Your AI Thought Partner for Zone of Genius Discovery (Part 2)

You're using AI for tasks. Now use it for transformation.

Zone of Genius is a concept from Gay Hendricks's book “The Big Leap.”

Last week, I published Part 1 of this Zone of Genius series. The frameworks, including the Four Zones Audit, body awareness practice, and journaling prompts, resonated with many of you.

But the responses that hit hardest were the vulnerable ones.

One reader wrote:

“I am still stuck. Very stuck. I guess your questions and my inability to answer any of them just confirm how long I’ve been miserable without acknowledging it.”

That email stopped me.

Because it named something most people won’t admit: You can be successful, well-compensated, respected—and miserable.

With AI reshaping jobs, several people I know have been laid off and are questioning their worth.

The Zone of Genius questions are hard for different reasons. Some people genuinely don’t know the answers yet—they’ve spent so long in their Zone of Excellence that they’ve lost touch with what actually energizes them. Others know exactly what their genius is but admitting it means acknowledging they’ve been running from it for years. Either way, you need help seeing clearly.

Other emails echoed similar struggles:

“I’m staring at a blank journal page. I don’t know how to be honest with myself about this.”

“I’ve spent 20 years becoming excellent at things that might not be my genius. How do I even start to untangle that?”

“The journaling questions feel overwhelming. I need someone to push back on my comfortable stories.”

Here’s what I realized: you need a thought partner who asks better questions than you can ask yourself.

And the best thought partner I’ve found? AI.

Not AI as your productivity assistant. AI as your transformation coach.

This is what I mean by dual mastery. Yes, you need to learn AI tools (technical mastery). But the real leverage comes from using those tools to accelerate your personal evolution (self-mastery).

Most leaders will learn Claude or ChatGPT and use them to write better emails. A few will learn them and use them to discover their Zone of Genius.

My purpose is to help you discover your unique value proposition, embodied in your Zone of Genius. When you are confident about who you are and where you are going, you tap into the courage to overcome your hesitation and self-limiting beliefs that keep you trapped in the status quo.

Why You Need Questions, Not Answers

Here’s something I’ve learned from years of coaching leaders and professionals on this work: Nobody can identify and feel your Zone of Genius except you.

People often ask me: “Is this my Zone of Genius? Am I taking the right path?”

The best I can do is ask you open-ended questions to tease it out of you. I can’t tell you what your genius is. I can only help you discover what you already know but haven’t admitted yet.

The Zone of Genius is inside of you. That’s the quest—to find it and honor yourself enough to give the world what it needs.

And here’s the thing: finding your Zone of Genius isn’t just about you. It’s what serves all the people who need your unique expertise. The world is waiting for what only you can provide.

Do it for yourself first. Then do it for everyone who is waiting to experience your unique craft and value.

That’s why the AI instructions I’ve created don’t give you answers. They ask you questions. They push back. They help you discover what’s already inside you.

What You’ll Get in This Post

If you’re struggling with the Zone of Genius questions from Part 1, this post gives you a practical solution: turn any AI tool into your personal Zone of Genius discovery coach.

Here’s what’s included:

Complete AI instructions you can copy and paste into Claude Projects, ChatGPT Projects, Google Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, or Perplexity. These instructions transform your AI tool into a thought partner that:

• Asks the hard questions you can’t ask yourself

• Challenges comfortable stories keeping you stuck

• Detects which hidden barrier is blocking you

• Helps you articulate your genius in concrete terms

• Holds you accountable to your commitment

Step-by-step setup guides for each platform (5 minutes to set up)

How AI memory builds insights across 10-15 conversations to help you see patterns you can’t see alone

Real examples of using AI for Zone of Genius decision-making (including how I declined a prestigious opportunity without regret)

The commitment framework that helps you protect your genius when the pull of excellence tries to bring you back

The LLM instructions provide everything you need to start your first discovery conversation today.