‘Shock absorbers’: Korn Ferry says managers are carrying AI change that executives aren’t ready to lead

Just 6% of talent and senior leaders believe their organizations’ top executives are fully prepared to lead AI-driven transformation, according to Korn Ferry’s Talent Trends 2027 report.

Middle managers are expected to fill the gap. Two-thirds of respondents (66%) expect managers to spend more time helping their teams through change than overseeing their day-to-day work.

The global organizational consulting firm published the findings on Oct. 22, based on a survey of more than 1,300 talent and senior leaders, from CHROs to CEOs and board members, in more than 75 countries.

The concerns go beyond leadership readiness. More than three-quarters of respondents (77%) say capability gaps will pose a bigger challenge than talent shortages, and 78% believe too few people are prepared for how work will be done in the future.

As companies bring AI into the workplace, middle managers are increasingly caught between executives’ ambitions and the realities of implementation. Fortune reported in October that the added responsibilities are straining managers and teams that already have little........

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