Strong leadership will be key as AI reshapes the workforce

As artificial intelligence changes how work gets done, experts say strong leadership will play a critical role in helping employees adapt to shifting responsibilities, evolving technologies and changing workplace demands.

Texas A&M researchers Seung Won Yoon, professor in human resource development, and Kyung Nam Kim, a Ph.D. candidate in human resource development, study how leadership and career development are evolving as employees increasingly adapt their roles around AI and changing workplace demands. They argue that proactively reshaping responsibilities, relationships and skills to better align with changing business demands — job crafting — may be a critical link between leadership and career development as organizations increasingly integrate AI into everyday work.

In a review of more than 600 articles on leadership, job crafting and career development, the researchers found little work connecting all three areas. They propose a new framework in which leadership facilitates employees’ ability to engage in job crafting, strengthening adaptability, teamwork and long-term career development.

“Leaders are not simply people who influence how jobs can evolve in the workplace,” Kim said. “This has become even more important in the context of AI because leaders often determine what should be automated, like repeated tasks, and what should remain human-centered. AI tools are constantly advancing, but as human employees, we also have room to grow and adapt to any situation as well.”

Yoon said AI is accelerating a broader shift away from traditional labor structures and toward a workforce increasingly centered on adaptable skills.

“Historically, when powerful technologies such as the steam engine or electricity transformed work, they changed how tasks were performed but often left the broader structure of jobs intact. AI is different because it can reshape not only tasks, but also the underlying architecture of work itself,” Yoon said. “Across industries, we are seeing a shift toward skills, automation and AI-assisted content generation, all of which are influencing productivity and job design. We are moving toward a more skill-based economy where some skills are rapidly becoming obsolete or less valuable, while entirely new skills and combinations of skills are emerging.”

As organizations increasingly integrate AI into everyday work, Yoon and Kim say employees are being asked to adapt more quickly than ever, often by reshaping responsibilities and developing new technical and professional skills.

That transition may be especially difficult for younger workers and recent college graduates entering a workforce already being reshaped by automation, Yoon said.

“AI is increasingly changing the nature of many entry-level jobs that college graduates have traditionally used to gain experience and learn from senior colleagues. If organizations reduce opportunities for early-career talent, they may unintentionally create gaps in workforce development and knowledge transfer across generations,” he said. “Students need to continuously develop new skills, both during college and throughout their careers, because we do not yet know exactly what many future entry-level positions will look like.”

How organizations choose to integrate AI into job responsibilities may ultimately shape not only productivity, but also workplace culture and long-term employee development, Kim said.

“Now more than ever, organizations are expecting employees to redesign their work in a bottom to top approach because employees have better insight into how tasks can be improved more efficiently and effectively with AI, and leadership massively influences this,” she said. “Our findings show that leaders who empower employees, provide job resources, and promote autonomy enhance both individual and team capabilities. They also create a supportive environment where employees feel encouraged to take initiative and adapt their roles to meet the organization’s evolving goals.”

By Emma Lawson, Texas A&M University Division of Marketing and Communications