AI Impact Depends on the Practices That Grow Talent | | |
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From role clarity to capability-building, leaders unlock AI value by designing talent systems that embed new behaviors and scale what works. | | |
Leaders unlock AI value by making it everyone's responsibility. When organizations struggle to move beyond pilot mode, the difference often lies in how they engage their people. Firms pulling ahead aren't doing more—they're doing what matters. They align around a few high-impact workflows, build trust through transparency, and scale success by activating clearly defined human roles: shapers, builders, consumers, and stewards. With executive sponsorship, employee confidence in GenAI rises from 15% to 55%. | | |
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Adoption doesn't stick until behavior changes. Over 85% of employees remain in early AI use stages, with few reaching a true collaboration stage where real business value emerges. Leaders often focus on metrics like tool usage rather than capability-building. BCG's data reveals five employee personas—champions, explorers, adopters, observers, and skeptics—that determine adoption quality. | | |
AI Adoption Hurdles Vary by Mindset and Personal AI Readiness | | |
| | Lack of trust in AI outputs | | | |
| | Cybersecurity and copyright concerns | | | |
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Talent flows are shifting and so must strategy. While global talent mobility declined 8.5% in 2025, new regional hot spots like the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia are rising as magnets for AI and STEM expertise. While the US remains dominant, traditional powerhouses like the UK and Canada are losing ground. With 2.4 million highly skilled workers still on the move in the last 12 months, organizations need sharper strategies for sourcing, developing, and retaining AI-ready talent. Lasting advantage belongs to leaders who build systems that adapt as fast as the talent they seek. | | |
Global Top Talent Mobility Has Slowed by 8.5% Versus the Prior Year | | |
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Sources: BCG Top Talent Tracker, Q4 2025; BCG analysis. | | |
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Interim President of Howard University, renowned cancer surgeon, and former interim CEO of the American Cancer Society, Wayne A.I. Frederick, MD, MBA, FACS, reflects on leading through personal and institutional crisis. In a compelling exchange with BCG's Jim Hemerling, he shares the faith-driven philosophy that helped him navigate one of higher education's most complex leadership roles—while laying the groundwork for Howard's historic rise to Research One status. | | |
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