'Shock absorbers': Korn Ferry says managers are carrying AI change that executives aren’t ready to lead | Fortune

Korn Ferry reported that 66% of surveyed respondents expect managers to devote more time to guiding teams through change than to overseeing day-to-day work, underscoring a gap between AI-driven transformation and executive readiness to lead it. The finding positions middle managers as “shock absorbers” absorbing the operational strain of AI adoption that senior leaders are unprepared to direct. The survey highlights how AI change management is increasingly falling to frontline supervisors rather than the C-suite. It matters because companies racing to deploy AI risk burnout and execution delays if managers are stretched beyond their capacity. Watch for follow-up data on manager workload, training investment, and whether firms adjust executive accountability for AI rollouts.