Will, Harper, and Nora Lee Dawson are heirs to a vast Southern empire. But when their father dies without a will and their calculating mother disappears, the family’s motto becomes a curse. Do they “Protect our assets? Trust nobody?”
Threats include legal ambiguity, AI manipulation, cyber predators, bizarre beneficiaries, and new advisors with contradictory expertise. To unlock – and protect- their family legacy, the siblings must develop new powers that their parents never taught them: Hope. Agency. Resilience. Optimism.
They have to do what they’ve never done before— trust each other.
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Legacy Locked is more than a novel.
It’s a journey into the forces that shape what we inherit… and what we hide.
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Because the only thing scarier than a locked legacy… is never knowing what was inside.
Artificial intelligence dominates headlines with promises of revolutionary change, so it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the noise. But beneath the hype and buzzwords lies tremendous value that can be applied immediately—particularly for family business leaders, Next Gens and smaller organizations.
Cutting Through the AI Noise
There’s a lot of “hoo-ha” around artificial intelligence today. Open any business publication—Harvard Business Review, McKinsey reports, VentureBeat, or Forbes—and you’ll find endless articles about AI’s utility, examples, and trends. Terms like “predictive analytics” get tossed around without clear definitions. Can we truly predict the next word in a sentence or the next market opportunity? There are tools like Lex Machina and Bloomberg Law that can forecast divorce or succession risk. But should they do so? The ethical clarity isn’t always there.
What we call “artificial human intelligence” are essentially algorithms—compilations designed to anticipate the next word. You’ve experienced this already: when you type “How do I…” into a Google browser, it fills in the likely next words, based on your search history. This predictive capability has evolved from simple sentence search completion to sophisticated tools like Microsoft’s Copilot that can generate content, edit documents, and create personalized interactions. AI learns from itself, which is why the default browser for Google has recently been replaced by Gemini.
The Rise of Customized AI
One of the most powerful developments is the ability to create customized AI systems. I’ve built what some call a “closed chat GPT”—an AI trained on my books, dissertation, research papers, blog posts, and website content. I call it “Gray Matters” and share it with my clients. When asked, “How would Doug respond to this situation?” it provides evidence-based answers drawn from that data set. Crucially, you can configure these closed systems to maintain confidentiality, which prevents your data from being shared with large language models.
Small business leaders can leverage this same technology. If you need to maintain client confidentiality for legal reasons but want to provide unique value to those clients, a closed AI system offers a perfect solution. This fact explains why there are so many chatbots on company websites—they’re cost-efficient and can provide consistent service 24/7. Do you need to invest in Schwab or Fidelity or Vanguard? Then you need to interact with bots before humans.
Digital Trust and Consumer Adaptation
Remember when Amazon first introduced Prime? Many doubted that package would succeed. Now one-click purchasing and “people like you bought” suggestions have become standard AI tools. These weren’t implemented randomly—they were based on extensive data analysis showing that buyers of one product were likely to purchase related items.
This example reflects a broader trend: we have developed increased digital trust in AI tools. Think about how you interact with Siri or Alexa—as if there’s another person in the room. These AI assistants weren’t part of our lives a decade ago, yet now they’ve become integral to our daily routines. Our expectations around AI are also shifting—we expect it to be personalized, always available, and worthy of our digital trust.
Accelerating Leadership Development
For the past year, I’ve focused on how AI can accelerate leadership development. The implications are profound for any individual or team committed to professional development. We can now provide 24/7 utility to confidential resources and interactive learning opportunities using AI avatars based on customized role-plays and scenarios.
Imagine clicking on ChatGPT repeatedly to gain insight into difficult topics: How do I deal with anxiety? How do I sleep better? How do I have a difficult conversation with a family member who’s resistant to dialogue? Now, these are skills that can be developed through deliberate practice.
Years ago, when I asked Google, “Can you be my executive coach?” it said “Not at this time.” Today, any AI platform—whether it’s ChatGPT, Claude, Grok, Poe, or another—will happily take on that role.
Our Hybrid Coaching Solution
AI can re-design executive coaching, leadership consulting, and transform your career. Imagine using hybrid coaching that combines AI practice with human expertise. Let me give you some examples.
A client named George wanted to develop better communication skills but didn’t want to ask his manager for help. Using our AI platform, George practiced difficult conversations repeatedly in a confidential environment. Then, when we meet for our 1:1 executive coaching session, George can share his screen and show me his AI interactions. I can provide feedback not just on the content of his responses but on his approach to learning.
This hybrid model works across professions. Imagine you’re a lawyer with clients who need to discuss succession planning, or a family wealth advisor helping clients prepare for difficult conversations with the next generation. These discussions require skills that many people haven’t developed. Behavioral feedback can provide better analysis and coaching suggestions than humans. When we practice new skills with AI, my clients can find the right words and approaches before having those crucial real-world conversations.
B2C and B2B Applications
I’ve developed two models for implementing hybrid consulting:
B2C (Business to Consumer): Individuals can access a platform to practice scenarios like dealing with anxiety, burnout, difficult family members, or deeper questions about purpose and faith. For about $100 monthly ($1,200 annually), users get unlimited access to AI-assisted practice scenarios. That investment often delivers more lasting value than a couple of traditional coaching sessions at the same investment level. See www.JITCoach.com or ask for a demo.
B2B (Business to Business): Teams and organizations can implement AI-assisted consulting to accelerate skill development. The data is compelling—sales teams using these approaches have shown a 24% increase in sales performance and 97% improvements in training retention. Compared to traditional online training programs that often show minimal results, this AI-assisted consulting represents a breakthrough. See www.Action-Learning.com or ask for a demo.
The Bottom Line
Artificial intelligence has been evolving since 1995. Now we have reached a point where it’s more consumer-friendly and accessible than ever. Just as you talk to Siri or use ChatGPT, you can now use AI-assisted consulting tools to accelerate your skill development, improve communication, and achieve outcomes faster, more effectively, and more affordably.
We will interact with AI-driven cars and live in an AI-enhanced world. Why wouldn’t we apply these same technologies to leadership development and executive coaching?
Want to learn more about implementing AI in your leadership development? Contact Doug at doug@action-learning.com or visit action-learning.com to schedule a demo.
In this episode: Rod Zeeb & Doug Gray, Co-Founder of Assess Next Gen and a Consultant with The Family Business Consulting Group, discuss trends in both qualitative and quantitative assessments that are available, information for access to the assessments, and collaborators to help you if you need it.
Here are 7 examples of new affiliations and movement in the last 13 months:
The Brentwood, TN Rotary Club (a long time Paul Harris fellow) committed to “service above self.”
Member of the Williamson, Inc Chamber of Commerce, in Franklin, TN
The Association of Talent Development (ATD) board member in professional development (2015-15) and membership (2015-16); created a Special Interest Group (SIG) for Consultants and hosted monthly meetings on countless topics since January, 2015
Member of the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB)
Member of the Nashville Technology Center (NTC); accepted by Launch TN grant funding program to apply for federal grant to the NIH or USDA, using consultants Mark and Catherine Henry, with mentoring from Jim Stefansic PhD, to assess the impact of telemedicine programs in rural disparities
Promoted the TN-HIMSS conference in October, 2015 for healthcare leaders, Chief Technology Officers, Chief Information Officers
Created and hosted monthly meetings on “Talent Analytic Trends” at local businesses, including Rustici Software, the “best technology company in Nashville” and a global leader in SCORM and Watershed, their Learning Record System; those meetings featured leaders and new technologies that are redesigning how we measure talent, careers, and human achievement.
Quite a list for 13 months in a new town.
Back to that coaching question: How are you moving?
Call any time to discuss what is next for you, your leaders, or your business.
Let’s start with some facts. Then trends. Then implementable solutions.
Facts:
Apple introduced the iPad in 2010 as a revolutionary device
By 2016 an estimated 650 million tablets will have been sold globally. Pretty revolutionary, huh?
In a 2012 poll by CDW, tablet users averaged 2.1 hours per day and gained 1.1 hours of productivity
In that poll, 84% of employees said that the tablet made them better multi-taskers
There are over 1 million apps available for download
There are more mobile devices in the world than there are toilets. (What does that fact say about our needs for hygiene and connection?)
Trends:
Most digital natives (born after 1980) sleep with their phones
There are more tablets and mobile devices than desktop devices, used globally
Most information workers view 2-3 screens concurrently. An example in marketing: the television screen, the laptop screen, and the mobile third device. An example in finance: two laptop screens and the mobile third device.
App usage is growing faster than web portal use, as workers apply technology to customers and clients in new ways
Employers tolerate a BYOD approach (bring your own device) despite concerns about security, branding, and productivity
Solutions for your business include:
Blended use of technology/virtual learning and direct/synchronous training. Virtual training is less expensive, but not adopted. Blended use of technology and direct training can increase engagement, productivity, and retention. See one example here. I use blended learning solutions for most action learning programs. Imagine a team of 4-7 people in different locations who need to collaborate. They typically do not even know one another. Action Learning programs require that they assess the problem/case study/ client need, then share resources, then ask questions to develop solutions, then apply those solutions to save money or make money. Recently, I have developed mobile apps that supplement business development workshops between siloed divisions. Monthly workshops, combined with direct and virtual meetings, and action learning apps force people to work together.
Smart adoption of technology will increase mobility and security. Examples include Dropbox, a cloud storage service that syncs data can be accessed from any devices. You no longer need a secure VPN (virtual private network) access or dial in to a server. Your security is guaranteed. Consequently, when I travel to a client’s location I use Dropbox to access all of my digital content and provide tremendous value to any client, in their office, in the moment. Client delight is a reality, not a goal.
Collaboration tools will enable multiple workers and stakeholders to develop solutions. One example is GoToMeeting, a web meeting tool with audio and video conferencing. You can access from any device, using a code. Then you can see who is talking, share screens for collaborative work, record meetings for future reference. I use this tool when reviewing documents or developing presentation materials with clients in multiple locations. And I use GoToMeeting for team coaching and action learning programs.
Most importantly, how are you using tablets and apps to increase your business?
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