Ride the AI wave: Learn to flow

According to Gallup’s 2024 “State of the Global Workplace Report,” 85% of employees worldwide are disengaged. Worse still, the ratio of actively disengaged employees in North America has dropped to 1.8 engaged employees for every disengaged worker, down from 2.1 in previous years and the lowest since 2013. This disengagement is costing an astounding $7.8 trillion in lost productivity. While we could attribute this to crappy leadership and archaic corporate institutions that have eroded trust — exacerbated by the pandemic — there’s another culprit at play: A highly distracted workforce drowning in the algorithmic world of social media. In this doom-scrolling era of dopamine addiction, we feed on empty calories for our brains, leaving us more distracted than ever. 

There is a dark side to artificial intelligence (AI). And while I don’t intend to sound as alarming as Geoffrey Hinton, the “Godfather of AI,” when he left Google, I will say that a distracted, disengaged workforce in the age of AI means one thing: The human is no longer at the helm. AI is. 

We often talk about the fourth industrial revolution or the next machine age, but the reality is we’re not in the factory anymore, and AI isn’t a machine; it’s an intelligence. As Hinton pointed out, AI learns through inquiry much like humans do. It’s a complex neural network, powered by algorithms that interact with an exponential amount of data, mimicking the human brain’s learning process. AI has its own experiences and biases, and it’s learning at a breakneck pace. Right now, it boasts an IQ of 120 in nearly every vocation. Soon, it will surpass that. 

But let’s reframe this with a positive outlook for humanity. Instead of fearing displacement, we should recognize this moment as the precipice of human evolution. We are entering a second renaissance where the human is back at the helm — highly engaged and mastering the art of co-creating with AI. In this future, AI becomes an exponential learning partner, amplifying our ingenuity and unlocking our potential by helping us achieve a state of flow. The question isn’t whether AI will replace us; it’s whether we can adapt, integrate and thrive alongside it — in flow.  

Flowing with AI as an unfair advantage 

The real tragedy behind the Gallup report is the untapped and wasted human ingenuity that organizations have lost by failing to engage their workforce. Flow state is our superpower that can solve this problem. Better yet, flowing with AI takes this to an entirely new level. Let’s unpack these two concepts.  

Have you ever been “in the zone,” where time flies by but you don’t notice because you’re so dialed in? Ideas and insights flow effortlessly, and you’re executing at your best. That’s you in flow state. The concept of flow was introduced in the 1970s by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, who identified it as a key factor in achieving personal satisfaction, creativity and productivity. Flow occurs when there’s a balance between challenge and skill level. 

Think about Laird Hamilton surfing the Millennium Wave in August 2000, making history. Or David Beckham scoring the goal in 2002 that shook the world and secured England’s place in the World Cup finals. Or Alex Honnold, who free solo climbed El Capitan in Yosemite in June 2017 and lived to tell us about it. These are ordinary people doing extraordinary things because they mastered flow state. They trained their whole lives (skill level), tackling unimaginable challenges and making the impossible possible. They created exponential learning systems, enabling them to deliberately access flow state when needed, unlocking their next level of potential. 

Imagine replicating this in the workplace: Fostering environments that enable employees to access flow and unlock their next level of potential. Pairing this with AI can revolutionize how we innovate and produce, making flow not just an individual superpower but an organizational one. 

What does AI have to do with flow? 

AI and the Second Renaissance are deeply intertwined with the concept of flow. The Renaissance was a rebirth of European civilization, where figures like Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo mastered multiple disciplines, integrating mathematics and science with art and philosophy to achieve extraordinary innovations. Today, AI is the multi-disciplinary learning system we must master and flow with to co-create and innovate a new future. 

Creating exponential learning organizations 

As I mentioned above, flow is not new. It’s a key component in creating exponential learning organizations. I had the privilege of working for a company called EDS (Electronic Data Systems) early in my career, which embedded this value at its core. EDS recognized the unfair advantage flow gave them in the market, not only in terms of innovation but also in attracting and retaining top talent. They built a winning culture of trust and high performance. Continuous learning was one of the key performance metrics we were measured on. For most of us, EDS was more than a job; it was a way of life. 

We had EDS University; we developed EDS Salesforce (before Salesforce was even a thing); and we created the EDS Playbook, a repository of strategies executed across 66 countries. We operated one of the world’s largest innovation centers, where the retina scanner — one of the first biometric airport identification systems — was developed for Ben Gurion Airport. We were also the birthplace of what is now known as “outsourcing” and creators of the award-winning “Herding Cats” ad.

In 2005, EDS made a groundbreaking investment by rolling out neuroscience-based coaching. A company called Results Coaching (now the NeuroLeadership Institute) was brought in to train EDS’ high-performing leaders in brain-based coaching. This initiative fundamentally changed how I led as a leader and gave me tools to access flow for myself and help my team members reach their potential. I gained a deeper understanding of the human neural network, the neurobiology of what makes us tick, the power of asking thinking questions and the importance of precise language in eliminating biases. I learned how to reduce cognitive load, preparing myself and my team to access flow state, and I identified personal triggers that either enabled or prevented me from entering flow. 

Most importantly, this initiative created an environment of insatiable curiosity and inquiry-driven learning. We became hungry for knowledge and insights — exponential in our thinking and growth. I became certified as a NeuroLeadership coach and began integrating this approach with my team and clients. 

The impact of flow and AI 

The results were profound. I shifted from a highly directive leadership style to one that empowered my team to solve their own problems and generate their own insights. By minimizing their cognitive load, asking powerful questions and setting clear goals, I helped them access flow state and unlock their potential. For my clients, this approach transformed digital transformations into collaborative efforts. Instead of implementing change for them, I worked alongside them, fostering curiosity, focus and challenge — the key ingredients for flow. 

Fast forward to 2014, when I joined IBM as an associate partner in their Innovation Practice for Natural Resources, focusing on Cognitive (Watson — IBM’s version of AI and deep learning models). It was my first introduction to AI, and I immediately understood the power of what was being developed because it was based on how the human brain learns — the complex neural network that interacts with data and adapts its understanding through inquiry. At that stage, it was not a fast learner. It took us 18 months to train a model to any level of intelligence. 

The smart move that IBM made was recognizing the power of this intelligence and its potential impact on humanity. They reskilled their entire workforce with Design Thinking capabilities to ensure that the human always stayed at the center of whatever cognitive assistant (AI) we were building. As we trained these models, we understood the power of the intersection of data, technology and human literacy. Learning was amplified. 

This is why you should not treat AI as a tool. Integrating it in everything you do and mastering it as an intelligence is key to keeping the human at the helm. Outlook is a tool that many of us have not mastered or fully integrated to the point where it exponentially raises our productivity. Nowadays, Outlook is not just a tool, it’s an intelligent productivity assistant…and I can guarantee you half of your workforce doesn’t know how to use the basic insights this intelligence can give them. 

If you want to manage risk, teach your business users how to integrate AI into everything. For example, let’s take ChatGPT. If you’re using it as an editor, or simply to answer a question or create a report then you are a casual user and will be surpassed by experienced users who use their GPTs as co-creating partners, with succinct prompts that allow the GPTs they use to get to know them and challenge their curiosity. It can and should be so much more than a rote tool to perform your low-level tasks. 

The human at the center 

Csikszentmihalyi called flow “the secret to happiness.” Achieving flow requires focus, immersion and an environment free of distractions. AI can play a pivotal role here, eliminating low-level tasks and freeing cognitive space for creativity, empathy and strategic thinking. By using AI to trigger and sustain flow, we can design work experiences that are not only more productive but also more fulfilling. 

Steven Kotler, in The Rise of Superman, outlines flow triggers that can elevate our performance. AI, when integrated thoughtfully, can become one such trigger — challenging us, enhancing curiosity and amplifying our capabilities. 

Flow with AI to unlock human potential 

This fusion of flow and AI isn’t just an advantage; it’s the key to thriving in the age of intelligence. Organizations that embrace exponential learning environments, foster curiosity and integrate AI as a co-creator will unlock unprecedented levels of performance and innovation. 

The future of work isn’t about humans versus AI — it’s about humans and AI, flowing together to achieve what neither could accomplish alone. Those who master this partnership will lead not only in productivity but in redefining what it means to create, collaborate and excel in the 21st century. 

Now is the time to step into the second renaissance, take the helm and flow with AI. 

Tina Mathas, a respected leader with 29 years of experience in leadership and technology, is a neuroleadership coach, speaker, writer and co-founder of TheFlowFactory.ai. She is known for her ability to guide teams through complex projects and foster a collaborative work environment. Her entrepreneurial spirit and strategic mindset make her a valuable advisor. As a deep creative and heart-centered humanist, she is on a mission to inspire and enable limitless human potentiality at the intersection of human ingenuity and artificial intelligence. Her motto is to always let love lead you.