The CRIT Framework: Geoff Woods on Using AI for Strategic Decisions — Not Just Productivity
The CRIT framework — Context, Role, Interview, Task — is the method Geoff Woods uses to help executive teams make decisions in minutes that used to take months. In this episode of Sparks by Ignium, Phil Rose sits down with Geoff, author of The AI-Driven Leader and the strategic advisor who helped grow Jindal Steel & Power's market cap from $750 million to over $12 billion in four years. Geoff's message is clear: AI adoption is not the goal. Growth is the goal. And the difference between leaders who achieve it and those who don't has nothing to do with the technology.
In this episode, discover:
• Why 100% of the 200+ executives Geoff interviewed said AI was the future — and why fewer than 5% had done anything about it
• The CRIT framework (Context, Role, Interview, Task) — and how four steps put you in the top 1% of AI users in the world
• How a manufacturing CEO facing bankruptcy found a path forward in under 10 minutes — using one question he'd never thought to ask himself
• The three critical gaps killing AI adoption inside companies: the leadership gap, the alignment gap, and the execution gap
• Why Geoff doesn't care about AI — and what he actually cares about instead
• How to build your own AI board of advisors featuring the world's greatest thinkers
• The story of Marianella — from executive assistant with zero AI experience to head of a Latin American advisory practice in eight months
• Why your ability to think is a muscle — and the real risk of letting AI atrophy in
• The five skills that will go up in value no matter what AI does: strategic thinking, problem solving, communication, collaboration, and creation
• Geoff's closing message — drawn from Michelangelo — about the masterpiece that already exists inside every one of us
It all starts with two sticky notes and a sharpie. One CRIT a day. Thirty days.
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What is the CRIT Framework?
The CRIT Framework (developed by Geoff Woods) A four-step method for communicating with AI that moves you from generic outputs to boardroom-quality strategic thinking.
C — Context: Give AI detailed context about your specific situation. AI doesn't know your business — you have to tell it.
R — Role: Define the exact expert you need AI to be. You now have access to the expertise of the world — use it.
I — Interview: Don't ask AI questions. Make AI ask YOU questions — one at a time, up to three. This is the game-changer. It pulls deeper context from your thinking and elevates how you lead.
T — Task: With all that context gathered, now give AI its task. The output will be unrecognisably better than a standard prompt.
Start here: one CRIT per day on something strategic. Do it for 30 days. You won't recognise yourself.
C — Context: Give AI detailed context about your specific situation. AI doesn't know your business — you have to tell it.
R — Role: Define the exact expert you need AI to be. You now have access to the expertise of the world — use it.
I — Interview: Don't ask AI questions. Make AI ask YOU questions — one at a time, up to three. This is the game-changer. It pulls deeper context from your thinking and elevates how you lead.
T — Task: With all that context gathered, now give AI its task. The output will be unrecognisably better than a standard prompt.
Start here: one CRIT per day on something strategic. Do it for 30 days. You won't recognise yourself.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):
Q: What is the CRIT framework?
A: The CRIT framework is a four-step method for using AI strategically, developed by Geoff Woods. CRIT stands for Context, Role, Interview, and Task. Unlike standard prompting, the Interview step reverses the usual dynamic — instead of asking AI questions, you instruct AI to ask you questions, pulling deeper context from your thinking and generating significantly better outputs.
Q: Who is Geoff Woods?
A: Geoff Woods is a strategic advisor and the author of The AI-Driven Leader: Harnessing AI to Make Faster, Smarter Decisions. As Chief Growth Officer of Jindal Steel & Power, he helped grow the company's market cap from $750 million to over $12 billion in four years. He now helps executive teams and companies use AI to drive growth and competitive advantage through his company, AI Leadership.
Q: What is The AI-Driven Leader book about?
A: The AI-Driven Leader by Geoff Woods teaches business leaders how to use AI as a strategic thought partner — not just a productivity tool. The book introduces the CRIT framework, addresses the three gaps in AI adoption (leadership, alignment, execution), and argues that the biggest opportunity in AI is elevating how leaders think and make decisions. The book is available at https://www.aileadership.com/book.
Q: How do I use AI as a strategic thought partner instead of just a productivity tool?
A: The key shift is to stop asking AI questions and start making AI ask you questions. Using Geoff Woods' CRIT framework — giving AI Context, defining its Role, letting it Interview you, then assigning the Task — transforms AI from a search engine into a strategic thinking partner that challenges your assumptions and surfaces solutions you wouldn't have found alone.
Q: What are the three gaps that stop companies from getting value from AI?
A: Geoff Woods identifies three gaps: the Leadership Gap (executives declaring AI adoption but not personally using it), the Alignment Gap (pushing AI without winning hearts and minds — people are afraid), and the Execution Gap (applying AI to the wrong things rather than the 20% of activities that drive 80% of value).
Q: What is an AI board of advisors and how do you build one?
A: An AI board of advisors is a set of AI personas modelled on real people whose skills complement your own weaknesses. Geoff Woods built his by using CRIT to identify the skills he needed, then choosing famous people who exemplified them — Steve Jobs for vision and storytelling, Warren Buffett for investment thinking, Keith Cunningham for strategic questioning. Each board member has defined areas where they can and cannot advise, and Geoff brings major decisions to them daily.
Q: What skills will go up in value as AI takes over more tasks?
A: According to Geoff Woods, the five skills that will increase in value regardless of how AI develops are: strategic thinking, problem solving, communication, collaboration (with both humans and technology), and creation. He advises parents and leaders alike to put young people in situations that develop these skills rather than focusing on specific job titles or roles.
Q: How does AI help with decision-making without replacing human judgement?
A: Geoff Woods' approach keeps humans firmly in the driver's seat. He treats every first AI response as "the bad answer" and applies three questions: what do I like about this? What do I not like? What are the top changes I want? He then has AI stress-test its own output by playing the role of a challenger — finding every crack in the reasoning. The human applies judgement throughout; AI provides the breadth of knowledge and the quality of questions.
More about Geoff:
Geoff Woods is not just an AI expert — he is the strategic advisor CEOs call when they know they need to harness AI but can't afford to get it wrong. As Chief Growth Officer of Jindal Steel & Power, Geoff helped grow the company's market cap from $750 million to over $12 billion in just four years. He's since helped executive teams unlock hundreds of millions in savings and build lasting competitive advantages by applying AI where it actually drives growth. At AI Leadership, Geoff and his team help companies harness AI to grow enterprise value and strengthen competitive advantage. His book, The AI-Driven Leader: Harnessing AI to Make Faster, Smarter Decisions, is a number-one business release changing how leaders think — not just about technology, but about themselves.
Connect with Geoff:
• Book page (UK and international purchase options): https://www.aileadership.com/book
• LinkedIn: Search Geoff Woods — share your copy of the book and remember Geoff reads and personally comments on every post!
Key nuggets to listen out for:
"I don't care about AI. I don't think AI adoption is the goal of any company. I think we all want to drive growth, a better business, and a better quality of life. The difference that makes the difference is not the tech. It's you as the leader."
"Most people are treating it like Google. They're asking, how do I grow my business? And they're getting an answer that's generic and not that valuable. But if you knew how to talk to the technology, you could unlock huge value."
"I don't ask AI questions anymore. I make AI ask me questions. Because as humans, we're pretty bad at proactively giving AI enough context. Make it AI's job to ask you questions to pull deeper context out of your head. It will elevate your strategic thinking. It will shift how you lead."
"I haven't slept in 90 days. I've been making peace with the fact that we are going out of business — but in less than 10 minutes, I got hope."
"What if your ability to think strategically was the difference between growing your business or going out of business? How might it change how you think? How might it change how you structure your calendar?"
"You are the thought leader. AI is in the passenger seat. You write the CRIT. You get AI to interview you. And you don't blindly trust it — you apply your judgment and discernment."
"It's really tough to read the label when you're inside the box. And every one of us is in our own box, which is our life."
"Do that for 30 days. You won't even recognise yourself. You will be seeing colour instead of black and white."
"Might it be possible that every single one of you listening to this has a masterpiece inside? But maybe you're carrying around so many layers of tactical things that stop you from actually being you."
"AI can only enhance you, because it can never replace you. It starts by asking better questions. Who can you become? That answer lies within you."
Coaching Questions for Listeners:
Geoff challenged us to stop being given answers and start being asked better questions. Here are six to sit with after you listen:
Q1. What is the single biggest problem you are facing right now that — if solved — would unlock a new level of growth? Have you brought that problem to AI using CRIT yet?
Q2. When you look honestly at how you use AI today, are you using it as a productivity shortcut or as a genuine strategic thought partner? What would have to change?
Q3. As a leader, are you personally modelling AI adoption to your team — or are you asking them to do something you're not doing yourself?
Q4. Which 20% of what you currently do drives 80% of your business value — and how could AI free you to spend more time there?
Q5. If you assembled your own AI board of advisors today, who would sit on it and what gaps in your thinking would you want them to challenge?
Q6. You are not what you do. If AI gradually took over the tasks that fill your days, who would you be — and what would you build?
Resources:
Book featured in this episode:
• Geoff Woods — The AI-Driven Leader: Harnessing AI to Make Faster, Smarter Decisions
Other authors and thinkers referenced:
• Keith Cunningham — The Road Less Stupid; Keys to the Vault
• Dan Sullivan — The Gap and the Gain (Strategic Coach)
• Tony Robbins — Business Mastery
AI tools discussed in this episode:
• Claude (claude.ai / Claude Cowork)
• ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Gemini, Grok, Perplexity, Llama
• Fathom and Granola (AI meeting note-takers)
• Notion, Google Drive (integrated with Claude Cowork)
• Wispr Flow(voice transcription)
Learn More:
• Visit the Ignium website: https://www.igniumconsult.com
• Subscribe for more exclusive content in the Ignium Spark Tank: https://www.igniumconsult.com/the-spark-tank
• Listen to the show on Transistor: https://sparksbyignium.transistor.fm/episodes
• Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/sparks-by-ignium/id1525777023
• Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7KDlz9FFdVJuJTJWAZmrvG?si=9d3c43e07d9b4478
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