Mike Pelfini — 10 March 2026

Creating AI ready organizations requires a human-centered approach, a cultural change based on trust and accountability, and support for front-line leaders.

AI adoption remains a top priority in 2026, and is moving rapidly from experimentation into “production at scale”, according to a survey of leaders reported by Randy Bean and Thomas Davenport in the Harvard Business Review (HBR). 

But not everything is advancing at the same pace.

To watch this article as an 8-min video

To listen as an 8-min podcast

“AI technology may be moving at light speed, but people are not,” according to the authors. Over 90 percent of the leaders surveyed “pointed to human issues such as culture and change management as the key challenge to data and AI adoption.” (Emphasis added.)

Similarly, Deloitte’s 2025 State of AI in the Enterprise report finds that the key to becoming AI ready is “investment in change management.” (Emphasis added.) Yet only 37% of organizations are actually investing in “change management, incentives, or training activities” to help integrate new technologies into the workflow.

There’s an obvious disconnect between the desire to implement AI solutions and the efforts being made to achieve that goal. This article examines some of the challenges leaders face in making their organizations AI ready, and offers some possible solutions.

Supporting leaders during AI transformation

Senior leaders are feeling more pressure than ever to deliver the promises of the AI revolution. But they risk overloading midlevel and frontline managers unless they provide resources for the task of becoming AI ready. But it seems that message isn’t getting through.

For example, in an HBR article titled “AI-First Leadership,” author Gregg Kober writes that organizations need “midlevel leaders” to drive execution and enable “transformational change.” While that isn’t controversial, the author implies that these leaders simply aren’t being “effectively leveraged” or “empowered” to transform companies. That sounds like a tall order without providing resources.

Leaders are already overwhelmed, as we discussed in our January 2026 article. The situation is only becoming more acute, driving burnout and impacting entire organizations. Given Deloitte’s finding that just 37% of organizations invest in change management, a new approach is needed. 

It starts with adopting a comprehensive AI ready strategy that emphasizes human centered change. Becoming AI ready includes a broad vision for the ways humans and AI can complement each other, maintaining dialog between employees and leaders, and providing resources for learning and development.

Cultivating a human centered approach

The changes AI is bringing to the workplace can feel frightening and even threatening. People want to know what this disruptive new technology means for them personally. Are their skills already obsolete? Will their jobs exist in the future?

Playing to human strengths. These concerns are natural and pre-date the Industrial Revolution, writes Sandra Durth of McKinsey. Durth says that, in order to become AI ready, organizations should “focus on identifying and cultivating the uniquely human contributions that will matter most” in adopting the new technology. For example, she identifies judgment, empathy, and informed decision-making as some of the “areas where humans complement, rather than compete with, machines.”

The mistake many organizations make is to fully automate processes, or to simply “bolt on” human input as an afterthought.

Instead, organizations can benefit from redesigning workflows so that humans and machines play to each others’ strengths. That could mean having humans “in the loop,” working with AI tools, or “above the loop,” supervising them, according to the author.

Learning and experimentation. To encourage the transition to becoming AI ready, leaders should model learning and experimentation, write Croft et al. in the Harvard Business Review. “When senior leaders experimented publicly [with AI], sharing prompts, acknowledging limitations, or explaining how outputs were validated, it reframed AI use as learning rather than compliance.”

Put another way, when senior leaders model a growth mindset, they demonstrate to everyone that it’s safe to experiment and make mistakes. When people feel safe, they become more open to trying new things that may be outside of their comfort zones. And when whole organizations have that confidence, they develop a learning culture in which growth and development are prized and rewarded.

Building a culture of relationships and accountability

According to a June 2025 survey by consulting firm Gartner, trust makes the most difference between success and failure when adopting AI solutions. The survey found that 57% of “high maturity” organizations “trust and are ready” to use AI solutions, compared with just 14% of “low maturity” organizations.

Similarly, Deloitte’s State of AI in the Enterprise report finds that organizations with the “strongest AI outcomes” share “high levels of organizational trust, data fluency, and agility.” 

The high achievers are also pushing boundaries, resulting in higher levels of fear. The report concludes, “A culture that trusts, even if they fear, demonstrates agility. Change management can help build that trust.” 

Building trust. Building trust starts by reducing change fatigue. Organizations can address the issue by focusing on a few changes at a time, in building periods of stability, and monitoring the workforce for signs of stress and disengagement.

Trust also invites leaders to give their team members autonomy. In times of transformational change, that includes treating team members as partners in decision-making and implementation – an approach dubbed “open source change.” In other words, people who are invested in the process produce better results.

Risk taking. As the Deloitte report finds, however, trust alone won’t produce the best results. People need to push beyond current limits and try things that may feel uncomfortable. That’s why leaders should also encourage smart risk taking.

Most people take fewer risks than they should, according to a Harvard Business Review article entitled “The Secret to Building a High-Performing Team.” The author writes that the most innovative organizations overcome risk aversion through cultures that encourage both “high connection” and “high courage.”

A culture of relationships and accountability. These cultures emphasize both relationships and accountability, creating a “feedback rich” environment in which “employees feel genuinely valued and listened to even if they are not [always] agreed with.” By delivering feedback with “high care,” the authors write, employees are encouraged to move out of their comfort zones and take the risks needed for innovation.

Building AI ready organizations begins by supporting the leaders charged with implementing change. Beyond providing financial support, organizations must create a broad vision for human – AI collaboration, build trust, and encourage both learning and risk taking. 

If you’d like to learn more about building an AI ready culture, please contact us.

About ForeMeta

ForeMeta prepares leaders for breakthrough transformation. Founded by executive coach and Vistage Chair Dr. Mike Pelfini, ForeMeta focuses on the people who make the decisions—helping CEOs and leaders of small to mid-sized companies and nonprofits deepen their self-leadership, clarify their why, and expand their capacity to lead. 

Through 1:1 executive coaching and thoughtfully facilitated peer groups, ForeMeta helps leaders create new possibilities and more fulfilling results for themselves, their organizations, and their communities. Contact us.

©Mike Pelfini 2026, all rights reserved.