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The Generative Organization: An AI Playbook for Exponential Leaders
This book is a follow-up to our award winning book CYCLES. It will help make “working with AI” into your team’s greatest competitive advantage.
How do today’s most innovative companies pull off 10× leaps while everyone else wrestles with incremental change?
They’ve mastered the art of becoming Generative Organizations—places where humans and AI partner seamlessly to imagine, test, and launch ideas at exponential speed.
In this practical playbook, innovation catalyst Bryan Cassady joins forces with 35 AI- experts and insights from 150+ reviewers to hand you the tools, prompts, and field-tested principles that make it
Think like a GenOrg – Grasp the three kinds of AI (predictive, classification, generative) and why only one truly fuels breakthrough innovation.Stop using AI, start working with it – Shift from one-off prompts to collaborative, always-on co-creation.Apply AI step by step – Align, Build, Communicate & Check, then Systematically improve with AI to deliver more, faster, every time.Scale a culture of experimentation – Replace “big-bang” bets with affordable-loss tests that drive constant learning (and bigger pay-offs).Whether you’re a CEO, product lead, or scrappy founder, The Generative Organization is your step-by-step guide
Learn AI faster – no PhD required.Guide AI confidently – ask better questions, get exponential answers.Deliver real-world results – bigger ideas, faster, with lower risk.If you’re ready to stop watching AI headlines from the sidelines and start harnessing its full creative force, open this book and begin your transformation into a true GenOrg.
How do today’s most innovative companies pull off 10× leaps while everyone else wrestles with incremental change?
They’ve mastered the art of becoming Generative Organizations—places where humans and AI partner seamlessly to imagine, test, and launch ideas at exponential speed.
In this practical playbook, innovation catalyst Bryan Cassady joins forces with 35 AI- experts and insights from 150+ reviewers to hand you the tools, prompts, and field-tested principles that make it
Think like a GenOrg – Grasp the three kinds of AI (predictive, classification, generative) and why only one truly fuels breakthrough innovation.Stop using AI, start working with it – Shift from one-off prompts to collaborative, always-on co-creation.Apply AI step by step – Align, Build, Communicate & Check, then Systematically improve with AI to deliver more, faster, every time.Scale a culture of experimentation – Replace “big-bang” bets with affordable-loss tests that drive constant learning (and bigger pay-offs).Whether you’re a CEO, product lead, or scrappy founder, The Generative Organization is your step-by-step guide
Learn AI faster – no PhD required.Guide AI confidently – ask better questions, get exponential answers.Deliver real-world results – bigger ideas, faster, with lower risk.If you’re ready to stop watching AI headlines from the sidelines and start harnessing its full creative force, open this book and begin your transformation into a true GenOrg.
321 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 5, 2025
12 people are currently reading
8 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
August 7, 2025
The Generative Organization AI Playbook for Exponential Results" is a tour de force in the realm of AI-driven innovation, penned by Bryan Cassady, Tom Gerace, and a stellar lineup of 34 experts. This book is a treasure trove of insights, offering a clear and engaging path to integrating AI into the fabric of organizational culture. With its blend of strategic foresight and practical tools, it challenges leaders and anyone reading this book to rethink traditional approaches and embrace a future where human creativity and machine intelligence coexist harmoniously. A must-read for anyone looking to lead their organization into this next era of exponential growth and innovation.
October 13, 2025
I hold the view that this generative AI wave will leave us with some automation gains. I mean changes in the way we do tasks. It´s the same as when we changed the way we listen to music when our smartphone started automating some decissions about what to play. Only that what is crystal clear for music today is still very uncertain for gen AI.
So, when I received the invitation to review the book below, from one of its authors, Bryan Cassady (Professor and Keynote), my first question was, what can generative AI automate in the task of strategic thinking that auments value to us -as with music playlists?
Every strategy colleague I have has her own set of favourite strategic frameworks, each with a list of key questions that help weave knowledge, connect the dots and use a canvas to share and collaborate with a team, and eventually build a vision.
Well, this book have all sorts of common thinking tools for different strategic tasks. From creating new business models to finding a true north to discovering the system bottleneck to product redesign, etc. Then, it has a list of prompts, actually several for each thinking model.
This book works as a playbook, where the reader personalises the story to her own case. Of course you can be tempted to skip the preparation stage and jump to each specific chatgpt in the list to run the prompt, get the answers and put them in a slidedeck for your team. But this is not what this book evangelizes about.
The book´s focus -and this is why I liked it- is to keep the human in the loop before and after the thinking process, using AI to automate the market data search so that decisions are not entirely based on intuition -as is usually the case; and more specifically the refining and clarity.
For example, I tried the business model innovation chapter entering the few initial answers to assess a corporate consulting project I had been previously been working on with some master students and AI just recommended me the name of a company that had done something in the context of my project.
This is not the typical management book with corporate cases but a playbook. So it's the reader who has to apply the ideas for understanding. I found it very useful that each chaper includes a theory reference part with links to chapters of the original book Circles, as well as other key references -management books- from other authors.
So, when I received the invitation to review the book below, from one of its authors, Bryan Cassady (Professor and Keynote), my first question was, what can generative AI automate in the task of strategic thinking that auments value to us -as with music playlists?
Every strategy colleague I have has her own set of favourite strategic frameworks, each with a list of key questions that help weave knowledge, connect the dots and use a canvas to share and collaborate with a team, and eventually build a vision.
Well, this book have all sorts of common thinking tools for different strategic tasks. From creating new business models to finding a true north to discovering the system bottleneck to product redesign, etc. Then, it has a list of prompts, actually several for each thinking model.
This book works as a playbook, where the reader personalises the story to her own case. Of course you can be tempted to skip the preparation stage and jump to each specific chatgpt in the list to run the prompt, get the answers and put them in a slidedeck for your team. But this is not what this book evangelizes about.
The book´s focus -and this is why I liked it- is to keep the human in the loop before and after the thinking process, using AI to automate the market data search so that decisions are not entirely based on intuition -as is usually the case; and more specifically the refining and clarity.
For example, I tried the business model innovation chapter entering the few initial answers to assess a corporate consulting project I had been previously been working on with some master students and AI just recommended me the name of a company that had done something in the context of my project.
This is not the typical management book with corporate cases but a playbook. So it's the reader who has to apply the ideas for understanding. I found it very useful that each chaper includes a theory reference part with links to chapters of the original book Circles, as well as other key references -management books- from other authors.
September 7, 2025
What a genuinely useful, thought-provoking book. If you’re looking for a comprehensive, cutting-edge and timely book on harnessing AI to transform or grow an organisation, then The Generative Organization is an excellent choice. It’s timely because obviously everyone is talking about AI right now—although mostly from a position of partial (or substantial!) ignorance. What’s needed are knowledgeable experts who can cut through the hype and hysteria. Fortunately, some of the very best in their field have collaborated with the lead authors in this excellent book. It’s one of the book’s key strengths that each chapter brings different knowledge and perspectives to the broader topic of harnessing AI to create truly generative organisations. Even with 34 subject matter experts, the book doesn’t lose sight of its main objectives because it’s helmed by the main authors (Bryan Cassady and Tom Gerace) who’ve clearly laboured hard over the right structure and flow of the material.
It's packed with content that beautifully covers both theory and practice: part textbook on cutting-edge approaches and part handbook, with copious AI tools, templates and examples ready for hands-on use. This isn’t one of those dry 500+ page tomes where the key points can probably be summarised in just a few pages. Everything here earns its keep. The text revisits some of the material in Bryan Cassady’s earlier “Cycles” taking this as a framework to build on, but the difference is that the theory is augmented by practical, hands-on AI-augmented approaches.
This is a playbook for the practical applications of AI tools and its data challenges. There are plenty of examples of simple but effective approaches (e.g. problem reframing, innovating with what you have, etc.) which the authors then explore in more detail, showing how AI can take those activities to the next level.
Even if the generative organisation is not your primary concern, there’s a lot of material in here that will come in useful in a wide range of situations. I found the discussion of AI prompt engineering and the True North anchoring chapter particularly useful. There are oodles of things that I’ve already started to incorporate in my day job.
It’s a fantastic resource. I can see myself going back to this book time and time again, dipping into it for specific guidance when I need it. Highly recommended.
It's packed with content that beautifully covers both theory and practice: part textbook on cutting-edge approaches and part handbook, with copious AI tools, templates and examples ready for hands-on use. This isn’t one of those dry 500+ page tomes where the key points can probably be summarised in just a few pages. Everything here earns its keep. The text revisits some of the material in Bryan Cassady’s earlier “Cycles” taking this as a framework to build on, but the difference is that the theory is augmented by practical, hands-on AI-augmented approaches.
This is a playbook for the practical applications of AI tools and its data challenges. There are plenty of examples of simple but effective approaches (e.g. problem reframing, innovating with what you have, etc.) which the authors then explore in more detail, showing how AI can take those activities to the next level.
Even if the generative organisation is not your primary concern, there’s a lot of material in here that will come in useful in a wide range of situations. I found the discussion of AI prompt engineering and the True North anchoring chapter particularly useful. There are oodles of things that I’ve already started to incorporate in my day job.
It’s a fantastic resource. I can see myself going back to this book time and time again, dipping into it for specific guidance when I need it. Highly recommended.
September 16, 2025
"The Generative Organization book is an ambitious and highly practical playbook that succeeds in making generative AI feel less like a buzzword and more like a usable tool for real innovation. What I most valued in this book is its clear structure: Part 1 lays down the essential foundations of innovation, culture, and disciplined systems, while Part 2 moves directly into “Ideas in Action” with prompts, examples, and methods you can apply immediately.
The book’s greatest strength is how it combines perspectives from over thirty co-authors, which gives the content unusual depth and range. It doesn’t just tell you why AI matters, it shows you how to integrate it with human expertise, align it with mission and culture, and apply it in real projects. The “Four Rules That Change Everything” alone, starts with expertise, leverage proven methods, review and improve, and keep your brain on. It could save organizations from many of the common traps of AI hype.
There are places where the book feels dense, given the number of frameworks, prompts, and tools it packs in. At times, the abundance of material can feel overwhelming. But that is also what makes it rich; it’s less a single book and more a workshop in written form.
As a whole, the book stands out because it offers both vision and execution. It tells leaders not just to imagine the future with AI but to build it step by step with practical discipline. For anyone serious about turning innovation into a repeatable process rather than a gamble, this book is one of the most actionable guides available.
"As a whole, the book is a rare book that moves beyond hype to provide a clear, actionable roadmap for using generative AI to drive real innovation. Bryan Cassady and his co-authors balance vision with execution, combining practical frameworks, step-by-step prompts, and human-centered insights that make innovation both repeatable and scalable. It is dense with value, but that density is its strength. This is less a book to skim and more a playbook to work with. For any leader serious about building an organization where people and AI create together, this is one of the most useful guides available".
The book’s greatest strength is how it combines perspectives from over thirty co-authors, which gives the content unusual depth and range. It doesn’t just tell you why AI matters, it shows you how to integrate it with human expertise, align it with mission and culture, and apply it in real projects. The “Four Rules That Change Everything” alone, starts with expertise, leverage proven methods, review and improve, and keep your brain on. It could save organizations from many of the common traps of AI hype.
There are places where the book feels dense, given the number of frameworks, prompts, and tools it packs in. At times, the abundance of material can feel overwhelming. But that is also what makes it rich; it’s less a single book and more a workshop in written form.
As a whole, the book stands out because it offers both vision and execution. It tells leaders not just to imagine the future with AI but to build it step by step with practical discipline. For anyone serious about turning innovation into a repeatable process rather than a gamble, this book is one of the most actionable guides available.
"As a whole, the book is a rare book that moves beyond hype to provide a clear, actionable roadmap for using generative AI to drive real innovation. Bryan Cassady and his co-authors balance vision with execution, combining practical frameworks, step-by-step prompts, and human-centered insights that make innovation both repeatable and scalable. It is dense with value, but that density is its strength. This is less a book to skim and more a playbook to work with. For any leader serious about building an organization where people and AI create together, this is one of the most useful guides available".
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 4, 2025
A Timely, Practical and Insightful Guide for the AI Age
The Generative Organization is a refreshingly practical and wide-ranging guide to navigating the complex, fast-moving landscape of AI in the workplace. Spearheaded by Bryan Cassady and co-authored by 34 experts across innovation, systems thinking, design and leadership, this book offers a rich diversity of perspectives and disciplines.
Structured in two parts — Foundations and Ideas in Action — the book blends theory with hands-on application. Each chapter is supported by compelling case studies, workshop formats, and practical exercises. What’s particularly valuable is the integration of QR codes and links throughout, allowing readers to access AI prompts and GPT tools in real time. The DO–REVIEW–HUMAN IN THE LOOP framework makes the process of integrating AI not just approachable but actionable.
The breadth of the book means not every section will resonate with every reader. It’s like an old-school encyclopaedia, its relevance depends on your role, interest, or challenge at hand. Yet this modularity is also a strength: it’s easy to dip in and out based on what you need at any given moment.
Highlights include its focus on developing a “True North” for organisations, building innovation sprints, and designing systems for scalable, human-centred transformation. Each chapter also points to further reading, making this not just a guidebook but a launchpad for deeper exploration.
What sets The Generative Organization apart is its hopeful pragmatism. It acknowledges the risks of AI, but places even greater emphasis on its creative, empowering potential — if used wisely and with intention.
This is not just a book; it’s a toolkit, a learning journey and a strategy retreat rolled into one. For any leader or practitioner serious about using AI to enable meaningful change, it’s an invaluable resource.
The Generative Organization is a refreshingly practical and wide-ranging guide to navigating the complex, fast-moving landscape of AI in the workplace. Spearheaded by Bryan Cassady and co-authored by 34 experts across innovation, systems thinking, design and leadership, this book offers a rich diversity of perspectives and disciplines.
Structured in two parts — Foundations and Ideas in Action — the book blends theory with hands-on application. Each chapter is supported by compelling case studies, workshop formats, and practical exercises. What’s particularly valuable is the integration of QR codes and links throughout, allowing readers to access AI prompts and GPT tools in real time. The DO–REVIEW–HUMAN IN THE LOOP framework makes the process of integrating AI not just approachable but actionable.
The breadth of the book means not every section will resonate with every reader. It’s like an old-school encyclopaedia, its relevance depends on your role, interest, or challenge at hand. Yet this modularity is also a strength: it’s easy to dip in and out based on what you need at any given moment.
Highlights include its focus on developing a “True North” for organisations, building innovation sprints, and designing systems for scalable, human-centred transformation. Each chapter also points to further reading, making this not just a guidebook but a launchpad for deeper exploration.
What sets The Generative Organization apart is its hopeful pragmatism. It acknowledges the risks of AI, but places even greater emphasis on its creative, empowering potential — if used wisely and with intention.
This is not just a book; it’s a toolkit, a learning journey and a strategy retreat rolled into one. For any leader or practitioner serious about using AI to enable meaningful change, it’s an invaluable resource.
August 11, 2025
The Generative Organization is a must-have playbook for anyone serious about leading, managing, or innovating with artificial intelligence at speed and scale. Bryan Cassady and his team of 30+ co-authors deliver a practical, inspiring, and deeply actionable guide—distilled from dozens of real-world experts and contributors—to help organizations transform AI hype into tangible, sustainable results.
What sets this book apart is its ability to demystify the core types of AI—predictive, classification, and generative—and show why only generative AI truly unlocks exponential innovation. Rather than a dry technology manual, the book blends engaging storytelling, proven frameworks (like the ABCS for innovation), and step-by-step playbooks anyone—from CEO to team lead—can put into action.
Each chapter is structured with clear summaries, "how-to" sections, and accompanying AI prompts and workshop templates, making it easy to activate the lessons immediately. Whether you’re working through finding your team’s “True North,” building an innovation sprint, or leveraging AI to tackle real market challenges, every page is crammed with usable insight.
The Generative Organization shines in its relentless focus on results: bridging strategy and execution, turning theory into repeatable systems, and amplifying—never replacing—human creativity and expertise. The authors’ hands-on experience as consultants and entrepreneurs comes through, making the guidance both credible and motivating.
From startups to large enterprises, this book is a vital companion on the AI-powered innovation journey. It doesn’t just show you how to use AI—it teaches you how to unlock growth, resilience, and true generative potential in your team and organization. An outstanding, actionable resource—highly recommended for every forward-thinking leader!
What sets this book apart is its ability to demystify the core types of AI—predictive, classification, and generative—and show why only generative AI truly unlocks exponential innovation. Rather than a dry technology manual, the book blends engaging storytelling, proven frameworks (like the ABCS for innovation), and step-by-step playbooks anyone—from CEO to team lead—can put into action.
Each chapter is structured with clear summaries, "how-to" sections, and accompanying AI prompts and workshop templates, making it easy to activate the lessons immediately. Whether you’re working through finding your team’s “True North,” building an innovation sprint, or leveraging AI to tackle real market challenges, every page is crammed with usable insight.
The Generative Organization shines in its relentless focus on results: bridging strategy and execution, turning theory into repeatable systems, and amplifying—never replacing—human creativity and expertise. The authors’ hands-on experience as consultants and entrepreneurs comes through, making the guidance both credible and motivating.
From startups to large enterprises, this book is a vital companion on the AI-powered innovation journey. It doesn’t just show you how to use AI—it teaches you how to unlock growth, resilience, and true generative potential in your team and organization. An outstanding, actionable resource—highly recommended for every forward-thinking leader!
August 8, 2025
At just over 300 pages, "The Generative Organization: AI Playbook for Exponential Leaders" was behind other books on my reading list. But once I picked it up, I couldn't put it down.
This isn't your typical business book—it shapeshifts brilliantly. One moment it's a course syllabus, the next a storybook, then a workshop, sometimes a workbook, and yes, occasionally a textbook. But this format diversity serves a purpose: meeting readers wherever they are on their AI journey.
What Makes This Book Different
Bryan Cassidy and his co-authors deliver on their core promise: debunking AI myths while providing genuine, actionable strategies. What specifically engaged me was the periodic links to prompts throughout the text—the book doesn't just tell you about AI, it gets you DOING AI.
I tried to resist "prompt hopping" and just read through, but curiosity won. While the prompts led to ChatGPT (not my preferred AI), they work on any platform. I found myself bouncing between different AIs, and the experience was empowering—not just from the outcomes, but from the elegantly simple co-creation process that sparked entirely new thought patterns.
The Human Truth Hidden in the Tech
While everyone panics about AI taking jobs, the book offers this illuminating insight: "Research shows that soft skills separate top leaders from the rest in AI-driven organizations. It turns out that when machines can do the hard technical work, the 'soft' human work becomes the hardest to replicate."
This validates what I've witnessed in 40 years of breaking barriers in tech: our humanity isn't the weakness—it's the differentiator.
I highly recommend this book for all those who have a seat at the AI table and those who will get left behind if they dont.
August 6, 2025
The Generative Organization is a book more companies should reading (and using). It goes beyond the AI hype and gives you something rare: clarity and action. If you’ve been wondering how to actually use AI to fuel real innovation - not just automate tasks - this is your playbook.
What sets this book apart is how it combines strategy, frameworks, and over 20 AI copilots (custom GPTs) to help you work with AI, not just use it. It’s practical from page one, whether you're a CEO, innovation lead, or just starting your AI journey.
The writing is clear and direct, with plenty of field-tested examples from real companies. I especially appreciated how the book doesn’t shy away from the hard stuff—like aligning teams, reducing risk, and scaling a culture of experimentation.
Note: the book is a bit long. I'd suggest picking and choosing the parts of most interest. There is something there for anyone interested in leading exponentially.
What sets this book apart is how it combines strategy, frameworks, and over 20 AI copilots (custom GPTs) to help you work with AI, not just use it. It’s practical from page one, whether you're a CEO, innovation lead, or just starting your AI journey.
The writing is clear and direct, with plenty of field-tested examples from real companies. I especially appreciated how the book doesn’t shy away from the hard stuff—like aligning teams, reducing risk, and scaling a culture of experimentation.
Note: the book is a bit long. I'd suggest picking and choosing the parts of most interest. There is something there for anyone interested in leading exponentially.
August 29, 2025
This book delivers exactly what busy leaders need—practical AI guidance without the hype. The authors show how organisations can actually partner with AI rather than fear it. The real-world examples and tools feel immediately usable. What I appreciated most was the human-centered approach—it's not about replacing people, but empowering them. A refreshing, actionable read that left me optimistic about our AI-enhanced future!
August 28, 2025
The beauty of the Generative Organization AI play book is that it gives you not just one thought but valid thoughts from global think tanks, and they make a whole lot of difference in a world of AI,where we are in search of humans with authenticity.
Highly recommend ASAP
Highly recommend ASAP
October 1, 2025
I found the book to be far more than just a book. It’s a Compendium. A complete A to Z of what is AI and how to deploy it responsibly, ethically and professionally.
It’s a vital toolkit for any organisation serious about getting on the AI Adoption Ladder and staying on it!
It’s a vital toolkit for any organisation serious about getting on the AI Adoption Ladder and staying on it!
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews