How to Collaborate with AI (and keep your job, voice and sanity)

AI’s Not Coming for Your Job—But It Might Draft Your Next Email

You’ve seen it coming—AI is a daily part of your workflow. It’s summarizing reports, drafting emails, organizing data…even suggesting how to phrase that sensitive message to your boss.  And if you’re like most human-centered leaders we talk with, you might wonder: is it possible to collaborate with AI and stay human?

“Where does my voice go in all this?”
“How do I keep my team connected, aligned, and curious when a machine spits out the first draft?”

Here’s what we know: you don’t have to choose between tech and trust.
The best leaders are learning to collaborate with AI, without losing the human touch.

Let’s talk about how.

What It Means to Collaborate with AI

You’re not just handing work over to a bot. You’re using AI to help your team:

Move faster

Think bigger

Get unstuck

And still stay aligned and accountable

The key? You stay in the driver’s seat. AI doesn’t own your goals, your values, or your relationships. You do.

Collaboration is still about people.
AI is just a very fast, very literal teammate that needs direction.

Give the Bot a Job Before It Makes One Up

This is where your leadership comes in. Before you let AI take a crack at something, figure out who is accountable for what.

Here’s what that looks like:

Power phrase to guide the team:

“Let’s have AI give us a starting point—and then we’ll shape it into something we’d say.”

3 Real Ways to Use AI Without Losing Your Leadership

You don’t need a fancy rollout. Start small. Start now.

1. Prep Fast for Deeper Conversations

Use AI to summarize reports, customer feedback, or long meetings so you can spend energy on what matters.

Try this:

“Give me three insights from this doc so I’m ready to talk strategy.”

2. Stretch Your Thinking, Not Your Time

You’ve got a decent idea—ask AI to help you expand it. Just don’t stop at its first suggestion.

Try this:

“What’s a fresh angle we could try for this message?”

Then bring it back to the team and ask:

“What would make this sound more like us?”

 3. Sense the Human Ripple Effect

Use AI to stress-test your thinking—but you still need to bring the empathy.

Try this:

“If we roll this out tomorrow, who might be confused, frustrated, or left out?”

That question right there? It’s leadership.

Quick Coaching Questions to Bring Your Team Along

Whether you’re the one prompting AI or helping your team explore it, these questions keep things grounded and real:

“What part of this work is better with AI—and what still needs us?”

“How do we keep our message aligned with our values?”

“What could go sideways if we just copy-paste this output?”

“Where might this speed up our work—and where might it disconnect us?”

You don’t have to be an AI expert.
You need to stay curious, connected, and clear.

Common Pitfalls: This Is Where You Save Your Future Self from Cleaning Up Later

AI can be amazing and take you in the wrong direction if you’re not paying attention.

Here’s what to look out for:

Work With the Machine—But Don’t Become One

Collaborating with AI isn’t about doing more with fewer people.
It’s about doing the right work faster, together.

You bring the values.
>You bring the clarity.
>You build the trust.
AI can help with the lift, but you still lead the way.

And the best part? Your team will follow your lead when you model mindful collaboration with AI.

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