Everyone Is AI Doing It. What Does That Mean For Your Organization?

Part 3

Subtitle: 75% of your workforce is already using AI. Do you have policies and a plan in place?

Key Takeaway: 85% of leaders say adaptability is critical. Only 7% are leading in areas such as change management, yet EQ will be what sets organizations apart.

I thought AI would eliminate my need for an assistant. Instead it's helped me work with my assistant on a deeper more meaningful level. AI can't replace my videographer, my coach, or web-designer (yes even though AI can build websites), but it can partner with us and be our efficiency aid. My responsibility as a leader now is less about the to do list and more about connection - even though we still have a to do list.

Human connection is more critical than ever

By mid-2024, 75% of global knowledge workers were using AI, often before their companies set a formal plan. That was two years ago. Which means two things: One, more companies are putting plans in place, and two, I would I’d argue that 75% is a low number in 2026. 

The growing concern is that AI is changing so fast, what plans you had in 2024 are now outdated.

Avoiding AI mistakes is more critical than ever, but that’s the small part of the story. The larger and even more critical part, is how are your leaders managing people in an age of AI. What will make a current organization a future success is not AI implementation (that’s a given), it’s the adaptability of its culture and its connection with its people.

Depending on your business, leaders don’t need to be AI experts, they need to be people experts.

The real problem isn't AI. It's what happens to humans.

23% of U.S. employees now frequently use AI at work; 10% use it daily. Again, I suspect this number is much higher now.

Your people are adapting to AI. Are your leaders adapting to your people?

85% of leaders say building organizational adaptability is critical. Only 7% believe they're actually leading in the area of change management.

What "Frontier Firms" know that you don't.

Microsoft calls them "Frontier Firms". These are companies that are organizing work around people plus AI. Not AI replacing people. People and AI working together.

Their employees are far more likely to say their company is thriving (71% vs. 37% globally) and able to take on more work (55% vs. 20%).

This frees humans to do what only humans can do: make judgment calls, navigate complexity, build relationships and create strategy.

Here's where emotional intelligence becomes your real asset.

Companies prioritizing emotional intelligence see 21% higher profitability, 42% reduction in turnover, and 38% increase in productivity. Leaders who excel at soft skills—empathy, communication, and vulnerability—drive 4X higher retention.

When machines can do more, the humans who can connect, communicate, and lead with empathy become irreplaceable.

Yet most leaders aren't trained for this. Only 55% of employees say their direct managers do what they say they will. Just 50% believe top management lives up to stated values.

What this actually looks like in practice.

Imagine a manager freed from twenty hours a week of administrative work because AI is handling it. What does she do with that time?

• Deep conversations with her team

• Strategic thinking

• Noticing when people are struggling

• Building psychological safety

• Making judgment calls on complex problems

• Connecting people across silos

Her team will see increased performance, efficiency, retention, and value to the company.

The Critical Question…

…is not, “Are you ready for AI?” The question is, “Are you ready to be more human?”

The Bottom Line

Organizations investing in leadership development specifically focused on emotional intelligence, human connection, and navigating AI adoption see measurable improvements in team performance and retention. 

My favourite quote, I put at the top of every proposal: “We never rise to the level of our expectations but fall to the level of our training.” - Archilochus 

About the Author

David Fisher is a keynote speaker, executive communication coach, and workshop facilitator based in Vancouver. He helps organizations build cultures where people see each other, communicate with clarity, and lead with intention. His programs, A Culture of Us™, Human and Machine, and Amplify Your Story™ and more, focus on the real work of connecting leaders, teams, and organizations to be more effective, authentic, and engaged.

He's the author of Sales for People Who Don't Like Sales and A Culture Of Us, and is an executive contributor to Brainz Magazine.

Learn more: davidfisher.world

Related Topics: AI | Leadership | Future of Work | Emotional Intelligence

Endnotes and Bibliography

Endnotes

1. 75% of global knowledge workers using AI by mid-2024. Microsoft and LinkedIn, 2024 Work Trend Index Annual Report: "AI at Work Is Here. Now Comes the Hard Part." Survey of 31,000 knowledge workers across 31 countries (May 2024).

2. 78% of AI users bringing their own AI tools to work ("Bring Your Own AI"). Microsoft and LinkedIn, 2024 Work Trend Index Annual Report (May 2024).

3. 23% of U.S. employees frequently use AI at work; surveys show varying metrics for "daily" use ranging from 10–13% as of 2024–2026. Gallup surveys show 13% using AI daily as of Q1 2026 (record high). Multiple sources: Gallup Workforce Survey, CNBC/SurveyMonkey Quarterly AI & Jobs Survey (Q3 2026), and U.S. Census Bureau data (2026).

4. 40% of roles in the G2000 will involve direct engagement with AI agents by 2026. Specific source not definitively located in primary research; likely derived from McKinsey Global AI Survey or World Economic Forum Future of Jobs Report projections. Recommend verification against latest organizational AI adoption surveys.

5. 85% of leaders say building organizational adaptability is critical; only 7% believe they are successfully leading it. Deloitte, 2024 Global Human Capital Trends Report (pp. 18–23). Survey of HR leaders and business leaders across 89 countries.

6. Microsoft's "Frontier Firms" — 71% of employees at Frontier Firms say their company is thriving vs. 37% globally. Microsoft and LinkedIn, 2025 Work Trend Index: "2025: The Year the Frontier Firm Is Born" (April 2025). Based on survey of 9,037 leaders and longitudinal data from Microsoft 365 telemetry and LinkedIn hiring trends.

7. 55% of Frontier Firms report being able to take on more work vs. 20% globally. Microsoft, 2025 Work Trend Index (April 2025).

8. Companies prioritizing emotional intelligence see 21% higher profitability, 42% reduction in turnover, and 38% increase in productivity. Multiple sources synthesized: Gallup research on employee engagement (21% profitability increase linked to high engagement); Institute for Corporate Productivity study on EI and profitability; Journal of Business Ethics research on EI training effects on turnover; and organizational psychology studies on EI's correlation with productivity. Note: These figures represent aggregated findings from multiple studies

9. Leaders with high emotional intelligence drive 4X higher retention. TalentSmart research cited in organizational development literature. Study found emotionally intelligent leaders have 30% higher employee retention rates; attributed to stronger trust-building and empathy-driven leadership.

10. 55% of employees say their direct managers do what they say they will. Gallup employee engagement surveys and trust-in-management research (2024–2026 data).

11. 50% of employees believe top management lives up to stated values. Gallup engagement and leadership credibility research.

Bibliography

Deloitte. 2024 Global Human Capital Trends: Creating an Adaptable Workforce. Deloitte Insights (March 2026). www.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/topics/talent/human-capital-trends/2026/creating-an-adaptable-workforce.html

Gallup. State of the Global Workplace. Ongoing engagement and AI adoption surveys (2024–2026). www.gallup.com/workplace

IDC. Frontier Organizations and AI ROI. Industry study cited in Microsoft Cloud Blog (2025–2026).

Microsoft and LinkedIn. 2024 Work Trend Index Annual Report: "AI at Work Is Here. Now Comes the Hard Part." Microsoft WorkLab (May 2024). www.microsoft.com/en-us/worklab/work-trend-index/ai-at-work-is-here-now-comes-the-hard-part

Microsoft and LinkedIn. 2025 Work Trend Index: "2025: The Year the Frontier Firm Is Born." The Official Microsoft Blog (April 2025). www.blogs.microsoft.com/blog/2025/04/23/the-2025-annual-work-trend-index-the-frontier-firm-is-born

Microsoft. 2026 Work Trend Index Report: "Agents, Human Agency, and Opportunity." Microsoft WorkLab (2026). www.microsoft.com/en-us/worklab/work-trend-index/agents-human-agency-and-the-opportunity-for-every-organization

Pew Research Center. Americans' Views and Experiences with Artificial Intelligence. Survey data on AI adoption and attitudes (2024–2026).

Psychology Today. "The ROI of Emotional Intelligence at Work." Archived research and meta-analyses on EI training ROI, turnover reduction, and profitability (2021–present).

SurveyMonkey and CNBC. Quarterly AI & Jobs Survey (Q3 2026). www.surveymonkey.com/curiosity/cnbc-ai-work-survey

TalentSmart. "Emotional Intelligence in the Workplace." Research on emotional intelligence and leadership effectiveness, retention rates, and team performance.

U.S. Census Bureau. "Artificial Intelligence (AI) Technology Use in the U.S. Economy." Enterprise AI adoption and employee AI usage statistics (2025–2026).

Notes on Sourcing

The statistics and research findings cited in this article draw from multiple organizational research sources, including surveys by Microsoft, LinkedIn, Gallup, Deloitte, and academic research in organizational psychology and emotional intelligence. Where specific attribution is incomplete (e.g., the 40% G2000 figure in Endnote 4), additional verification against primary sources is recommended. The emotional intelligence statistics (Endnote 8) represent aggregated findings from multiple research methodologies and should be cited individually when precision is required for academic or compliance purposes.