Don’t Let the Tail Wag the Dog

Before there were prompts, there were printouts.

Before there were algorithms, there were all-nighters.

We picked up redlines with pens, not pixels. Teams gathered around conference tables aka war rooms, not chat screens. And when something went to print, it was final, no “regenerate” button, no undo. Those experiences shaped how we learned to think, edit, and create.

That discipline still matters.

Wag the Dog

A dated idiom still used today and its' counterpart: don't let the tail wag the dog. The expression “don’t let the tail wag the dog” has a curious origin. It comes from the 1858 play Our American Cousin by Tom Taylor, the same play Abraham Lincoln was watching the night he was assassinated at the Ford Theater in Washington D.C. 

In the play, Lord Dundreary quips: “Why does a dog waggle his tail? Because the tail can’t waggle the dog.” It’s a witty line that became a metaphor for reversal of control, when a smaller, less important part starts dictating the direction of the whole. That’s precisely what’s happening when organizations let a technology tool/trend lead strategy.

The Dog and the Tail

AI is the tail. You’re the dog. The moment we let tools wag our strategy, we lose authorship not just of our words, but of our thinking and our management. Discipline still matters as well as discernment with AI.

AI can assist. It can refine, summarize, and accelerate. But it cannot discern. It doesn’t know when a sentence feels off, when a writer's tone drifts from an authentic voice, or when risk outweighs reward. That’s the communicator's role. That’s leadership in marketing. Effective communication is about directing meaning with anecdote, data, and outcomes.

When we outsource that responsibility to a model, we are outsourcing the risk — and we stop developing the judgment that makes strategy strategic. Risk is compliance, legal, financial, etc. and risks exist when using AI for marketing and communications. Risk is also reputational.

The Risk/Reward of AI

Risk Isn’t Just Legal — It’s Reputational

In my work, I treat AI risk management as an extension of brand stewardship.

That means:

Knowing when not to use AI.

Establishing oversight and QA/QC plans for anything AI touches.

Vetting AI-derived content for accuracy, ethics, and ownership.

Recognizing that bias and hallucination aren’t technical glitches — they’re communications risks

Risk management in AI isn’t a compliance exercise; it’s an integrity practice. It protects the client, the brand, and the strategist’s credibility.

In my role and approach, I treat AI risk management as an extension of brand stewardship. It starts with knowing when not to use AI. Not every task benefits from automation, especially when tone, context, or sensitivity are at play. That’s why I build oversight and QA/QC into every workflow AI touches because speed without scrutiny erodes trust. Every AI-assisted draft, data point, or media summary must be vetted for accuracy, ethics, and ownership. What many call “glitches” bias, hallucination, missing nuance aren’t technical errors, they’re communications risks. For example, I’ve seen a generative tool confidently rewrite a client’s sustainability statement, subtly reversing the intent of their message. It read well, but it wasn’t right. That’s where experience steps in. Risk management in AI isn’t a compliance exercise; it’s an integrity practice. It protects the client, the brand, and the strategist’s credibility.

AI might be fast, but experience still leads.

The late-night proposal reviews, the edited press releases, the call from a client five minutes before deadline — all of it builds good judgment. And good judgment can’t be automated.

Those of us who came up before AI understand that process matters. We earned our instincts through iteration, revision, and responsibility. We can carry that same rigor forward not resisting innovation, but grounding it in expertise.

Because we don’t stop being craftsmen when new tools arrive. We adapt.

Walk the Dog, Wag the Tail

AI will keep evolving. But the person walking the dog because the strategist, the writer, the communicator sets the direction. Embrace AI. But test it too. Learn how to lead it.

We take all our experience with us as we innovate; the late nights, the edits, the lessons. That’s what keeps the work human. That’s what keeps the tail from wagging the dog.

Woof.