80 percent see their companies as unprepared for the AI era

To analyze the role of managers in the AI transformation, Kearney and Egon Zehnder surveyed over 100 managers from various industries worldwide. The "AI in Leadership" analysis shows how they assess the future impact of AI on their organizations - and how well prepared they feel for it.

Key findings:

• The majority of business leaders expect serious upheavals in the company, but do not see any major changes for their own role. While only 43 percent of respondents expect their role to change as a result of the implementation of AI, 70 percent assume that their company will have to deal with the change over the next five years.
• The attitude towards AI is generally positive: managers see more opportunities than risks. More than 90 percent of those surveyed say this in relation to their own role. They assess the opportunities for their company in a similar way: for 85%, the opportunities offered by AI are the main focus.
• Companies are not well prepared for the upcoming changes. Only 41% of business leaders believe that they have the necessary skills to cope with the upheavals that AI will cause in the next five years. In terms of the organization as a whole, just 20 percent are convinced that their organizations are prepared for the change.
• Understanding AI is essential for managers to feel prepared. 89% of managers who consider their organizations to be prepared believe that this is primarily due to their own understanding of AI. Sufficient resources (time, money, personnel) and a supportive corporate culture are also perceived as important, albeit to a lesser extent at 70 and 74 percent respectively.
• A lack of resources leads to a lack of preparation. 73 percent of managers who see their organization as unprepared attribute this to a lack of money, personnel and time. The understanding of leadership for AI and the corporate culture are also important elements. The evaluation revealed an approval rating of 51 and 59 percent respectively.
• An AI strategy is essential. This is the opinion of around three quarters of respondents. Most are aware that a strategy alone is not enough. Only 14 percent are satisfied with strategy development for the time being. The majority are therefore taking more comprehensive measures, such as investing in infrastructure (49%), establishing external partnerships (44%) and recruiting experts (39%).

The survey shows that managers play a central role in preparing their organizations for the impact of AI. Although company management will hardly notice any changes in their day-to-day function, AI will have a major impact on company processes.

"In times of change, good leadership is essential - whether decision-makers act as role models in the AI transformation will be a key factor. This is the only way that companies will be able to use artificial intelligence profitably for their value creation in the future," says Dr. Mirko Warschun, Partner at Kearney and member of the European Leadership Team.

Christian Wohlgensinger, consultant at Egon Zehnder and responsible for T&C and AI in DACH, emphasizes: "The study shows that managers need to be able to navigate through uncertain times more than ever before. Emerging opportunities and challenges must be made visible in order to act rather than react. It will be important to motivate teams to embrace change, continuously learn and develop. This requires a willingness to question oneself, experiment and take risks, as well as the ability to communicate a compelling vision for the future that inspires and motivates others to join the journey."

Source: www.de.kearney.com