Boost Your Team’s Digital IQ with Artificial Intelligence (AI) Leadership Hacks

Over the past 40 years, organizations have experienced a growing digital divide fueled by rapid technological advancement. While IT capabilities have expanded at an exponential rate, many companies struggle to keep up, leading to a widening gap in their digital IQ. Although Artificial Intelligence has been around since the 1950s, it only recently became a major focus in public consciousness after reaching a pivotal moment.

The rise of AI has further widened this digital divide. No one wants to lag in adopting new technology, yet figuring out how to elevate teams by enhancing their individual digital IQs can be perplexing.

Leaders frequently ask me how they can effectively bridge this divide and integrate Artificial Intelligence within their organizations to stay ahead. Over the past 25 years of working internally as a CTO, consulting for organizations, and a keynote speaker, I am sharing my four favorite leadership hacks to supercharge your team’s AI engagement.

1. Lead by Example

I simply cannot overstate strongly enough that your people will listen to your actions far more then they will listen to your words. The cornerstone of fostering an AI-ready culture is leading by example.

Here are some reasons why your example is so crucial.

• First, your team wants to know if this “AI thing” is going to stay or is just the flavor of the month. 
• Your active participation underscores commitment and resolve.
• Finally, there are plenty of surveys showing that employees use ChatGPT-like AI’s in their work but are afraid to make it known because they fear a negative reaction from leadership. Your example sets a strong tone for what you want your organization’s cultural DNA to look like, alleviating team anxiety about AI use.

 Just do a little every day; begin by dedicating just 10-15 minutes daily to exploring AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini in your regular workflow. Install the app(s) on your phone and learn how to use them. Start using tools like ChatGPT to help you write emails, create documents, or brainstorm. Your visible, consistent use of AI reassures your team, creating an environment where innovation is encouraged without fear.

2. Implement Artificial Intelligence ‘Show and Tell’

Every organization has a meeting tempo of everything from daily stand-up meetings to one-on-one meetings with subordinates, and embedding show and tell into your rhythms are a great way to proactively raise the team’s digital IQ. 

Incorporate brief AI “show and tell” sessions into regular meetings by having one team member at each meeting spend only a few minutes (really, 2 mins is all you need) demonstrating an AI tool and valuable prompt they use for their work; then rotate through the team.

This approach accomplishes two things:

• Skill Visibility: Employees skilled in AI can showcase their expertise, which boosts their confidence and motivation. 
• Encouraged Exploration: Employees less familiar with AI must prioritize exploration and learning so they have something to share, increasing overall team competence. 

By making Artificial Intelligence a regular part of team conversations, you create a culture where learning is continuous, curiosity is rewarded, and digital IQ grows organically. Over time, this simple habit can transform AI from an abstract concept into a practical advantage that everyone on your team can leverage.

3. Utilize Tiger Teams

“Tiger Teams”—small, cross-functional groups designed to tackle specific challenges—are highly effective for accelerating AI adoption. These agile teams quickly address challenges and drive meaningful insights and innovations.

Tiger Teams might sound like an onerous, high-admin effort activity but they can actually be formed quickly and don’t require extensive commitments. In fact, sometimes a Tiger Team only needs to meet for a couple of hours. Small groups of 2-5 individuals, intentionally mixing those with strong AI skills and those who need to grow in this area, can efficiently identify and solve AI-related challenges. 

This strategic pairing ensures not only the rapid resolution of AI challenges but also an ongoing upskilling process, helping less-experienced team members learn in real-time from those with deeper expertise.

The cross-pollination of ideas within these teams enhances AI adoption and builds a stronger, more versatile digital skillset across your organization. By embedding this mentorship and skill-building dynamic within problem-solving teams, AI fluency can grow organically—without the need for separate, time-consuming training programs.

4. Go Live with AI Training

Here’s the candid truth: traditional online training platforms are plagued by low engagement. If your organization’s AI literacy strategy depends on your team engaging with LinkedIn Learning, Udemy, Coursera, Udacity, or any of a hundred other platforms…you’re going to be disappointed. 

Now please understand the platforms themselves are excellent and their content is superb. The data simply shows that very few will invest the time to use them, especially when they are afraid of the subject matter. Unfortunately, there is a lot of fear, uncertainty, and doubt among employees regarding AI.

Live, interactive sessions overcome AI fear with immediate, hands-on keyboard experience using high value prompts they can use immediately in their work. More times than I could tell you, I’ve watched a hands-on keyboard experience turn a skeptical employee from “I don’t know about that” into an enthusiastic adopter as they experience the direct, tangible benefits.

Final Thoughts

Raising your team’s digital IQ is not as hard as it may seem. Leading by example, engaging in AI show and tell, forming tiger teams, and hosting live AI training sessions—will position your organization for AI-driven organizational growth. Aligning with structured processes, your team will not only achieve technological advancement in organizations but also flourish in an ever-evolving digital landscape.

According to McKinsey Global Institute, process driven organizations are “23x more likely to acquire customers, 6x as likely to retain them, and 19x as likely to be profitable.

By integrating these AI leadership hacks into your existing processes, you’re not only set up for technological competence but poised for long-term growth and profitability in the AI-driven future.

Want to empower your team with the expertise of Matthew Bertram or other AI Speakers? Book your artificial intelligence speaker today through Eagles Talent Speakers Bureau and witness transformative results!