn employee skepticism into active AI adoption.
  • Move Beyond Pilots: Confidently scale your AI initiatives across the entire organization.

Who is this book for? This book is written for CEOs, executives, and decision-makers who refuse to let their organizations fall behind in the AI revolution. Whether you’re leading a large-scale transformation or preparing your team for the next wave of AI adoption, you’ll gain practical frameworks, leadership insights, and execution tools you can apply immediately.

Get your copy now and start leading your organization to AI-driven success.

About the Author

René Esteban brings unwavering passion to making big goals tangible and inspiring people to achieve them.

As the Founder and CEO of FocusFirst, a Keynote Speaker, and a Senior Advisor to top executives, he has made it his mission to accelerate transformations in organizations. He firmly believes that complex change succeeds best through a clear focus on a single goal, excellent communication, and the active involvement of all stakeholders.

René began his career at Merck, where in his mid-20s he led the global build-out of the e-commerce division, today a billion-dollar business. This experience taught him that successful transformations depend not only on the right strategies, but critically on early and open communication with key stakeholders. His insights led to the development of the award-winning PEAK Method, through which FocusFirst has already guided more than 250 transformations.

René is a passionate entrepreneur with several companies alongside FocusFirst. He cherishes inspiring moments of exchange over Italian wine and loves traveling the world with his family – especially to Italy.

‘CRAFT Thinking’: The Practical Playbook for Everyday AI Work

‘CRAFT Thinking’ is the new book by Philip Topham. Photo: Barnes & Noble

Book Spotlight: CRAFT Thinking: A Playbook for Clear Thinking and Better Decisions with AI

By Philip Topham

Get clearer thinking and better decisions with AI without becoming a prompt engineer.

CRAFT Thinking gives you a simple, five-step method that sharpens how you think, improves the questions you ask, and helps you get consistently better results from any artificial intelligence tool. It’s practical, repeatable, and built for everyday work, not technical experts. (Barnes & Noble, 2026)

The CRAFT Chain Reaction:

  • When your thinking improves, your prompts improve.
  • When your prompts improve, your decisions improve.

Whether you lead a company, manage a team, or simply want to do better work with AI, this playbook gives you the structure to turn uncertainty into clarity and AI conversations into meaningful insight.

The Bottom Line: > AI won’t make your work smarter. Clear thinking will, and CRAFT shows you how.

Get your copy today!

About the Author

Philip Topham

Strategic AI Advisor, Speaker, & Creator of the CRAFT Thinking™ Method

Philip Topham is a strategic AI advisor, speaker, and creator of the CRAFT Thinking™ method, a framework designed to bring clarity, intentionality, and better decision-making into the AI era.

With a career spanning corporate leadership, startup ventures, and board advisory, Philip combines the rigor of an engineer with the insight of a relationship-focused strategist. He’s earned two U.S. patents, contributed to peer-reviewed research, and worked across industries from health tech to clean tech to biotech. What sets him apart is not just his technical depth, it’s his shift toward human-centered leadership.

After stepping away to be a stay-at-home dad, Philip returned with a deeper understanding of what it means to lead with care and purpose. He brings that mindset into his work today, helping leaders think with AI, not just use it, so their organizations can grow wisely, inclusively, and sustainably.

Philip serves as co-chair of the National AI Special Interest Group for the Private Directors Association, and publishes regularly at SavionAI: The Shift.

“AI should serve all of humanity—not just the elite. And it’s our shared responsibility to build companies and institutions worthy of that promise.”

The Step-by-Step Guide to Implementing AI at Work (2026 Edition)

‘AI At Work’ is the new book on AI for nontechnical professionals by Kate Marshall. Photo: Amazon

New Book Spotlight: AI At Work by Kate Marshall

Stop wondering where to start with AI and start using it.

We all know AI is changing the professional landscape, but without a clear entry point, it’s easy to feel like you’re falling behind. AI at Work: A Step-By-Step Foundational Guide For Implementing AI eliminates the overwhelm by providing a proven, structured process to integrate generative AI into your daily routine. (Amazon, 2026)

This isn’t a collection of random tips or high-level theory; it is a practical roadmap designed to move you from initial setup to full workflow automation.

📘 Overview: AI Literacy Made Practical

Written specifically for non-technical professionals, this guide walks you through a system for bringing generative AI into your daily workflow. The best part? No technical background is needed. Each section is designed to be implemented in under 30 minutes, featuring:

  • Copy-paste-ready prompts
  • Actionable checklists
  • Step-by-step instructions
  • QR codes linking to updated digital resources and FAQs

🚀 What You Will Learn

This book covers the full spectrum of modern AI implementation, including how to:

  • Choose Your Tool: Compare ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Copilot, and Grok to find the best fit for your specific needs.
  • Master Prompting: Set up custom instructions and engineering techniques to get useful results on your first try.
  • Automate the Mundane: Triage emails, generate meeting notes, and handle repetitive tasks to save hours every week.
  • Build Reusable Workflows: Create SOPs, templates, and AI workflows for documents and presentations.
  • No-Code Automation: Use Zapier, Make, and Power Automate to build business systems without writing a single line of code.
  • Stay Secure: Navigate data classification, enterprise plans, and “Shadow AI” to ensure you’re using these tools safely.

👤 Is This Book For You?

AI at Work meets you where you are, whether you are an individual contributor, a manager, or an executive. This book is for you if:

  • You are drowning in repetitive work and ready to reclaim your time.
  • You want productivity tools that fit into your actual routine, not another app collecting dust.
  • You are done with the hype and want a beginner-friendly, structured system.
  • You want real outcomes: time saved, better workflows, and professional growth.

Note: The 2026 Edition is updated quarterly via QR codes to ensure you stay current with the rapid evolution of tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini.

About the Author

Kate Marshall helps professionals implement AI safely and effectively, drawing on over 20 years of experience in cybersecurity training, project management, and courseware development.

She is the founder of TheGrai, a consultancy focused on AI adoption, training, and governance. Kate works with executives, HR leaders, and small teams who know AI matters but don’t have time for endless experimentation.