4 Habits Every Future-Ready Manager Needs in the Age of AI

This is the first in the PowerUp Performance, Rewritten Series, to build future-ready, high-performing employees, teams and organisations.

Managers are navigating one of the most complex work environments of the last two decades. Alongside rising performance expectations, they’re being asked to support employee well-being, guide workforce transformation, and integrate AI into daily operations — often without adequate resources or training.

According to Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace, manager engagement levels dropped by three points to 27% in 2024 — and when managers are disengaged, so are their teams. At the same time, CEOs are placing talent, retention, and transformation at the top of their strategic priorities.

To lead effectively in the age of AI, managers must develop new habits that balance technology with emotional intelligence, data with action, and performance with well-being.

Below are four habits that define the future-ready manager:

1. Prioritise the Human Side of AI Transformation

As AI becomes more embedded in how we work, it’s easy to focus on tools and technology. According to BCG Research on AI Adoption, 74% of companies struggle to scale AI value, largely because they overlook people and process. Their findings are clear: AI leaders invest 10% in algorithms, 20% in technology and data, and 70% in people and process. The maximum value of AI is unlocked through people — how they adopt, adapt to, and work alongside these new systems.

In periods of change like digital transformation, uncertainty is a given. Employees may feel anxious about job security, unclear about shifting responsibilities, or left behind in skill development. Future-ready managers play a critical role in bridging this gap — by ensuring teams are supported, capable, and involved in the transformation.

What to do:

• Begin by mapping the current capabilities across your team. Understand what strengths already exist and where upskilling might be needed.

• Make space for open conversations about AI, change, and roles. Helping people understand the “why” behind changes improves trust and engagement.

• Understand how adding AI-powered processes may impact your team before it happens. It could have both positive and negative effects, which should be taken note of and addressed.

2. Make Data a Daily Management Tool

Managers can no longer afford to make decisions based gut feel, siloed data or outdated insights. The pace and complexity of work today requires continuous feedback, holistic measurement, and proactive action.

Despite access to performance management tools, many teams still rely on quarterly or annual engagement surveys as their main source of team sentiment. These snapshots are too little, too late — especially in environments where change is constant. To make confident decisions, future-ready managers need real-time insight into how their teams are functioning and where support is needed.

IBM’s Global C-Suite Study series states that 72% of CEOs see proprietary data as the key to unlocking GenAI value. This applies equally to managing teams — without quality data, it’s difficult to intervene early, support effectively, or track performance meaningfully.

What to do:

• Use tools that go beyond engagement scores to help you understand team dynamics: presenteeism, energy levels, communication friction, and clarity of direction.

• Use data to identify potential risks to your teams, and take proactive action that sets your team up for future success.

• Align people data with business outcomes. For example, explore how motivation trends correlate with absenteeism, or how energy levels are affecting service quality.

3. Prioritise Self-Development and Self-Care

Managers are often the first to absorb pressure from above and below. Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace data finds that 70% of variance in employee engagement is attributable to their manager, yet many managers report feeling burned out, overwhelmed, and disconnected from organisational priorities.

Effective future-ready leaders will model the behaviours they want to see. They’ll invest in their own behaviours, energy and mindset to create stronger foundations for leading others.

What to do:

• Set boundaries around availability and recovery time. This includes blocking out time for thinking, learning, and uninterrupted work.

• Seek development opportunities that sharpen your skills in coaching, feedback, and performance conversations — the core skills of people leadership.

• Use data from your own activity and reflections to notice patterns in your leadership habits. Self-awareness should be part of your every day, not a luxury.

4. Redefine What High Performance Looks Like

Performance is more than individual output or hitting quarterly targets. In today’s teams, success is co-created — influenced by culture, communication, ways of working and the ability to adapt to shifting priorities.

Many managers still equate performance with productivity, without recognising the enabling conditions that make great work possible. What this looks like may be different for every company or team. For some, great work is enabled by autonomy. For others, it’s likeminded thinking that makes all the difference. Future-ready managers are those who can measure performance not just by results, but by the behaviours and mindsets that enable those results to repeat and scale.

What to do:

• Revisit your current definitions of success with your team. Are they still fit for purpose? Are they aligned with the skills and behaviours you want to grow?

• Build team processes that create space for alignment, feedback and experimentation — this may include ongoing feedback, continuous improvement or peer-to-peer coaching.

• Look at performance trends through a wide lens. Ask not only what’s working, but also why — and how to sustain it.

The role of the manager is evolving fast. From integrating AI to supporting well-being and performance, the expectations are higher — but so is the potential for impact.

Managers who build these four habits will be better equipped to lead through uncertainty, shape high-performing cultures, and turn transformation into a source of strength. And with the right tools and data, they’ll feel confident in their actions.

At PowerUp, we’re helping leaders rewrite their performance approach. Whether your goal is to successfully adopt AI, improve retention, increase engagement - or something in between - PowerUp provides the insights and capabilities to get you there.

Stay tuned for the next post in our “Performance, Rewritten” series: What High-Performance Cultures Will Do Differently.