The way to get middle managers to embrace AI?Invest in people, not technology, first

This is the “messy middle” of AI adoption, when organizations shift from experimentation to integration. It is people and culture, not tools, that will help companies move forward.

After speaking with customers across the Asia Pacific region, I’ve found that the most successful teams are looking at how AI enhances human potential, not replaces it. This is important because AI adoption varies widely by role and seniority. Entry level employees experiment freely, senior leaders see strategic value, yet middle managers often struggle to bridge the gap.

This uneven approach means that leaders cannot take a one-size-fits-all approach. They have to meet people where they are, which makes coalition around people even more important, especially for leaders trying to manage talent and build trust.

After leading LinkedIn’s business in the Asia Pacific region and managing sales teams for over a decade, one lesson stood out to me: driving adoption, without clarity, leads to costly conversions. Sustainable transformation is not achieved by delegation; Instead, it is driven by leaders who focus on people first.

For leaders struggling to adopt AI, the solution is not to do more to enforce its use. Instead, they should focus on the human side of the equation; They must bring employees on the transformation journey by creating a culture that supports adaptability and rewards learning and innovation.

Middle managers are the missing link

Middle managers are at the heart of AI adoption. They face pressure from above to implement initiatives they may not fully understand, while reassuring those below them about their job security. They are the ones tasked with making AI work day in and day out. They juggle performance goals, team concerns, and adoption mandates, often without the rules of the game.

They ask themselves: How do I explain these changes to my team? What happens to the career paths we have built? How do I stay confident even when I’m unsure about how AI will impact my role?

In a recent LinkedIn survey, nearly half of companies expect employees to start using AI, yet 41% of professionals already feel overwhelmed by the speed with which they are expected to master it. Meanwhile, 84% of professionals in Asia Pacific aged 18-24, and 77% of those aged 25-34, believe that AI cannot replace human judgment at work.

Middle managers don’t need to have all the answers. Instead, their value lies in serving as trusted coaches, helping teams connect the dots between new technology, changing requirements, and long-term career goals.

Companies that successfully implement AI start with a people strategy before deploying the technology. They are very honest about what AI cannot do, and are creating space to gradually integrate it into their operations.

From automation to innovation

LinkedIn research shows that while 45% of professionals regularly use AI for routine tasks, only one in three AI users apply it to high-level work such as strategy or data analysis. What’s holding them back is not technical skill, but their sense of control over the technology.

In Singapore, where I live, one in four people use ChatGPT on a weekly basis, which is among the highest usage rates in the world. This is true AI readiness: Singaporeans have gone beyond exploration and experimentation to integrate AI into daily work. This high adoption rate shows that when people feel like they have control over how AI tools are used, they engage with them more deeply.

Adoption naturally accelerates as professionals realize that AI is amplifying, rather than replacing, their capabilities. This requires companies to go beyond simply using AI to automate tasks, but rather explore the new possibilities it opens.

Change management at work

Leaders are under pressure to move faster and do more with less at the same time. But they must not lose sight of the need to invest in organizations that prepare employees for success. For example, they should give middle managers the time and tools to become confident AI users, before asking them to lead others to adopt AI. Leaders need to reward progress, not perfection.

This is what I call “deliberate change management”: aligning people with a shared vision, enabling collaboration, learning from experience, and then transferring resources. Employers can create weekly forums where employees can share AI successes and failures without judgment, and then reallocate budgets away from underperforming AI trials to pilots that show success.

When people see tangible evidence that leadership is investing in their capabilities — not just deploying technology for its own benefit — they will shift from feeling threatened to feeling empowered.

Businesses should not rush through the chaotic middle; Those who win the AI ​​race in the long run may not be those who deploy the technology first, but those who build the strongest collaboration between humans and AI. The company’s advantage is how well its employees work alongside this technology.

Leaders need to be transparent about where they will use AI, where it is lacking, and when human judgment remains paramount. Employees must see their leaders learning alongside them: this builds the confidence needed to create meaningful transformation.

The opinions expressed in Fortune.com reviews are solely those of their authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or beliefs luck.

Fortune is hosting the Fortune Innovation Forum in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from November 17-18. Join business leaders and policymakers as they discuss opportunities and strategies for a world defined by artificial intelligence, protectionism, and geopolitical tensions. Register here!