Forest Bathing With My Bot: Using A.I. Hallucinations to Improve Real-World Hybrid Leadership Skills
This article was originally published in Ritsumeikan University （立命館大学） Business Review Vol. LXIV No. 6.
Abstract
This article proposes a novel leadership development methodology at the intersection of cross-cultural management, Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) and Waldbaden （森林浴）. Addressing common resource constraints and cultural barriers to coaching and mentoring, the author reframes hallucinations endemic to current Large Language Models (LLMs) not as technical defects, but rather as stochastic features capable of generating sophisticated role-play simulations. By integrating this with the Inner Development Goals (IDGs) framework and the concept of forest bathing, the paper illustrates how hybrid leaders can leverage LLMs to engage in self-exploration, self-development and future-pacing within a “digital forest.” The approach offers a safe and scalable environment to assist leaders to navigate complex challenges and cultivate self-leadership through playful, reflective interaction with machine learning systems.
Keywords
Leadership Development, Generative AI, Large Language Models (LLMs), AI Hallucinations, Inner Development Goals (IDGs), Hybrid Leadership, Self-Leadership, Self-Development, Intercultural Management, Executive Coaching, Mentoring, Simulation Learning, 森林浴, Waldbaden.
Table of Contents
What Makes a Leader?
ELIZA, and Other Attempts at Being Human
Fake Realities Improve Real Skills
A Framework for Self-Improvement
Robotic Steps in the Forest
Where Does This Leave Us?
Author contact: mm@maulco.de