It’s true! October is here and we are entering the last half of 2026. Is it me, or is time traveling at the speed of AI? Which is more than mega fast, as I’m sure you will agree!
Over the past two months, I’ve been discussing Gallup’s research on Employee Engagement Strategies for 2026 and the root causes of employee disillusionment. If you missed the four tips on how self-aware leaders build employee engagement (from disillusioned to delighted), you can read it here.
In the same study about employee disengagement, Gallup’s research on AI adoption found that as of February 2026, 4 in 10 organizations have begun integrating AI into the workplace, but only 28% of employees use it frequently. Rolling something out isn’t the same as people actually adopting it. And only 25% of employees say their organization has communicated a clear plan for integrating AI at all.
Plus, the fear of speed is real and rising. Not only have top leaders in the AI race joined in warnings to slow development down for fear of catastrophic threats to humanity but Health Action Alliance (HAA) reports that 70% of Americans are more worried than excited about AI and 24% of U.S employees say AI is negatively affecting their mental health today.
➡️ Overwhelmed by the Impact of AI on You and Your Team’s Well-Being? Book a Discovery Call and Let’s Talk About How To Get Through It!
HAA recently polled HR, benefits and corporate wellness executives and found that even though leaders are taking some actions to help mitigate the speed and incorporation of AI, employees are not yet feeling the impact. These companies are investing in employee training, communicating a clear vision or strategy, allocating budget or resources, and revising policies and governance related to AI use. But only 19% of those polled believe their leadership’s approach to AI transitions has been effective at supporting employees, and only 14% said that AI adoption has positively impacted employee morale at their organization.
Gallup’s research presents a solution that self-aware leaders already know: manager support isn’t a nice-to-have here. It’s the single strongest lever they identified.
Four Ways Self-Aware Leaders Support Managers with AI Adoption
📣 They communicate a clear strategy for adopting AI: Managers engage more readily when they see a defined, well-thought out approach that acknowledges risks and concerns. Self-aware leaders know how to engage in effective behaviors that drive clarity and enable their managers to execute well. These include being transparent about the risks and rewards, communicating a clear vision for desired outcomes, and realistically managing timelines and commitments.
🙋 They advocate for and engage AI at both the individual and team level: Self-aware leaders actively develop individuals and teams, knowing the strengths and opportunities of their managers and the team as a whole. They model their own use; encourage individual manager adoption as part of everyday mentoring and management; and connect the right tools to enable team development and high-performance.
🎯 They provide role-specific training that supports individual use and benefit: Generic AI training may get some managers to adopt AI more quickly than others, but that doesn’t necessarily indicate productive AI adoption. Self-aware leaders know the importance of building a strong leadership bench, and supporting individuals throughout their organization with the right training tied to improving their actual tasks. And they provide guidance on secure, responsible use so managers can feel confident supporting their teams the same way they are supported by their leaders.
📋 They establish clear policies and guidelines aligned with values and culture: Well-defined boundaries give people the confidence to explore AI’s potential without second-guessing whether they’re allowed to. Self-aware leaders that create positive and high performing cultures know that ambiguity creates hesitation and clarity creates adoption. The more managers feel supported on the why and the how for AI adoption, the more engaged, empowered, and delighted they will be.
If your team was asked today whether you actively support their use of AI — would they say yes? Would they say you’ve made the “why it matters to my job” clear? This is one more area where the gap between what you intend and what your team experiences can quietly shape outcomes.
With cheers to your managers,
Loretta
P.S. Curious how your team experiences your leadership through AI adoption? We have spots available in our high-touch, low-cost Self-Aware Leader Accelerator 3- and 6-month coaching programs. They feature our enhanced, digital 360-degree feedback platform that helps leaders measure their effectiveness against these 4 themes, and provides development resources and an action plan template to help strengthen employee engagement in the areas needed.