Metacognition: Avoiding Plastic Thinking with AI

Episode notes

Learn how to use AI without losing your ability to think. This episode explores the concept of metacognition: the discipline of thinking about your own thinking. Discover how overreliance on AI can create 'plastic thinking' - work that looks sharp but lacks depth - and how leaders can reclaim the reflective edge that fuels real judgement. You’ll hear about a simple but powerful technique called the 'reflective reset', how to reframe prompts to keep your reasoning active, and how to help teams use AI as a thinking companion rather than a substitute for intelligence. CHAPTERS00: 00:00: What is metacognition ?00:01:45: The lure of plastic thinking 00:03:00: Why AI can numb reflection 00:04:10: The reflective reset technique 00:05:00: Building metacognitive habits in teams 00:06:10: The human edge: reflection and conscience RESOURCES MENTIONED Enhanced Leadership: Lee’s new book on how leaders build clarity and confidence in complex environments. #ad Editing my podcast used to be the most time-consuming part of my week. I now use Descript to edit my audio and video by simply deleting words from a transcript.