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“AI won’t replace you. Someone using AI will replace you.”
As the artificial intelligence typhoon descends upon us, this has become the mantra of tech CEOs and business pundits.
Here’s the twist: They’re wrong.
As AI excels at technical tasks like data analysis and coding, the future of work will be won by those who lead, persuade, influence, and inspire. And there’s one cognitive superpower that improves all those crucial soft skills: storytelling.
Make AI your primary skillset, and you’ll become an assistant to a machine. Master storytelling first—and then amplify your abilities with AI—and you’ll make yourself irreplaceable. The clock is ticking. Which path will you take?
In Super Skill, Joe Lazer reveals 15 storytelling principles that will help you win in the AI Age. Through science-backed techniques, cutting-edge AI applications, and real-world stories of neuroscientists, Neanderthals, founders, and filmmakers, he’ll show you how to hone your storytelling superpowers, build a following, and future-proof your career.
“Super Skill reveals the hidden truth everyone should know: Story—not speed—is the new currency of work.”—Ann Handley, best-selling author, Everybody Writes
“A lively, modern guide for anyone navigating the age of AI—part masterclass, part story collection, and all inspiration for a generation learning to communicate, connect, and create alongside intelligent machines.”—AJ Thomas, Former Global Head of Talent Experience @ Google X
“There is no one more qualified on the topic of storytelling for business today than Joe Lazer. Super Skill is funny, engaging, ultra practical, and a must-read in this era of AI and rapid change.”—Shane Snow, Tony Award–winning producer and bestselling author of Dream Teams
“We’re drowning in all the AI hype, but Joe Lazer brings us back to the powerful skill that still sets us apart: the human story. Super Skill is smart, funny, and immediately useful—a guide to staying irreplaceable in a world of machines. I’m just jealous I didn’t write it.”—Dr. Eric Solomon, Former CMO @ Bonobos & Instagram; Founder @ The Human OS
“Joe makes me want to go back and get a liberal arts degree all over again. This book is a story of hope and how we can find the best in ourselves,
for our heart and our pocketbook, in the age of AI.”—Joe Pulizzi, Founder, Content Marketing Institute; author, Burn the Playbook
“A must-read for next-generation leaders looking to wield the algorithms, rather than being wielded by them.”—Ben Young, Founder & CEO, Nudge
“Joe Lazer proves what AI can’t touch: the wacky, human art of storytelling that makes you irreplaceable. Super Skill is part neuroscience deep-dive, part creative insurgency manual, and somehow the funniest book about writing you’ll ever read. If you make things for a living, this is your new bible. If you don’t, read it anyway. Even the footnotes slap.”—Angelique Bellmer-Krembs, f. CMO at PepsiCo
Introduction 1
PART I: THE STORYTELLING ECONOMY
1 Storytelling Sapiens 13
2 The New Science of Stories 25
3 Welcome to the Storytelling Economy 33
PART II: UNLOCK
4 Principle 1: Build a Storytelling Habit 51
5 Principle 2: Master the Elements 64
6 Principle 3: See the Shapes 79
7 Principle 4: Become an Active Listener 94
8 Principle 5: Find Your Muse 106
9 Principle 6: Develop Taste 115
PART III: UNLEASH
10 Principle 7: Identify Your Big Idea 133
1 1 Principle 8: Be Vulnerable 149
12 Principle 9: Lead Through Stories 163
13 Principle 10: Sell Through Stories 176
14 Principle 11: Build an Audience 195
PART IV: UPGRADE
15 Principle 12: Beware the Vortex of Mid 211
16 Principle 13: Automate the Busywork 220
17 Principle 14: Iterate with Intention 235
18 Principle 15: Innovate Boldly 252
Super Skill Cheat Sheet 263
Acknowledgments 269
Source Notes 271