Maslow worked this out long before any of us could even spell “Artificial Intelligence”!

Everyone is talking about AI.

 

And yet, in the conversations I am having with HR professionals and people leaders, what comes up more than the technology itself is the anxiety sitting underneath it.

 

The people I talk to generally have mixed feelings. They see AI as a tool that can help them get stuff done, but at the same time, they are really worried about what it means for their job, their role, and their family.

 

And honestly, that worry makes complete sense.

 

About one in four leaders say the push to implement AI is already stressing out their staff.

 

More than half of employees feel left behind when it comes to AI skills and say they are not getting enough direction or support from their leaders.

 

That is not a technology gap. That is a people gap.

 

Recent studies tell us that in organisations investing in AI, the strongest predictor of whether employees actually embrace and use it is not the software or the rollout plan.

 

It is whether their direct manager backs it and gets behind it.

 

The manager.

 

Which brings us to something I keep coming back to.

 

People do not resist technology because they are not capable. They resist it because nobody has taken the time to sit with them and explain what it actually means for their role, their future, and their mortgage.

 

Maslow worked this out long before any of us could even spell “Artificial Intelligence”.

 

People need to feel safe before they can grow. AI adoption is no different. Until leaders address those very human concerns around security and belonging, no amount of technology investment will move the needle.

 

This is a brilliant opportunity for people leaders. Because the skills needed to navigate this moment, empathy, self-awareness, and the ability to bring people with you through uncertainty, are skills that you can’t download. You have to develop them.

 

And these are skills we can identify, develop, and support through the right assessments.

 

The organisations that get AI right will not necessarily be the big ones with the deepest pockets. They will be the ones whose leaders understand their people well enough and have the skills to bring them on the journey.

 

What is your experience? Are your people getting into AI, or quietly hoping it passes them by?

 

I would genuinely love to hear your thoughts in the comments.