Overview

You did everything right. Built the career. Earned the respect. Carried the responsibility. Became the person others rely on. So why does it feel... thinner? Prompted is a powerful leadership fable for successful adults who sense that something essential is slipping away in the age of artificial intelligence. Alex has built an enviable life. International career. Influence. A reputation for clarity and control. He understands performance, systems, data. He has spent decades making high-stakes decisions. Then one day, in a meeting like so many before it, an AI presents a conclusion. The room goes quiet. Someone says, ""Well, that settles it."" And no one argues. Nothing dramatic happens. No collapse. No scandal. Just relief. Efficiency. Surrender disguised as progress. That moment unsettles Alex more than he wants to admit. As algorithms grow smarter and outputs arrive instantly, he begins to question what remains uniquely human. If machines can generate insight, predict behavior, and optimize strategy, what is left for us beyond execution? Through encounters across continents and conversations that challenge his assumptions, Alex discovers something uncomfortable. Human beings are constantly generating responses to invisible prompts. Physical pressures. Emotional triggers. Cultural expectations. Digital noise. Old beliefs about worth and success. Most of us never notice them. But unlike artificial systems, we can pause. We can question the prompt. We can choose again. And that changes everything. Blending leadership, philosophy of consciousness, modern spirituality, and the future of work, Prompted explores midlife transition, executive burnout, purpose after success, and the human advantage in an AI-driven world. This is not a book about resisting technology. It is about refusing to outsource your agency. For leaders, professionals, and thoughtful readers navigating the second half of life, Prompted asks a bold question: If you are no longer needed for your output, who are you? And more importantly, What will you choose to be prompted by next?

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9789083634005

Table of Contents

Reviews

Prompted is a beautifully written journey back to the essence of being human. Through Alex's story, Karel reminds us that true transformation begins not with doing more, but with turning inward. Listening, pausing, and reconnecting with the quiet intelligence of the soul. A rare book that stays with you long after you close it."" Fabrice Desmarescaux CEO Advisor and Contemplative Retreat Leader In a world where AI can automate almost everything except our humanity, Prompted is a powerful reminder of the importance of listening to our inner signals. Through this compelling fable, Karel Bakkes shows that true leadership isn't about speed or efficiency - it's about the capacity to pause, reflect, and choose with intention. A timely and insightful parable for any leader navigating today's increasingly digital world. Brenda Bence Thinkers50 Coaching Legend Professional Speaker Hall of Fame Author of Would YOU Want to Work for YOU? Prompted is a rare gift.Reading it left me with a feeling of calm and quiet reflection that stayed long after I put it down. Alex's honesty in facing himself and his courage to change moved me deeply. So many people see their own struggles clearly but few dare to transform. I found pieces of myself in Alex, in how he views life and how he chooses to live it. As the book beautifully reminds us, life is a vast library of lessons, and we each choose the book we are ready to read. In the end, the lesson is always Love, though it may appear in many forms. In a world where it's easy to lose ourselves in the rush of what we think matters, Prompted is a gentle call to return home to our true selves. As Thich Nhat Hanh said, ""The way out is in."" Reading this felt less like reading a book and more like listening to a friend share a piece of their soul. Phillips Pham CPO Mainetti Global/GM Mainetti Vietnam

Author Information

Karel Bakkes is an executive coach, former Deloitte Partner, and founder of Authentes, a leadership practice dedicated to helping leaders become the kind of people others want to follow. After a 35-year international career in finance and consulting, including senior leadership roles across Europe and Asia, he shifted his focus from performance alone to the deeper questions of purpose, identity, and inner stability.Now based in Hội An, Vietnam, Karel works with senior executives navigating transition, complexity, and the quiet pressure of success. His work integrates leadership development, psychology, and spiritual reflection, grounded in the belief that human beings are not just strategic operators, but meaning-making systems with agency and soul.Prompted grew out of his own questions about ambition, usefulness, and what it means to stay human in an age increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence.Karel is a father of four, a lifelong student of human behavior, and someone who still believes that awareness changes everything.

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