Curriculum Preview
8 modules across 17 weeks, built on the Five Pillars framework from The Foreign Mind.
Foundations: The Reframe
Weeks 1-3Establish the core thesis: AI effectiveness is fundamentally a leadership capability. Introduce the Hierarchy of Foreignness and the Five Pillars framework.
Learning Objectives
- ✓Understand why AI effectiveness mirrors leadership effectiveness
- ✓Map the Hierarchy of Foreignness to your AI interactions
- ✓Identify your current AI leadership profile
- ✓Set a baseline assessment for growth tracking
Ender Connection: Ender's recruitment at age 6 — why the teachers chose leadership potential over technical skill.
Understanding
Weeks 4-5Build accurate mental models of how AI processes information. Move past both the Projection Trap (AI thinks like us) and the Dismissal Trap (AI is just a tool).
Learning Objectives
- ✓Build working mental models of AI cognition
- ✓Diagnose when AI fails and predict behavior
- ✓Recognize the 13 anti-patterns in your own work
Ender Connection: Ender studying the Bugger fleet — understanding the alien mind on its own terms.
Communication
Weeks 6-7Master the Intent Translation Framework: OUTCOME, CONTEXT, CONSTRAINTS, PRIORITIES, VERIFICATION. Move from instruction to intent.
Learning Objectives
- ✓Apply the Intent Translation Framework to complex tasks
- ✓Structure prompts that converge on first attempt
- ✓Verify understanding before committing to execution
Ender Connection: Ender's communication with Bean — translating strategic intent across radically different minds.
Delegation
Weeks 8-9Climb the Development Ladder: five levels of trust from Scripted Execution to Full Autonomy. Calibrate trust to task, not to habit.
Learning Objectives
- ✓Apply the Development Ladder to your AI workflows
- ✓Calibrate verification effort to task stakes
- ✓Avoid the Micromanager and Abdicator anti-patterns
Ender Connection: Ender delegating command of Dragon Army toons — trusting Bean with autonomy while maintaining strategic oversight.
Development
Weeks 10-11Build AI capability deliberately over time. Progressive challenge, failure as information, and transfer learning.
Learning Objectives
- ✓Design progressive challenge sequences for AI tasks
- ✓Extract learning from failures systematically
- ✓Build transferable AI collaboration skills
Ender Connection: Ender's progression through Battle School — each battle designed to push capability boundaries.
Accountability
Weeks 12-13Own the outcomes of AI-assisted work. The Accountability Ledger, avoiding diffusion, and sustainable accountability practice.
Learning Objectives
- ✓Implement the Accountability Ledger for AI workflows
- ✓Maintain clear attribution for AI contributions
- ✓Build sustainable accountability habits
Ender Connection: Ender's realization that the "final exam" was real — accountability for outcomes you didn't fully understand.
Application
Weeks 14-15Apply the Five Pillars at individual, team, and organizational levels. Context-specific strategies for scaling AI leadership.
Learning Objectives
- ✓Adapt the framework for your specific role and context
- ✓Lead AI-augmented teams effectively
- ✓Drive organizational AI transformation
Ender Connection: Ender commanding from Salamander through Dragon — leadership that adapts to every context.
Integration
Weeks 16-17Synthesize all five pillars into daily practice. Identity integration, future-proofing, and the ongoing journey.
Learning Objectives
- ✓Build an integrated AI leadership practice
- ✓Create your personal development plan
- ✓Prepare for emerging AI capabilities
Ender Connection: Speaker for the Dead — understanding that true leadership transcends any single battle or tool.