Four ways for managers to start leading through the AI Revolution

BY SIMONE J. SMITH

The rules of management are changing—and fast. As artificial intelligence reshapes how we work, today’s managers are stepping into uncharted territory. It’s no longer enough to supervise performance, or delegate tasks. The modern manager must now act as a: “possibility catalyzer,” an “uncertainty mapper,” and an “ideas evaluator.” These aren’t just clever titles—they represent a fundamental shift in how leaders guide their teams in the age of intelligent machines.

To get the most out of AI, managers must become champions of what’s possible, reimagining workflows and mindsets across their teams. This means sparking curiosity, mapping out what AI can (and can’t) do, and evaluating output through a lens of quality, not just quantity. From redesigning jobs to rethinking productivity metrics, the role of the manager is evolving from oversight to orchestration. The question isn’t if AI will change your workplace—it’s whether your leadership will rise to meet it. Whether we like it or not, AI will change the workplace.

“To get the most out of AI, managers must become champions of what’s possible.”

Right now, the short-term cost of inaction may seem low. AI adoption is still early. In 6–12 months, when fully agentic systems go mainstream and “Super Workers”—those who’ve already built custom GPTs, refined their prompts, and reorganized their workflows—start moving faster and thinking bigger, the knowledge and application gap will be painful to close.

Those who’ve done the hard work of breaking down their jobs into atomic tasks and exploring where AI fits will be ready. Those who haven’t will be left behind, not just in output—but in: capability, confidence, and credibility. The learning curve will be steeper, the playing field more advanced, and the edge will belong to those who’ve already built their muscle.

Start small, but start now

AI will become embedded in our daily workflows, so it’s time to shift our mindset—from seeing AI as just a tool to recognizing it as a teammate. This new era of work demands that we: reframe our roles, redesign how we measure success, and realign our incentives. Managers and leaders must take the lead in shaping this transformation.

From assigning KPIs to human + AI teams to rewarding smart collaboration between people and machines, the future of work is not about man versus machine—but man with machine. Here are a few ways to start leading the change

Reframe roles—Starting with your own

Stop thinking of AI as a tool, and start thinking of it as a teammate:

• Audit your current role and your team’s roles.
• Identify where AI can augment or automate.
• Redesign job descriptions to reflect AI collaboration (e.g., “Works with AI tools to produce insight reports.”)

Assign KPIs to your human + AI team

If AI is part of the team, it should be managed like one. For each AI-augmented role:

• Define clear goals (e.g., faster turnaround, improved quality, reduced error rates).
• Track output and outcomes, not just usage.
• Benchmark against human performance—what would a junior or senior analyst be expected to deliver?

Create incentives for smart AI use

Reward outcomes, not effort. Defeat secret AI usage and encourage smart delegation—to humans and machines:

• Recognize employees who use AI to improve output quality, creativity, or efficiency. Make it a part of weekly reviews.
• Consider internal awards, shoutouts in all-hands, or even bonus structures tied to AI-powered innovation.
• Make AI usage a line item in performance reviews: “How have you integrated AI into your work this quarter?”

Whether you’re ready or not, you’re going to be managing a new kind of team, a team powered by AI.

I’d start doing this work today to lead the team and company of the future.