Rance Johnson’s AI Learning Journey: Bricks to Masterpiece
How Rance created the fast-learner advantage for himself.
"At 62, I Finally Got the Instruction Manual for My Brain - Thanks to AI"
Rance Johnson, VP Technology | 40+ Years IT Leadership | M&A Integrations | MBA-AI Candidate
The Setup: When Experience Isn't Enough
I've been in IT leadership for over 40 years. I've integrated acquisitions, scaled companies from $200M to over $1B, managed teams across multiple continents, and earned every certification and credential you can imagine. I thought I'd seen it all.
Then at 62 years old, three things happened almost simultaneously:
First, I was diagnosed with ADHD - after six decades of wondering why my brain worked differently than everyone else's. Suddenly I had the instruction manual for myself, but no idea how to actually USE it.
Second, I enrolled in an MBA-AI program because I saw the writing on the wall - executives who don't understand AI will be obsolete in five years.
Third, I took Synergies4's AI-Powered Your Role workshop, skeptical as hell. I'd played with ChatGPT like everyone else, but I didn't see how it could transform actual executive work. I was wrong.
The Workshop: Learning to Think WITH Machines
The AI-Powered Your Role workshop wasn't about prompts or tricks - it was about fundamentally rethinking how leaders work. Synergies4 taught me that AI isn't a tool you use occasionally; it's a thought partner you collaborate with constantly. The breakthrough moment came when they showed us how to use AI for scenario planning and decision-making. I'd been trying to manage 18 company integrations through sheer force of will and spreadsheets. Synergies4 showed me how to use AI to:
War-game every integration scenario before pulling the trigger
Identify blind spots I couldn't see because of my own experience bias
Process information 10x faster without sacrificing quality
Turn my ADHD pattern recognition into a superpower instead of a liability
I left that workshop thinking: "I've been flying this plane with half the instruments. Synergies4 just turned the rest of them on."
The Transformation: When the ROI Hits You in the Face
Within 30 days of implementing what I learned in AI-Power Your Role, the numbers were undeniable:
Strategic Planning: 60% Time Reduction
What used to take me 4-5 hours of research, analysis, and documentation now takes 90 minutes. I use AI to synthesize information, challenge my assumptions, and draft frameworks that I then refine with human judgment. I'm not working less - I'm making better decisions faster.
Development Velocity: 75% Acceleration
I trained a lead developer on the Synergies4 frameworks. He built a fully functional private equity project management platform in 6 weeks that would have taken 6+ months traditionally. We're now pitching this platform to PE firms and portfolio companies. That's not a product idea - that's a viable business, built in six weeks.
Decision Quality: $250K+ in Avoided Failures
I used AI to pressure-test a major ERP consolidation strategy that looked perfect on paper. The AI identified three critical failure points I'd missed because I was too close to the problem. We adjusted the approach and avoided what would have been at least a $250K disaster. That's one decision. I make dozens of high-stakes decisions every quarter.
Executive Communication: 90% Approval Rate
I use AI to refine presentations, anticipate stakeholder concerns, and craft more persuasive business cases. My approval rate on budget requests went from roughly 60% to over 90%. When you're pitching $10M+ initiatives, that improvement is worth millions.
Conservative Annual ROI: $50K+ in Productivity Gains
If I'm saving 10 hours per week at VP-level compensation, that's over $50,000 annually in direct productivity value. But the real ROI is strategic - I'm positioning myself for CTO/CIO roles specifically because I can demonstrate AI literacy that 95% of my peer group lacks.
The Real Story: It's Not About the AI
Here's what Synergies4 actually taught me, and what most AI courses miss completely:
AI doesn't replace your judgment - it accelerates your pattern recognition and fills in your blind spots.
My ADHD brain is incredible at connecting dots across different domains and seeing opportunities others miss. But it's terrible at routine execution and gets bored once systems are stable. AI handles the execution and maintenance I'm weak at, while amplifying the strategic pattern recognition I'm strong at.
Synergies4 didn't just teach me prompts. They taught me how to think differently about my own cognitive strengths and weaknesses, and how to use AI to become a better version of myself.
The Pivot: From Skeptic to Evangelist
At 62, I'm not winding down - I'm scaling UP. And it's because Synergies4 showed me that AI isn't just a technology trend. It's a fundamental shift in how leaders operate, and executives who don't adapt will be managing teams of people who do.
The Challenge: You're Already Behind
If you're a senior leader and you're still treating AI as "something the IT department handles," you're competing with one hand tied behind your back. Your competitors - and your younger colleagues - are already using AI to make better decisions faster than you can.
The AI-Powered Your Role workshop is the fastest way to catch up and get ahead. Not because Synergies4 teaches you tricks, but because they teach you to think differently. And in a world where everyone has access to the same AI tools, how you THINK is the only sustainable competitive advantage.
I'm 62 years old with ADHD, and AI made me sharper than I've ever been. What's your excuse?
- Rance Johnson
