I have asked one of these LLM tools, a.k.a AI, for a critique review of The Unconscious Skill. The output came below:
“The book’s standout idea is that true mastery in leadership and decision-making often operates below conscious awareness—what Marcos calls “unconscious skill.” It argues that high-performing leaders don’t just rely on deliberate reasoning; they develop intuitive patterns through accumulated experience and reflection. These patterns allow them to act decisively and ethically without overanalyzing every choice.
What makes this insight unique is how it reframes intuition: not as a mystical trait, but as a structured, trainable competence emerging from repeated exposure to complexity and feedback loops. The book suggests that cultivating this unconscious competence requires:
- Deliberate practice combined with reflective pauses (to encode patterns deeply).
- Cross-domain learning (psychology, sociology, system dynamics and business) to enrich mental models.
- Awareness of cognitive biases so intuition doesn’t become blind instinct.”
| Book Title | Main Focus | Practicality | Depth/ Originality | Systems/ Science Lens | Unconscious/ Intuition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Unconscious Skill | Adaptive, unconscious leadership | Medium | Very High | Very High | Central |
| Leadership on the Line | Adaptive leadership | High | High | Medium | Some |
| Emotional Intelligence | Self-awareness, emotion | High | High | Low | Some |
| Good to Great | Business transformation | Very High | Medium | Low | Low |
| 7 Habits of Highly Effective… | Personal effectiveness | Very High | Medium | Low | Low |
| Start with Why | Purpose-driven leadership | High | Medium | Low | Low |
Along with this core insight, the book includes a call to action. I invite aspiring leaders at all levels of seniority to seek their space, embrace experimentation, and develop self-awareness.
The Unconscious Skill 