AI won’t replace managers. But managers who ignore AI will replace themselves

There’s been a lot of conversation around the role of managers in the age of AI . We’ve all seen the clickbait: “AI is coming for your job.”

That tagline is lazy and dangerous. The bigger truth is that AI will expose managers who play it safe, cling to spreadsheets, and ignore what makes them truly human. The best managers don’t get outmaneuvered by AI, they use it as a force multiplier. And that doesn’t necessarily mean leaders who are fluent in technical jargon. It means managers who double down on what machines can’t replicate: judgment, trust, and wisdom.

The myth vs. reality of AI and jobs

Managers everywhere need to stop panicking about robots stealing their jobs. They do, however, need to evolve with it.

Companies have poured tens of billions into GenAI. Still, according to a re