September 18, 2025

AI-Powered Leadership for Advisors: Habits, Culture, and Workflows (Ep. 83)

55 minutes

In this Always On episode, Duncan MacPherson and Chris Jeppesen, Chief of Advisory Practices at First Trust, cut through the noise to show how modern advisory leadership blends clear operating rhythm, role clarity, and intentional culture, with AI as a practical tool to compress research, sharpen meeting prep, and turn ideas from books like Good to Great, Traction, and Atomic Habits into daily workflows that scale client loyalty and growth.

Key takeaways:

Establish a simple weekly leadership cadence to align priorities and decisions.

Define roles by outcomes, handoffs, and KPIs so accountability is unambiguous.

Segment service to set expectations, elevate experience, and protect capacity.

Use AI to prep agendas, summarize meetings, and automate follow-ups inside your CRM.

Resources:

AI for the Financial Professional (Whitepaper):

The Blue Square Method by Duncan MacPherson and Chris Jeppesen

The Advisor Playbook by Duncan MacPherson and Chris Jeppesen

First Trust Advisor Consulting Group: Contact your First Trust wholesaler for support and guidance

Good to Great by Jim Collins

Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business by Gino Wickman

Atomic Habits by James Clear

Promotions:

The Ultimate Guide to Financial Advisor Coaching: paretosystems.com/guide-to-financial-advisor-coaching

Connect With Duncan MacPherson:

Pareto Systems

866.593.8020

Schedule a Call

Duncan on LinkedIn

Connect With Chris:

First Trust

LinkedIn: Chris Jeppesen

LinkedIn: First Trust

About Our Guest:

Chris Jeppesen is the head of advisory practices at First Trust, a firm known not only for its robust investment product line which includes UITs, ETFs, SMAs, and VAs (to name a few) but also for its commitment to the growth of financial advisors. First Trust has dedicated many years to finding (and investing in) creative ways to help financial advisors grow their practices. Chris’ goal over the last 18 years has been to give financial advisors the tools to develop an efficient business model focused on building long-term client trust and loyalty. Chris is also the co-author of The Advisor Playbook and The Blue Square Method.

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