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While many organizations are eager to explore how AI can transform their business, its success will hinge not on tools, but on how well people embrace them. This shift requires a different kind of leadership rooted in empathy, curiosity and intentionality.
Technology leaders must guide their organizations with clarity and care. People use technology to solve human problems, and AI is no different, which means adoption is as emotional as it is technical, and must be inclusive to your organization from the start.
Empathy and trust are not optional. They are essential for scaling change and encouraging innovation.
Why this AI moment feels different
Over the past year alone, we’ve seen AI adoption accelerate at breakneck speed.
First, it was generative AI, then Copilots; now we’re in the era of AI agents. With each new wave of AI innovation, businesses rush to adopt the latest tools, but the most important part of technological change that is often overlooked? People.
In the past, teams had time to adapt to new technologies. Operating systems or enterprise resource planning (ERP) tools evolved over years, giving users more room to learn these platforms and acquire the skills to use them. Unlike previous tech shifts, this one with AI doesn’t come with a long runway. Change arrives overnight, and expectations follow just as fast. Many employees feel like they’re being asked to keep pace with systems they haven’t had time to learn, let alone trust. A recent example would be ChatGPT reaching 100 million monthly active users just two months after launch.
This creates friction — uncertainty, fear and disengagement — especially when teams feel left behind. It’s no surprise that 81% of staff still don’t use AI tools in their daily work.
This underlines the emotional and behavioral complexity of adoption. Some people are naturally curious and quick to experiment with new technology while others are skeptical, risk-averse or anxious about job security.
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