Executives worldwide are asking the same question: If artificial
intelligence (AI) is such a transformational force, why isn’t my company seeing
bigger results?
Despite the relentless hype, most organizations are still
struggling to turn AI investments into measurable business outcomes. Only 26%
of companies report tangible bottom-line benefits from AI, according to a Boston
Consulting Group survey of 1,000 global executives. Some leaders are
getting it right — 45% of these early adopters have seen lower costs, and 60%
report higher revenue growth than their peers. But for many more, the ROI is
still elusive.
The biggest obstacle isn’t technology. It’s people.
In the 2025
AI & Data Leadership Executive Benchmark Survey, 92% of respondents
said cultural resistance and change management challenges are slowing AI
adoption. Or, as Michael Wade and his co-authors write in MIT
Sloan Management Review, “It is the human side of the equation that
determines whether Gen[erative] AI initiatives truly succeed. … Success hinges
not just on infrastructure but on how people think, adapt, and collaborate with
AI.”
The takeaway is clear: AI success isn’t about having the
right tools. It’s about turning change resistance into change resilience.
Identify the roots of resistance
In sales, the key to success is understanding the needs of
your client and framing your product as a solution to those pain points.
Selling your workforce on the advantages of AI is no different. To drive
meaningful change, leaders must first understand why employees are hesitating.
Workers might feel skeptical about the technology, especially
if they aren’t sure how it will personally help them. And, if previous technological breakthroughs
have resulted in layoffs and restructuring, employees might feel greater
pressure to perform or be afraid of losing their jobs.
The only way to calm fear and uncertainty is with empathy
and communication. As renowned negotiator Chris Voss, co-author of “Never Split
the Difference,” explains in The New York Times, “When someone feels
thoroughly understood, you release potent forces for change within them.”
As I’ve written before, consistent
communication demonstrates that you care about employees, their challenges
and their well-being. This is the key to authentic empathy. When implementing a
change as monumental as AI integration, check in often with your team. Approach
these conversations with psychological safety in mind, so employees will be
more likely to come to you with their concerns. Ask them how they are feeling,
what they need and what their challenges are.
Leaders who listen with empathy and understanding can shift
the narrative from AI as a threat to AI as an opportunity.
Quality, not just quantity
CEOs and other senior executives are rightly excited about
the promise of AI to save time and increase productivity. Here’s the problem:
If you lead with that argument, your employees aren’t going to hear
“efficiency,” they’re going to hear “redundancy.”
If AI is framed only as a cost-saving measure, your adoption
strategy will suffer. Instead, focus on how AI enhances quality. Explain how it
frees people from mundane or repetitive tasks, so they can spend more time on deeper
thinking and creative problem-solving. Show how it creates capacity for
higher-value work and more meaningful human interaction.
That shift in framing is critical. Efficiency is a company
benefit. Quality is an individual benefit. And unless employees see personal
value, they won’t embrace the tools.
How you talk about AI in everyday conversations matters as
well. People want their contributions to matter, and if leaders describe
AI-created outputs as “better” or preferable to those created by a human, employees
may feel that their work isn’t valued or appreciated.
Your message should be consistent: AI is an assistant and thought
partner that amplifies human skills. It’s not
here to replace human expertise. It’s here to multiply it.
People-first strategies for AI integration
To succeed, AI adoption must be approached as a people
strategy as well as a business transformation. Leaders can reduce resistance
and accelerate resilience with the following practices:
1.
Build trust with transparency.
Change is unsettling, so leaders should be clear about why AI is being implemented,
how it will affect employees, and what steps will be taken to support them
through the transition. Communicate clearly about ethical safeguards, training
opportunities and job impacts.
2.
Cultivate a growth
mindset. Encourage employees to ask questions, experiment with
various AI tools, and contribute new ideas. Provide opportunities for feedback
and peer support. When people are involved in the process, they are less likely
to see AI as a threat.
3.
Create a meaningful message. Instead of
framing AI as a cost-saving tool, explain how the technology can be used to
eliminate mundane tasks. Emphasize how AI can help employees be more creative
or produce higher-quality work. Consistently describe AI as an assistant, not a
replacement, for skilled team members.
4.
Invest in training and upskilling. Ensure
employees feel equipped to use AI in their day-to-day work. Include training
with other professional development opportunities, promoting it as adding
lasting career skills. Encourage peer-to-peer learning to build
confidence.
Empathy inspires resilient cultures
AI is already reshaping the future of work, and organizations
will have to adapt. The companies that will thrive in this new environment will
be led by empathetic leaders who cultivate resilient cultures. Employees will
see AI as a partner in their success, not a threat to their survival.
To realize the tangible benefits of AI, leaders must go
beyond implementation to inspiration. It’s not enough to install new systems;
you must build trust, communicate with clarity, and empower your people to grow
with the technology.
The bottom line? Resistance is natural. Resilience is
intentional. If you want your workforce to embrace AI, start by treating
adoption as a human challenge — not just a technical one. The organizations that
get this right will unlock not just productivity, but the creativity, loyalty and discretionary effort that only people can deliver.
About the Author
Donald Thompson,
EY Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2023 SE Award-winner, founded The
Diversity Movement, a Workplace Options Company, to fundamentally transform the
modern workplace through diversity-led culture change. Recognized by Inc.,
Fast Company and Forbes, Thompson is author of Underestimated:
A CEO’s Unlikely Path to Success,
hosts the podcast “High Octane Leadership in an
Empathetic World” and has published widely on leadership and
the executive mindset. His latest book is The
Inclusive Leadership Handbook: Balancing People and Performance for
Sustainable Growth, co-authored with Kurt Merriweather, Vice
President of Global Marketing at Workplace Options. Follow Thompson on LinkedIn
for updates on news, events and his podcast, or contact him at info@donaldthompson.com
for executive coaching and speaking engagements.
