We’ve noticed something in conversations with clients lately: people are no longer asking what AI can do. Instead, they’re asking how it will change their organisation. It’s a good question and lots of the answers are still emerging. As we look towards 2026, there are a few things that we think leaders should hold front of mind.
Say hello to your new AI colleagues
AI is becoming a real part of team capacity, not just a tool in the background. Teams increasingly include humans and AI working side by side, each with defined responsibilities and limits. Designing work now means deciding not just who does what, but what AI owns, what it supports and what remains human. Where this clarity is missing, organisations struggle to plan realistically, invest well or build the right skills. AI is becoming cheaper and more powerful and an organisation’s success depends less on headcount and more on how intelligently and consciously work is designed.
Moving away from the pyramid
AI reduces the need for large junior layers and coordination-heavy management. Routine work is automated and fewer roles exist to pass work along or manage approvals. We predict that many organisations will become less like pyramids and more like new shapes – with smaller entry layers, fewer pure managers and a stronger core of people solving problems and exercising judgement. Organisations need to consider how to transition into the new structures – away from traditional hierarchies and into more flexible, scalable setups.
Power and influence reimagined
As automation absorbs routine work, influence shifts towards those who shape direction, design systems and make better decisions. Leadership becomes less about control and reporting and more about judgement and clarity. Critical thinking is more important than ever as leaders increasingly focus on setting direction, building confidence and helping teams navigate complexity. Managing AI becomes part of leadership – not just something delegated to the tech team.
Organisation design becomes operating system design
Organisation design practitioners have long argued that it is not enough to alter reporting lines and titles and expect change to happen. What matters more is how work actually flows. With increasing use of AI, the focus needs to be on who makes decisions, how information moves, what rules govern behaviour and how learning happens. As work is changed and then changed again, these design choices increasingly determine whether strategy is delivered.
Careers become portfolios, not ladders
Careers are becoming less predictable and more personal. Progress is no longer defined by climbing a single ladder, but by the skills, experience and judgement people build over time. Learning speed and adaptability matter more than job titles. As early-career work disappears, organisations that fail to rethink development risk creating a future leadership gap.
Automation and role design move together
Automation can’t be introduced on its own. Every step forward in AI changes what people do, how performance is measured and how roles are valued. Where technology runs ahead but roles don’t change, organisations see cost without benefit. That’s why we see more and more organisations treat organisation design and technology as one integrated discipline – and in some cases place HR and Tech under a single leader to make it work.
If you’re grappling with the impact AI will have on your team, connect with Q5 to discuss how we can help support.
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