The world is evolving from Generative AI – passive and prompt-based – to Agentic AI: active, autonomous systems. As these agents integrate into core business functions, they are reshaping the world of work. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang envisions having a workforce one day made of 50,000 people and 100 million agents.
This shift demands a fundamental rethink of leadership. Unlike traditional automation, Agentic AI performs multi-step tasks, applies judgement, learns and acts on goals with far less oversight. It’s more than process efficiency – it’s a redefinition of roles, workflows and governance. In our last insight, we looked at the ways in which leaders can futureproof their own careers, adapting their offering to exploit new opportunities in the face of AI-driven structural change in the executive job market. Here, we look at how they can lead hybrid human/agentic workforces effectively, harmoniously and ethically, a skill that will become increasingly critical to organisational success – and sought after – in the months and years to come.
As machines move further into the realms of white-collar and knowledge-based tasks and functions, organisations might opt to prioritise efficiency savings or growth.
While a third of CEOs are looking to reduce headcounts through AI, the more strategic approach is to augment human productivity and build blended workforces that work in harmony to drive growth, innovation and employee engagement.
The presence of autonomous software agents introduces a novel dimension to organisational leadership. Leaders will be expected to supervise hybrid teams composed of human personnel and algorithmic agents. This requires the development of new competencies. Familiarity with the operational logic of digital agents will be essential. Leaders must be equipped to evaluate outputs critically, interpret process transparency and respond proportionately when systems operate beyond their intended parameters.
Crucially, leaders will also need to communicate clearly with their human teams about the purpose and limitations of automated counterparts. Trust, which has traditionally been fostered through interpersonal credibility and relationships, must now be extended to the technological instruments of the organisation, and language will be important: framing AI agents as co-pilots or support systems, not the competition. This can only occur through transparency, continuous education and robust governance frameworks that ensure human agency remains at the centre of decision-making.
Every executive function has a part to play:
The rise of agentic systems requires a thorough reassessment of job structures across multiple domains. As well as the more obvious deployments, such as next-gen natural language chat bots offering hyper-personalised customer services and sales, these systems are increasingly capable of performing complex tasks such as project coordination, data interpretation, predictive planning such as maintenance and supply chains, talent acquisition and even elements of strategic planning.
Within the next five years, digital agents could hold operational responsibility for roles traditionally reserved for junior to mid-level professionals including research analysts, procurement coordinators, account managers and elements of compliance monitoring.
Autonomous agents offer multiple potential advantages including operational consistency, accelerated task execution, round-the-clock availability and increased productivity.
There is also a clear opportunity for diversification of career trajectories. As digital agents assume routine functions, leaders should seek opportunities to release and upskill human workers to pursue more complex, collaborative or experimental work, increasing employee engagement, satisfaction and productivity. They will also need to consider hiring externally or redeploying from within to integrate the new human-AI coordination roles that will become core to successful hybrid workforces, including ethical oversight officers, systems auditors, data managers and verifiers and augmentation strategists. Every task and product created and serviced by AI will need human oversight.
Human-AI integration raises tough questions. Displacement is real, especially in task-heavy sectors. Training helps, but change is accelerating and jobs are being lost in vast numbers before new ones emerge to replace them in this most disruptive stage of adoption. Salesforce’s Agentforce AI now handles 85% of customer queries – half of one 9,000-person department was redeployed. Just 500 of those reassigned to tech roles could save $50 million – but 4,500 risk unemployment.
Agentic systems can also embed bias or make decisions with no clear accountability. If left unchecked, or allowed to run without boundaries, they could undermine fairness, culture and trust. Those boundaries must be reviewed and redesigned constantly, employing human nuance, creativity and empathy.
Over-reliance is another danger. Agents are tools, not substitutes for judgement or ethics. Leaders must draw clear lines between what machines can do and what only humans should do. Strong governance is essential: audit systems, ensure traceability and keep decision-making transparent.
In the short term, expect AI agents in scheduling, reporting and knowledge management, embedded in existing tools and acting on contextual triggers. In five years, probably less, we are likely to see them support decisions in client services, forecasting and procurement, or even initiate and execute actions independently, within set boundaries.
Agents trained on internal data will align more closely with company goals. But success hinges on more than rollout – it’s about education. Workers need to understand why AI is here, how it works, and what it means for them.
Organisations must invest in critical thinking, digital literacy and cross-disciplinary collaboration. Structures should support integrated teams – humans and AI agents working together, not in parallel.
Inclusion is vital. Transformation must account for geographic, demographic and educational diversity. Tailored support, designed by humans, for humans, is essential to ensure everyone can take part.
The shift to human-AI teams affects more than companies – it touches labour markets, income, regional economies and cohesion. How many jobs it will displace is a matter of debate. A Goldman Sachs report estimated 300 million jobs could be lost by 2030, the World Economic Forum (WEF) places it at a far less dramatic nine million, while Ford CEO Jim Farley said half of white-collar jobs could go.
However, the WEF also says 11 million jobs could be created by AI.
Executives have their part to play in what happens next. They must not only manage internal change but engage with policy, education and social impact. That means supporting displaced workers, reporting automation’s effects and acting transparently.
Ethical leadership balances innovation with inclusion. The opportunity is real – but so is the obligation. AI agents won’t define success. Leadership will. Aligning people and technology around shared goals is the ultimate goal for humanity.
Rialto support executives and leadership teams to protect core business operations while integrating emerging technologies to develop disruptive strategies and models. Our expert teams help leaders to reflect and gain perspective on their leadership approach, organisational processes and strategies to breakthrough stagnation and drive sustainable progress.
Whether you’re seeking to accelerate innovation, redesign operation, or strengthen your teams, Rialto executive career and business change coaches are ready to support you. Contact us today to explore how our strategic leadership and collaboration solutions can propel your organisation forward.
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