This year, we’ve seen AI become mainstream in our lives and gain ground in our organisations. It’s everywhere – in how we search, how we shop, how we read our emails, and increasingly, how we work. Its rise has been fast. AI has embedded itself into day-to-day workflows in a matter of months, not years, and while most of us do find it genuinely helpful, it’s also evolving quicker than people, and whole organisations, can keep up with.
We’re seeing access to AI tools grow across businesses, but many employees are still
unsure how to use them well in their day-to-day work. And even though managers are generally supportive of their teams’ efforts to adopt AI, managers themselves often feel they don’t yet have the knowledge or confidence to guide people through it.
A small part of this is understanding AI capability – how AI can make work easier, more efficient and more effective. But the bigger challenge is leading people’s mindset through such a transformative shift in how work gets done. People now need to be able to adjust quickly and constantly. That’s not a process problem, it’s a behaviour problem, and it’s hard to embed.
From a leadership perspective, there’s also a huge interpersonal piece: influencing, motivating, expectation-setting, communicating clearly and coaching effectively. And when we step back and look at most technology change, it’s almost never the technology itself that slows transformation down. It’s the culture, the confidence and the willingness of people to adapt.
When we think about what this means for managers, the challenge is much bigger than “help them learn what AI is”. The real challenge is helping managers learn how to lead in a world where everyone else needs to be using AI confidently too. Their role is becoming part guidance, part enablement, part mindset shaper.
So going forward, managers will need a blend of three things:
- AI capability – understanding how AI can be used to make work easier, more efficient and more effective
- The ability to redesign and lead new ways of working – helping teams adjust, experiment with workflows and move forward
- Human leadership skills – motivating people, setting clear expectations, communicating well and coaching confidently
These three areas will be central to modern leadership as we go into 2026.
How the work itself is changing
Workflows are shifting quickly. Teams will have more access to information than ever before, and more transactional tasks will be handled by AI tools or agents. This means teams will have less need for managers to coordinate the basics.
Managers will spend less time:
- monitoring tasks
- relaying information
- chasing updates
- explaining repeatable, transactional processes
And instead, managers will spend more time:
- helping people understand priorities
- shaping workflows and ways of working
- supporting their team’s thinking
- creating clarity and confidence
- helping people experiment and adjust
The pace is fast, expectations are constantly shifting, and the human side of leadership is what will make the big difference.
In many ways, managers will be leading teams that are part human and part AI-enabled. That requires a different style of leadership – one that focuses on direction, judgement, adaptability and support, not on telling people step-by-step how to do things.
The skills that matter most
The skills that matter now are the ones that help people adapt, think well and work well with others in fluid environments. The craft of being a manager has evolved.
Managers need human capabilities that help them lead well when things keep shifting. These skills are the foundation for effective evolution as work becomes more dynamic.
We summarise these in our CRAFT framework:
C – Communication
Managers need to set clear expectations, keep people aligned and coach effectively. They need to help people make sense of complexity and think clearly in changing situations.
R – Resilience
Managers need to stay grounded themselves and help others handle pace, pressure and uncertainty. Adaptability and emotional steadiness are becoming core management skills.
A – Authenticity
As teams become more self-directed, trust and openness matter even more. Managers need to create an environment where people feel safe to speak honestly, experiment and raise concerns.
F – Future Focus
Managers need to constantly look ahead, understand how things connect, and help people grow. Critical thinking and systems thinking are essential, especially when workflows keep evolving.
T – Transformation
Every manager now is a change leader. There will be constant improvements to workflows, tools and ways of working. Managers need to be able to experiment, adapt, and guide others through change with confidence.
Looking ahead
2026 will, of course, bring more change. AI will continue evolving, workflows will keep shifting and teams will increasingly be supported by AI tools and agents.
Managers will need to guide people through this – not by having all the answers, but
by having the confidence, clarity and capability to help others adapt.
It’s an exciting moment for leadership development because the skills that matter most are deeply human ones. And that’s exactly where the biggest opportunities for growth lie.
If you’d like help thinking through what this means for your managers, just get in touch, we’d be happy to support you.
About the Author
Louise Puddifoot is the founder of Willow & Puddifoot, where she and her team CRAFT™ confident, capable leaders at every stage. With over 20 years’ experience in leadership and learning, Louise designs practical development that builds confidence, capability, and impact. Her work is built on the CRAFT™ Leadership Framework, focusing on communication, resilience, authenticity, future focus, and transformation, to create real behaviour change that lasts.