Reclaim the Plot: How Leaders Rewrite Story When AI Rewrites Work

Praise for Reclaim the Plot “In war and in organizations, failure rarely comes from a lack of intelligence—it comes from losing shared awareness. Reclaim the Plot is a powerful reminder that leadership under complexity requires humility, trust, and distributed judgment. Kelly Monahan captures, with uncommon clarity, how organizations drift into failure—and how they can find their way back.” —GENERAL (RET.) STAN McCHRYSTAL, Founder and CEO, McChrystal Group “As work continues to evolve, leaders face difficult questions about how to organize teams, sustain productivity, and support employees effectively. Reclaim the Plot offers a practical and readable framework for thinking through those challenges.” —NICK BLOOM, William Eberle Professor of Economics, Stanford “Reclaim the Plot is one of those rare leadership books that’s both useful and genuinely engaging to read. Kelly Monahan blends relatable storytelling with clear, actionable insights that leaders can actually apply, especially in a moment when AI is rewriting the rules of work. As someone who spends her life in the world of storytelling and helping leaders navigate complexity, I found myself thinking, ‘I wish I had this in my hands sooner.’ It’s a smart, human guide for anyone trying to lead with authenticity and heart in complicated times.” —LINDSAY SHOOKUS, 7-time Emmy-Winning Producer, Leadership Coach, and Speaker “This book deftly weaves together themes from research and lived experience as a leader and advisor to illuminate how well-meaning leaders get badly off track—and what they can do instead. Dr. Monahan illustrates her insights with compelling, resonant storytelling to help make abstract principles crystalize for the reader. Timely and relevant, this is a genuinely exceptional leadership book!” —ALEXIS FINK, Former Vice President, People Analytics and Workforce Strategy, Meta; and Senior Research Scientist, Center for Effective Organizations “Through the power of storytelling, Reclaim the Plot reminds us that for humans, the stories we tell each other are the reality we often create. In the book, Kelly delivers a powerful set of stories grounded in scenarios everyone can identify with, using science to illustrate how unintended consequences can result from not digging into second and third order effects. This is a must-read for leaders and aspiring leaders for how to navigate through tough decisions by keeping longer-term outcomes in mind and using the power of stories to shape narratives.” —KYLE FORREST, Future of HR Leader, Deloitte Consulting LLP “I’ve lived the Driftwell story. I know what it costs to chase performance at the expense of people, and I know what it takes to find your way back. In the age of AI, the most dangerous leadership question isn’t ‘how do we move faster?’ — it’s ‘what are we leaving behind?’ Dr. Kelly Monahan puts that question at the center of a story so real it demands your attention. This book won’t let you look away. Are you moving fast, or moving right?” —JEN FISHER, Bestselling Author of Hope Is the Strategy Reclaim your humanity and rebuild trust in the age of AI transformation Employee engagement has plummeted to an 11-year low while AI promises to revolutionize work at unknown cost. Reclaim the Plot: How Leaders Rewrite the Story When AI Rewrites Work provides the research-backed roadmap for leaders navigating this crisis. Dr. Kelly Monahan reveals how leaders can maintain humanity while meeting demands for growth. Through behavioral research, personal narrative, and poetry, the book takes readers on a three-act journey from 'The Drift' through 'The Delirium' to 'The Dream.' Readers discover how distrust became organizational default, why leaders chase stock prices over purpose, and how broken systems defeat good people. The book provides practical frameworks for designing work around human needs. Readers will also discover: How to rebuild organizational trust in an era of surveillance software and AI-enabled micromanagement Why focusing on stock price and valuation over internal reality leads to moral blindness and organizational failure How to fix broken systems rather than blaming individuals when performance problems emerge Why promoting technical excellence without leadership development creates a broken pipeline that sets managers up to fail Practical strategies for using AI to amplify humanity rather than replace it For executives navigating AI transformation, managers crushed by impossible demands, HR and talent leaders, and emerging leaders who suspect there must be a better way, this book offers validation and direction. It provides a path back to leading with courage and care.