What leadership looks like now and in the future

Every few days, a new headline reminds us how quickly technology is advancing. I read them with curiosity and with an awareness that behind every data point are real people trying to understand what this change means for their work, their families and their futures.

Leadership shows up in how people experience the moment. Periods of rapid change demand new strategies. They also demand strong leadership and a deliberate emphasis on people. Confidence, trust and a sense of direction do not emerge automatically during disruption. They are shaped by how leaders show up.

In the labour market especially, outcomes are influenced by how people feel. How confident individuals feel about taking a new role. How confident employers feel about the future when deciding whether to hire, invest or grow. Feelings and fear have real economic impact. That makes leadership behaviour consequential.

Today’s leaders are managing two horizons at once. The now is the work that keeps organizations running. Serving customers and clients. Delivering results. Sustaining performance. The next is the work that prepares people for what lies ahead. Developing skills. Experimenting with new tools. Learning how our organizations must change in an AI-enabled world.

Every organization has people focused across both horizons. Strong leadership recognizes their interdependence and creates room for both. Many transformation efforts struggle because they assume change unfolds evenly. In practice, people engage with new expectations at different speeds, shaped by experience, exposure, confidence and opportunity.

This is reflected clearly in ManpowerGroup’s 2026 Global Talent Barometer. As AI adoption accelerates, confidence in using AI has declined. Most workers feel capable in their current roles, yet less certain about how they will fit into what comes next. At the same time, most workers are choosing to stay with their employers. They are not disengaging. They are waiting for clarity that helps them connect today’s work to tomorrow’s opportunity.

Moments like this call for clarity about what guides leadership decisions when the path forward is not fully defined. A small set of principles can help leaders act with consistency and intent, even amid uncertainty.

These principles show up in everyday leadership choices. They influence how change is explained, how expectations are set, and how people are supported as work evolves. We must change our own view of leaders from all knowing to seeking to understand, curious to learn, and a willingness to disrupt something we as leaders built when our team or the market tells us it’s time for change.

The leaders who stand out in this environment create stability through clarity. Individual employees need to see clear paths forward and many ultimately do not. According to our research, 50% of employees do not feel technology will make work better for them, and 41% fear their role will be replaced by automation in the next two years. This uncertainty is understandable given that 39% of core workforce skills will be disrupted by 2030. However, if AI is deployed in the right way, it will enable organizations to grow, creating more opportunities for humans, not less. As leaders, it is up to us to surface questions early and explain why change is happening and how it connects to real work. This helps people understand where they fit, both now and over time, and invites those closest to the business to provide input and experience.

It also requires leaders to be students of ourselves. The pace of change makes it impossible for any one person to have all the answers. We must know our blind spots and seek out perspectives that challenge our assumptions. All while remaining curious about what we do not yet understand and commit to continual learning and development, both for ourselves and for our teams.

This mindset builds trust. It signals that learning is expected, that it is safe to ask questions, and that growth is part of everyone’s job.

AI is advancing quickly, yet people absorb change differently. Leadership requires strategies that allow progress without creating division.

A multi-tempo approach helps organizations move forward together. Some roles require sustained focus on execution, others benefit from deeper exploration and experimentation, grounded in the realities of today’s business. When leaders make room for both, performance and readiness reinforce each other. Organizations continue to deliver today while preparing people for what comes next.

Technology will continue to evolve. Work will continue to change. Leadership will be defined by how well new strategies, strong leadership, and an emphasis on people come together in practice. The future will belong not to those who go the fastest, but to those who bring the most people with them. That is how we lead the now and the next, and that is how we build a world where progress includes everyone.