The AI Revolution: How Managers Will Thrive (or Strive) in 2026
As artificial intelligence rapidly transitions from experimental novelty to indispensable operational tool, the role of the manager is undergoing a profound transformation. While AI’s presence in the workplace reached unprecedented levels in 2025, a significant challenge remains: a collective lack of firm grasp on this technology, both among individual managers and within their organizations. A recent MIT study starkly highlighted this, revealing that a staggering 91% of data leaders in major corporations identify “cultural challenges and change management” as the primary hurdles to becoming data-driven. Ironically, only 9% pointed to technological difficulties.
With AI’s full-blown implementation now a reality across countless companies, managers are tasked with defining their AI-related responsibilities and navigating emerging issues on the fly. This article explores what that experience is projected to look like in 2026, whether managers are fully prepared or not.
The Current Pulse: Managers’ AI Expectations
A recent survey by Legion Technologies, a leading workforce management platform, polled U.S. company managers on their expectations for AI in 2026. The findings reveal a clear desire for practical benefits:
- 55% anticipate AI will simplify scheduling within the next year.
- 50% expect a reduction in administrative tasks.
- 49% foresee improved onboarding processes.
“For many managers, AI offers a way to cut through the day-to-day noise and focus on what drives performance,” notes Traci Chernoff, senior director of employee engagement at Legion Technologies. “Most are ready to adopt tools that help them schedule more efficiently and reduce time spent on routine tasks, but access and implementation still lag.” Chernoff emphasizes AI’s potential to dynamically adjust staffing, automate repetitive updates, and support smarter scheduling decisions, offering “efficiency and relief” in a time where every decision counts.
Unlocking Efficiency: AI as a Time-Saving Ally
One of AI’s most compelling benefits lies in its capacity to significantly reduce routine processing tasks. Danielle Spires, Vice President and Head of Digital at Asana in San Francisco, offers a compelling personal account:
“On my team, AI manages initial content reviews, competitive monitoring, performance data synthesis, and meeting preparation. Previously, I spent 4-5 hours each week consolidating status updates. Now, an AI agent collects updates from Asana, identifies blockers, and drafts my talking points, allowing me to focus more on coaching and strategy.” This shift frees up invaluable managerial time, redirecting it towards higher-value activities that truly impact team performance and strategic direction.
Elevating Human Connection: AI for Enhanced Team Experiences
In today’s workplace, employees often view their direct manager as their most trusted source of company updates, placing immense pressure on leaders. Sabra Sciolaro, Chief People Officer at Firstup, highlights a common challenge: “Too often, managers are consumed by relaying updates or chasing acknowledgments instead of leading.”
Sciolaro anticipates that AI will increasingly automate routine communication and administrative follow-ups. “When organizations use data to confirm employees have received and understood updates, managers are freed from repetitive tasks and can focus more time on coaching, problem-solving, and high-value conversations that require human judgment,” she explains. By offloading the mundane, AI empowers managers to invest more deeply in the human elements of leadership.
The New Managerial Mandate: Supervising AI
By 2026, managers will confidently delegate numerous activities to AI, including meeting note-taking, performance tracking, scheduling, and drafting initial reports and forecasts. However, this delegation comes with a critical new responsibility.
“This will allow managers to focus on more strategic activities, but it will also introduce more responsibility, as they will have to supervise AI performances, validate output, and ensure it is in the organization’s best interest,” states Baruch Labunski, founder of Rank Secure, a Toronto-based digital marketing firm. He clarifies, “AI is not going to remove the workload, but it will allow for a more complicated and higher order of operational thinking.”
Furthermore, Labunski predicts that most businesses in 2026 will integrate AI into their core business activities rather than maintaining it on a pilot basis. “AI will be incorporated into administrative HR functions, project management software, CRM systems, AI Insight dashboards, and other key business areas,” he says. For managers, this translates into even greater time demands, as they will be expected to act on AI insights, guide teams through process adaptations, and concurrently manage both functions and people.
Navigating the AI Frontier: Practical Tips for Managers
Workplace experts universally agree that the most effective corporate AI strategies prioritize reducing friction, not replacing people. “That’s why it’s important to be clear with teams that AI and digital tools are there to reduce the burden, not to replace the human role of leadership,” advises Sciolaro.
Managers should strategically deploy AI for routine, repetitive tasks, while maintaining complete transparency with their teams about how these tools are being utilized. When AI effectively minimizes administrative overhead and provides clarity on information dissemination and comprehension, managers are better positioned to lead with empathy, strategic vision, and a renewed focus on their team members.
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