The Modern Leader series: AI: The change that changes everything

Modern leadership attribute No.20: AI: The change that changes everything

Artificial intelligence is no longer a single initiative; it’s the thread running through nearly every transformation.

The AI reality

According to The Grossman Group + The Harris Poll Enterprise Change Study, 83% of leaders expect AI to play a significant role in major change in the next two years, and 1 in 4 call it the hardest to implement. It’s now driving a third of strategic and process transformations.

Why it’s so hard

AI introduces both technological and emotional barriers. Employees are wary of job loss, leaders are navigating new skills and workflows, and middle managers are struggling to model behavior they don’t yet feel confident in.

A tip for leaders

Make AI adoption a people story — not a tech story.

1. Connect AI to what employees care about: efficiency, growth and higher-value work.
2. Empower middle managers to model use and champion early wins.
3. Replace abstract promises with specific examples of how AI helps people do their jobs better.

The bottom line

Winning with AI requires as much communication as code. When leaders humanize the story and show the “why,” adoption follows.

Explore the data further

Download the research report, The Change Tipping Point, to see key headlines, implications, and actions for leaders so you can turn change from a risk to a competitive leadership advantage.

About The Modern Leader series

Discover actionable insights released biweekly, designed to help you elevate your own leadership impact and drive the business results you seek.

So, how do you know if you’re a modern leader?

Modern leaders stand apart through their ability to balance head and heart in today’s complex workplace, integrating emotional intelligence with strategic thinking.

New research with The Harris Poll (publishing Summer 2025) shows only 30% of leaders truly meet their teams’ evolving needs — but that elite group leads with “their heart IN their head” and consistently demonstrates six key differentiators.

They:

• Lead with gratitude.
• Listen and empathize.
• Foster an inclusive culture.
• Communicate with context.
• Connect strategy to employee growth.
• Enable employees to meet the moment.

To see additional ways you can differentiate yourself as a modern leader, check out the collection of modern leadership attributes (added bi-weekly) here.