From Permission to Practice 

Many organizations have already put AI tools in employees’ hands. The next challenge is helping people use them well. 

Across Korn Ferry, employees have access to generative AI tools. Yet access alone does not answer the questions many employees still face daily:

• When should I use AI and how much should I trust the output? 
• What still requires human judgment? 
• Does experimenting with AI count as work, or does it compete with my "real" work? 
• How do I help my team adopt AI when I am still learning too? 

Korn Ferry’s internal AI Impact Survey reveals a clear pattern: employees are already using generative AI, but the value they generate depends heavily on their level of proficiency. Confidence, capability, and practice determine whether AI delivers meaningful impact. 

AI transformation succeeds when leaders create confidence to practice, not simply permission to use AI. 

Proficiency Changes the Outcome 

The survey shows impact steadily climbs as AI proficiency grows.  

• Among Experimenters, 67% report a positive impact on speed. That figure rises to 86% among Practitioners and 91% among Experts. 
• The pattern is similar for quality of work, increasing from 67% to 85% to 93% across those same groups.  
• Positive impact on higher-value work rises from 70% to 84% to 91%. 

Expert users stand out for asking better questions, challenging weak outputs, and knowing when their judgment should lead. Like any skill, that capability develops through repetition. People build confidence when they see examples, experiment, refine their approach, and learn what good looks like.  

The survey also suggests that context matters. Employees are more likely to embrace AI when they understand why the organization is investing in it and how it will help them do their work better.  

Leaders Need Support Too 

Many companies expect leaders to drive AI transformation without giving them enough support. Leaders are expected to drive change while also learning AI themselves. They need space to ask questions, test real uses, discuss uncertainty, and develop the capability to guide their teams. 

The survey shows why this support matters: 

• ‍50% cite lack of time to learn, experiment, or find the best use cases  ‍
• 23% cite lack of training  ‍
• 25% cite lack of trust  ‍
• 35% cite time spent verifying or correcting AI-generated work  ‍
• 31% say polished responses can still lack substance 

Leaders face the same questions and challenges as the broader employee population, while also being expected to guide AI adoption across their teams. They need to understand how AI works in practice, and how to help teams adopt it without creating confusion or fear.  

Korn Ferry is addressing this directly through its AI Ready Leadership training enablement program, designed to help leaders accelerate AI adoption and enhance client delivery. The program is rolling out in cohorts, focusing on AI mindset, driving adoption, and leading through change. Around 30 senior executives have also received 1:1 AI coaching to support their own AI journeys. 

That hands-on experience allows leaders to become more credible when discussing AI with their teams. They can speak from experience, particularly when defining where human judgment remains essential. 

Korn Ferry is also delivering practical AI-for-leadership sessions built around real use cases. Those sessions have helped leaders move beyond abstract AI concepts and into the practical questions employees are asking: How will this change my work? What should I try first? What still requires my judgment? 

If experimentation feels like something employees must do after hours, adoption slows. If expectations for human review remain unclear, teams will create their own inconsistent rules.  

AI-Ready Leaders Play Three Roles 

AI-Ready leadership frames the leader’s role in three ways: the user, the translator, and the strategist. 

As users, leaders need enough hands-on experience to understand AI’s potential and limits. They may not need to become technical experts, but they should be able to use AI in their own work to improve thinking, decision-making, communication, and output quality. 

As translators, leaders help teams connect AI capabilities to practical business applications. They translate abstract AI possibilities into real, relevant behaviors, workflows, priorities, and outcomes. 

As strategists, leaders decide where AI should create value. They look at where AI is changing business models, customer expectations, and competitive advantages, then decide where the organization should act. 

Those roles connect directly to Korn Ferry’s AI-Ready Leader model.  

• Leaders need to address fear because processes will change, roles will change, and new skills will be required. Employees cannot flourish in uncertainty.  
• They need to champion learning and unlearning because teams must rethink habits and old practices.  
• And they need to sustain the vision through the journey of AI transformation. 

What Leaders Should Do Now 

Model the Behavior  

Show how you use AI in your own work. A visible example from a leader legitimizes experimenting far more than an instruction to “use AI more.”  

Create Space to Discuss Fears 

AI transformation can raise real concerns about roles, skills, and value. Leaders should make room for those conversations and respond with transparency. 

Protect Time to Practice 

Lack of time is the top barrier to increased AI use. Treat learning as part of the work. 

Define the Boundaries 

Trust grows when people know the rules. Be clear about what AI can draft, what humans must review, what data can be used, and where human accountability remains essential. 

The promise of Human + AI has never been about replacing people. It has always been about helping people do their best work. Our findings suggest this happens when leaders move beyond permission and create the confidence, trust, and support people need to practice.  

AI may accelerate the work, but human judgment, relationships, and accountability remain the foundation of lasting value. 

This article expands on the Leadership Imperative horizon in Korn Ferry’s Human + AI Journey, our broader story of how we are applying Human + AI inside our own organization and bringing those lessons to clients. Learn more about Korn Ferry’s Human + AI Journey. 

How We Did It 

These findings are based on Korn Ferry’s Internal AI Impact Survey, which examined how colleagues are adopting and applying generative AI at work. The survey included 754 respondents across global business units and was fielded in December 2025 and January 2026. Survey findings were supplemented by qualitative input from internal team leaders and operational examples from active AI-enabled workflows. 

We analyzed respondents across two dimensions: AI proficiency and workflow maturity. AI proficiency reflects respondents’ self-reported skill level and usage, with respondents categorized as Novices, Experimenters, Practitioners, or Experts.  

Examples of leadership support reflect Korn Ferry’s internal AI leadership enablement efforts, including AI Ready Leadership training, executive AI coaching, and practical AI-for-leadership sessions.