10X your productivity with these 3 Satya Nadella-approved AI prompts

We are in 2025 and integrating AI into your daily routine is no longer about keeping up with a fad, it’s about working smarter. People who are learning how to fold AI tools into their everyday tasks are the ones finding more time, making fewer mistakes, and approaching their work with renewed creativity.

The biggest debate of the AI revolution is the fear of getting replaced, but for many professionals, AI is turning into the quiet partner that helps them keep their workday on track.

Microsoft’s CEO swears by AI

Even at the very top, the shift is very clear. In a short post on LinkedIn and X, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella recently gave a rare peek into how he personally uses AI.

He revealed that with GPT-5 now running inside Microsoft 365, he leans on a few carefully crafted prompts to guide his meetings, organise projects, and stay ahead of his schedule. “This has quickly become part of my everyday workflow,” Nadella wrote on August 28, 2025. “It’s adding a new layer of intelligence spanning all my apps.”

His message was understated, but the takeaway was powerful: if the CEO of Microsoft is treating AI as a trusted partner rather than a novelty, it signals just how deeply these tools are becoming embedded in our work life. Here are the top three prompts from Nadella’s list which can be useful for many individuals out there.

Three prompts that power Satya Nadella’s day

Anticipating the meeting

Prompt: “Based on my prior interactions with [/person], give me 5 things likely top of mind for our next meeting.”

We’ve all had that moment before a meeting where we wonder, what exactly is this person thinking about right now? Instead of trying to piece it together in a rush, this prompt does the heavy lifting. By pulling from past emails, chats and meetings, Copilot builds a quick snapshot of what’s most important to them. It’s not about replacing preparation, it’s about walking in with a clear sense of direction, so the discussion moves faster and cuts straight to the issues that matter.

Making sense of your time

Prompt: “Review my calendar and email from the last month and create 5 to 7 buckets for projects I spend most time on, with % of time spent and short descriptions.”

Ever feel like entire weeks disappear without knowing where the hours went? This prompt acts like a mirror. It scans your calendar and inbox, then shows you, sometimes uncomfortably clearly, how your time is really being spent. The result is a set of buckets with percentages attached, spelling out what dominates your schedule. Often, it highlights a mismatch between what you think you’re focusing on and where your attention actually goes. That reality check can be the first step toward shifting priorities back to where they belong.

Walking in prepared

Prompt: “Review [/select email] + prep me for the next meeting in [/series], based on past manager and team discussions.”

This one is like having a colleague quietly brief you before you walk into the room. Instead of scrolling frantically through email chains or chat logs, Copilot condenses the context into a short, pointed summary. It connects the dots between that one email you flagged and the broader team discussions around it. The end result? You show up feeling ready, confident, and able to contribute from the first minute rather than playing catch-up.

Why it matters, even if you’re not a CEO

The real lesson from Satya Nadella’s example is that adopting AI isn’t about dramatic reinvention, it’s about making the day-to-day flow smoother. For people weighed down by crowded diaries and the constant buzz of emails, even a small shift in how you use these tools can free up time and energy.

Learning to lean on AI early is less about keeping up with technology and more about taking control of your own workflow. And that’s the bigger takeaway. If the CEO of Microsoft is already depending on prompts like these to run his day, it signals something important for everyone else: AI is no longer an optional extra. It’s becoming a basic part of how modern work gets done, and those who adopt it now will be the ones to see the benefits first.