Are business leaders ready for a more human era of AI?

Are business leaders ready for a more human era of AI?

As organisations continue to navigate - and accelerate - AI adoption, a new challenge is coming into focus: people are moving forward with AI faster than leadership is making sense of what it means.

The technology is advancing quickly. Trust, clarity and shared direction? Not so much.

Last year, our 2025 global worker research ‘Humanity at work: How to thrive in the AI era’* painted a picture of a workforce that is open to AI and even energised by it. But that optimism came with questions - about roles, growth and what the future really holds. 

At the same time, our research of the C-Suite - Leading in the age of AI: Expectations versus reality** - revealed how many leadership teams were still working to get aligned on skills, talent and strategy.
So, where are we a year later? Approaching the launch of our latest research - The human premium: Leadership beyond the algorithm, we look at the challenges – and opportunities - for leaders in 2026 and what it takes to be resilient, agile and future ready.

Workers are leaning in - but looking for direction

There’s a clear signal from the workforce: AI isn’t something to resist.

In 2025, three in four workers* said it had already changed - or soon will change - how they work. Most didn’t expect to be replaced, but to evolve. In fact, 77%* claimed AI enables them to do things they couldn’t do before, and 70%* expected their role to change rather than disappear.

But being ready to use AI isn’t the same as feeling confident about the future.

Only around a third of workers said they could clearly measure the impact of their work. And purpose matters more than ever: employees who feel a strong sense of purpose are almost twice as likely to stay with their employer. Among those who feel it consistently, nearly all plan to stay over the next year. Among those who don’t, that number drops sharply.

What people are asking for is straightforward:

• clarity on how AI will change their role
• a clearer line of sight between their work and its value
• meaningful investment in skills and development

Without that, early optimism risks fading into uncertainty – and any productivity gains may not last. In 2026, the challenge for leaders is how to turn this openness into sustained confidence by providing clarity, reinforcing purpose and creating a visible connection between AI, individual contribution and long-term growth.

Leadership is under pressure to catch up

While employees are adapting quickly, leadership teams weren’t always moving at the same pace.

More than half of CEOs** said their teams struggle to align on priorities and next steps quickly enough. At the same time, talent – not technology – emerged as the biggest risk to growth. Yet many organisations are still slow to respond.

The disconnect is especially clear when it comes to AI:

• 60%** of leaders expect employees to adapt their skills and roles
• but over a third of organisations still don’t have a formal AI policy
• and only a quarter of workers say they’ve received training on how to use AI at work

Clearly, expectations are rising faster than guidance. Employees are being asked to move quickly, often without a clear framework or support behind them.

That gap is starting to show. In 2026, the critical question for leaders is how to close the gap between expectation and enablement - ensuring employees are not only asked to adapt, but are supported with clear strategy, governance and the skills needed to succeed.

The real advantage is becoming more human

As AI takes on more of the routine and technical work, the differentiators are shifting.

The organisations keeping pace aren’t just investing in technology. They’re investing just as deliberately in people and leadership. In 2025, only around one in ten companies** fell into this “future-ready” category - but they stood out in how they operate.

They’re more likely to rethink work around skills rather than job titles, invest in leadership and change capability, and create more flexible, non-linear career paths. They’re also more intentional about how AI is used, balancing performance with trust.

What they understand is simple: technical capability matters, but it’s not enough. Adaptability, emotional intelligence and ethical clarity are quickly becoming the defining traits of effective leadership. In 2026, the real question is how leaders can embed these human qualities at scale - leading with trust, empathy and ethical clarity in the way work is designed, decisions are made and people are empowered alongside AI.

Why the 2026 research matters

As AI moves from experimentation to everyday reality, the conversation is shifting too.

Our upcoming report, The human premium: Leadership beyond the algorithm explores how organisations are responding to this challenge - and what separates those closing the gap from those at risk of widening it.

We deep dive:

• Is leadership capability catching up with ambition?
• how organisations are closing the gap between what they ask of employees and what they provide in return, and
• what sets apart those who are building trust and momentum at scale.

Sign up to get early access to the research and see what it takes to make AI work - for people as well as performance.

‘Humanity at work: How to thrive in the AI era’* 
Leading in the age of AI: Expectations versus reality**