Google NotebookLM
From Overwhelm to Clarity
As leaders today, we face an ever-increasing deluge of information. We are buried under competing priorities, we are trying to make sense of complex new strategies, and we are tasked with supporting the growth of our teams - all at the same time.
Making sense of this complexity requires not only time but the right tools to organise, apply, and act on knowledge efficiently. For me, finding a system that works has been a long journey.
I was prompted to write this article by a recent coaching session. My coachee, knowing I am a bit of a gadget and AI enthusiast, was feeling overwhelmed. They were working on a complex new training package and asked for advice on how to research and organise their thoughts.
I mentioned that Google NotebookLM has become a game-changer in my leadership journey. They came back to me later and said it was one of the most useful tools they had ever been recommended, and they insisted I share this advice with my connections. So, here you go.
By the way... this article is not sponsored by Google! There are plenty of alternative tools out there, but this just happens to be the one I use, and the principles I am sharing can be applied to many others.
At first, I was sceptical. Like many leaders, I wondered if this would be just another AI promise without a practical payoff. But once I explored how it could help me in three core areas - research, personal development, and coaching - I saw its real value.
1. Taming the Information Beast (Research)
Leadership demands quick, informed decisions, but the research phase can be a black hole for our time. Before I found this tool, researching a podcast topic or a new strategy meant I would be poring over books and articles, manually taking notes, and trying to mentally connect fragmented ideas. It was slow and inefficient.
Now, instead of juggling dozens of browser tabs and PDFs, I upload all my sources into one dedicated notebook. The tool instantly generates accurate, concise summaries of everything I have put into it.
But the real power lies in the next step. I can ask it to compare and contrast two different articles, to highlight the nuances in an author’s argument, or to identify the potential pitfalls of a strategy, pulling directly from the sources I provided.
The key - and for me, the most crucial feature - is that it only pulls from the sources you upload. There is no guesswork and no AI “hallucinations”. It will only give you information that is in the documents you provide. For leaders who rely on accuracy, this is non-negotiable.
This kind of tool frees you up to focus at a more strategic level. Instead of getting bogged down in the minutiae, you can focus on applying the outcomes to the challenge at hand.
2. Creating a “Living Record” of Your Own Growth
If leadership is about doing the right thing consistently, then continuous learning is a prerequisite. But with the chaos of meetings and decisions, capturing and connecting all that new knowledge feels like another full-time job. My own development notes used to be scattered across physical notebooks and random files.
That all changed. I now maintain a “living record” for my own professional development. I upload podcast transcripts, articles, book summaries, and even notes from my own coaching sessions into one notebook.
Instead of a jumble of disconnected thoughts, it synthesises the entire journey. I can ask it, “Summarise my leadership learnings over the last six months,” and it will pull out all the themes, patterns, and progress points from all of those documents. I can explore the links between concepts, like how a podcast on delegation tied into feedback I received on accountability.
This transforms my learning from a random, passive activity into an intentional, active process. It helps keep my hard-earned lessons front and centre, ready to be applied.
3. Enhancing Coaching with a “Personal Assistant”
Coaching is at the very heart of effective leadership. I have always believed our role is to empower people to discover their own answers and reach their full potential, not to do the work for them.
But the reality of coaching is that it takes preparation. It requires you to remember progress, recall past challenges, and revisit shared resources. That mental load is significant, and it takes time we often do not have.
This is where the tool acts as my “personal assistant”. I create a dedicated notebook for each person I am coaching. Inside, I place their development plan, my notes from our sessions, and any articles or exercises we have discussed.
Before our next meeting, I can simply ask the notebook for a quick summary of their progress or for reminders about topics we covered last time. During the conversation, I am not scrambling through my notes or trying to recall a detail from three weeks ago. I am free to focus on listening and connecting, confident that the tool has my back with all the relevant context. It can even suggest thoughtful questions tailored to their current goals, helping me guide a deeper reflection.
This is not about replacing the human element; it is about amplifying it. It makes the coaching experience richer and more personal for the person I am supporting.
Your Invitation to Experiment
I get it. Technology, especially AI, can feel intimidating and overhyped. I was in that sceptical place myself. But taking a small leap of faith and experimenting with this tool has truly changed my workflow for the better.
My invitation to you is simple: Identify one small step today to explore a new leadership tech tool. Maybe that means uploading your next project’s resources into a notebook or starting that personal development record you have been putting off. Experiment. Be curious. Learn from the process.
By doing this, you can reclaim your time, gain clarity, and unlock a higher level of leadership impact.
So let me ask you this: What is one brave, simple action you can take right now to infuse your leadership with fresh energy and enhanced focus?
Level Up Leadership is a passion project in my spare time. I enjoy doing it, and I intend to keep these articles and podcasts free. However, the software and equipment I use isn’t free! So, if you are enjoying this content and would like to make a donation, you can do so by clicking this button. Thank you.