Why we asked how ready managers are to lead with AI
Written by Sharon Peake, CEO & Founder, Shape Talent
Last month, I wrote about the human leadership skills AI is making more important, drawing on The Leadership Leap, the research Dr Priscila Pereira led earlier this year. The natural next question is a practical one: how ready are managers to lead with AI today?
It matters because the value organisations realise from AI depends, in large part, on how managers lead their people through the change. Yet many employers are not confident that their managers are ready for that role.
That’s the question behind our new research, which we’ll launch on Wednesday 25 November. Ahead of the launch, I want to explain why we asked it, who we asked and how.
Why managers
Managers are where AI strategy meets everyday work. They’re the ones who turn plans into practical actions, guide their teams through changes to roles and decide, day to day, how the tools are actually used.
So we went to the source and asked managers themselves.
What we asked
Our new research tests the model from The Leadership Leap with people managers. We asked them about:
- what they actually do as they lead AI-related change, across 16 statements built on the capabilities in our first paper
- how AI adoption is going in their organisation and their team
- what would help them lead with AI
- how often they use AI, whether they’ve had formal AI training, and how well they understand it
Who we asked, and how
We surveyed 1,000 people managers in organisations with 1,000 or more employees, 662 in the UK and 338 in Germany, in September 2026. Participants were recruited through the research platform Prolific, screened for a management role, and took part voluntarily and anonymously.
Why it matters now
For many talent leaders, this is the planning season. Budgets for next year’s leadership development are being set, and programmes and talent review criteria are being refreshed.
Anyone who knows me will know I always say ‘start with the data’. Before next year’s development interventions are designed, it helps to know where managers are ready, where they are not, and where development needs to start.
Join us on 25 November
On Wednesday 25 November, 11:30–12:30 GMT, Dr Priscila Pereira, Dr Holly Andrews and I will share the findings for the first time in a live Zoom webinar, Optimising your AI strategy depends on your leaders. Are they ready? hosted by Rachel Schofield.
There’ll be time for questions, and everyone who registers will receive the recording and the report. If you’re planning how to develop your managers next year, I’d love you to join us.
Register for the research launch: Optimising your AI strategy depends on your leaders. Are they ready?
For the 7 critical leadership capabilities identified in our first research report, take a look at last month’s blog, Beyond the tools: https://shapetalent.com/beyond-the-tools-the-human-leadership-skills-ai-is-making-more-important/
To discover how ready your leaders are across these seven critical capabilities, take our 2-minute AI-Leadership Readiness assessment: https://sharon-ai-leadership-readiness.scoreapp.com
FAQs
What is the research about?
It looks at how ready managers in large UK and German organisations are to lead with AI, and what would help them.
Who carried out the research?
Dr Priscila Pereira, Shape Talent’s Director of Research and Consulting, led the research. Dr Holly Andrews validated the AI Leadership Readiness Scale and ran the analysis, and Sharon Peake is a co-author.
When will the findings be published?
The findings will be shared live on Wednesday 25 November, and the full report will be available to everyone who registers.
