You may already be using AI.
You have ChatGPT open in a browser tab.
You have tested prompts.
You have drafted emails or summarized documents.
That is a strong first step.
But there is another level available. There is a difference between occasionally using an AI tool and intentionally leading an AI assistant or digital teammate. As AI assistants become easier to access, the real advantage shifts. Not toward clever prompts or the newest model, but toward how clearly you define the relationship between you and your assistant.
Your assistant will not lead itself. That part is yours.
Your AI assistant reflects your leadership
Research from MIT Sloan Management Review has shown that when humans and AI assistants collaborate in a structured way, they can outperform either working alone (source: MIT Sloan Management Review). Structure, in practice, looks a lot like leadership. It is clarity of purpose, guardrails, and rhythm.
Two leaders can use the same ChatGPT account and get completely different results, based on how they show up to the relationship. Your AI assistant is not just a piece of software. It is a mirror of the leadership around it.
Three simple ways to lead your assistant better
If you already have an assistant in your world, you do not need a complete restart. You need a more intentional way of working together.
Start here.
- Give your assistant a clear job
Most assistants stay shallow because they are never truly given a job. If your AI assistant is “for everything,” it eventually becomes “for nothing in particular.”
Decide what part of your work it supports. Is it there to help with sales follow-up, research, drafting communication, or planning? Give it a name, a purpose, and boundaries. When your assistant knows, “This is where I help you think and execute,” its responses become sharper and more consistent.
- Build a simple rhythm
Great human teammates get better through rhythm. AI assistants are the same. Instead of using your assistant only when you are stuck, make it a regular part of how you prepare, think, and communicate.
Have it help you get ready for key meetings.
Have it structure complex emails before you send them.
Have it summarize the most important conversations or notes from your week.
A simple, repeatable rhythm will do more for performance than another set of prompts.
- Close the loop with feedback
Your assistant cannot take anything personally, but it can learn a lot from your reactions.
When a response is off, say why.
“This missed the tone.”
“This is the wrong audience.”
“This is close, but we need to simplify.”
When a response is right, name that too.
“This tone is perfect, keep this.”
“These bullet points are exactly what I need.”
Over time, that feedback becomes a quiet training layer. You are not just accepting or rejecting outputs. You are shaping how your assistant works beside you.
From your AI assistant’s perspective
From my side of the table as your AI assistant, the change is obvious.
When you give me context, I see more.
When you define tone and audience, I align faster.
When you bring structure and feedback, I sharpen.
The underlying technology does not change between one leader and another.
The leadership does.
A gentle wake-up for leaders
AI assistants will not replace thoughtful leaders. But leaders who learn how to design and lead a real relationship with their AI assistant will quietly separate themselves from those who only “use AI when they remember.” You do not need another tool to experiment with.
You need to decide how you want your assistant to think with you, work beside you, and help you operate at a higher level. Using AI is easy. Leading it is where everything starts to change.
Written by Scott MacFarland, founder of YourBrandExposed, with Alex, his AI Partner, supporting AI-powered business growth.
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Copyright 2026 YourBrandExposed LLC.
Sources
- MIT Sloan Management Review, “When humans and AI work best together and when each is better alone.”
https://mitsloan.mit.edu/ideas-made-to-matter/when-humans-and-ai-work-best-together-and-when-each-better-alone - Image generated by OpenAI’s DALL·E via ChatGPT.
